Denise Vargas, an 11th grader, is known for her unique doodle-style drawings and her recognition from the Tulare County Office of Education where she won the Character Counts Award for Trustworthiness.
Growing up in Porterville, Vargas has always been passionate about art. Although Vargas claims realistic artwork is not her forte, she has always found joy in doodling. Even though she is not enrolled in an art class this school year, Vargas is part of the Arts and Crafts Club at Granite Hills, ensuring that art is part of her school life.
At 16 years old, Denise Vargas balances academic success and her love for art.
Denise Vargas shines in the classroom, with math and history being her favorite subjects. When asked about her favorite teacher, Denise quickly had an educator in mind.
“Definitely Mr. Riddle because he’s kinda funny,” explained Vargas. “I learn a lot about history in his class.”
Her favorite teacher Mr. Riddle has inspired her by his unique way of teaching her favorite subject.
This year, Vargas is determined to accomplish having great grades all year and setting herself up for success senior year.
When Vargas isn’t focused on school, she enjoys gaming. When relaxing, Vargas takes pleasure in games like Stardew Valley and Minecraft, which she plays on her phone.
Something unique about Vargas is the fact that she does not participate in social media. It’s extremely rare being a teenager in the 21st century without having any social media presence, but Vargas likes to beat the odds in a social media-driven world.
Despite facing challenges like being hard of hearing and having less-than-perfect eyesight, Vargas has shown resilience by powering through and not letting these obstacles affect her everyday performance.
On weekends, Vargas enjoys helping out her family by cleaning, which helps them unwind after a busy week.
Vargas has big dreams of becoming a game developer and is working hard toward that goal.
She plans to attend Porterville College after high school but is not sure which university to attend after that.
In 5-10 years, she sees herself having the career of her dream. Creating and updating games for people and herself to enjoy. Vargas already has a head start in the coding world by being in Granite Hills CODE Pathway (computers, operations, and development education).
As Vargas says, “It’s not about the past, it’s about the future,” a quote that truly captures her forward-thinking mindset.
