Art and culture exist in multitudes that seep into every aspect of our everyday lives. From music to movies to literature, we have always been able to find joy in the different creative outlets around us.

Living in a digital age makes connection to different events or new pieces of media more accessible, and as the new arts and culture editor, I am honored to be able to share that through my work.

I am currently a junior who is majoring in mechanical engineering at UTEP and I am also the vice president of the Creative Writing Society on campus.

While I have many goals for my career, like being able to work at NASA in the future, I still would love to keep journalism and writing in my life beyond academics. I have always had a passion for writing, and I am extremely happy that I get to pursue it in so many areas of my life.

We navigate the world through the art, music, books and clothing that we enjoy. These things each hold long-standing significance for multiple people based on tradition and self-expression.

I strive to continue writing on these matters because of how important they are. I hope that with this new position I can share not only things that are coming out nationwide but also things that are happening on a local scale.

There are dozens of artists, events and shops that come through our city or have been here for a long time that people are not always aware of. El Paso and the UTEP campus are both culturally rich environments with an abundance of beautiful stories that deserve to be told.

My goal is to spread awareness about these things to help strengthen our community and provide people with different creative and cultural outlets to explore.

As the eldest daughter of a Mexican-American household, I know just how important it is to keep cultural and artistic work alive. Not only for myself but for the generations that follow me.

I grew up listening to artists like Selena Quintanilla and hearing about activists like Sylvia Rivera.

As I got older, I also found comfort and liberation in learning about Chicana art and fashion. These are all creations that were passed on to me by those who came before me.

Each new film, song and painting house major cultural impacts for many groups of people. I wish to be able to pass these stories along to others like they were passed on to me.

Thankfully I am blessed with a full and loving support system that can help me achieve these goals.

I want to thank my family for nurturing my dreams and entertaining every interest and curious thought I have ever had.

My parents worked hard so that my constant pursuit of knowledge never went unfulfilled, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities they have given me. I carry their love with me in everything I do.

I also want to thank my friends for always asking to read whatever I write. No matter what the story is they never fail to make me feel like my work is incredibly special. Everything I write has a piece of them in it, whether it is big or small.

Everyone working at The Prospector has been so kind and inviting. I cannot wait to work with all these lovely and talented individuals.

I hope that people get to read this paper and find all sorts of inspiration in the different works of art and culture that are featured here.

Meagan Garcia is the arts & culture editor and may be reached at [email protected].