Anaís Orozco Wants to Cultivate Community Through Arts Education
Meet Anaís Orozco, Undergraduate Student Speaker for UCLA Arts 2024 Commencement
Anaís Orozco grew up in Huntington Park, Calif., a city in southeast Los Angeles County. It was here where the artist and aspiring educator developed her passion for community-engaged work and the arts.
“I’m very loyal to my community,” Anaís said. “It's a predominantly Latinx, Spanish-speaking, working class community. It ultimately helped raise and shape me.”
Her love of art was passed down to her from her father, an artist and graphic designer. Some of her earliest memories are of her sitting on his lap, with a pencil in hand, drawing together.
Art, according to Anaís, is a universal language. It transcends borders, cultures, and age differences.
This early exposure to drawing evolved into taking visual arts courses throughout elementary and high school. Even at a young age, she longed to be at the front of the classroom as an arts educator, to empower young people and pass down the learnings she gained from her upbringing.
“The lack of arts education in Huntington Park inspired me to pursue a career in arts education in order to bring that back to my community,” Anaís said. For her, arts education is about more than painting and drawing — it’s about social justice.
“To be able to formulate social justice informed curriculum would allow folks such as myself and other marginalized communities to be able to express themselves through the arts,” she said.
Anaís Orozco posts work at the WAC Senior Praxis Exhibit 2024. (Lucza Brewer / UCLA Arts)
Anais set out with this goal in mind after high school by enrolling at East Los Angeles College, where she completed the Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP). MSCP provides a foundation for obtaining job opportunities within the museum field through professional mentorships and rigorous academic study. These skills served her well for the next step in her academy journey.
After completing the program, she applied to UCLA as a world arts and cultures major. She was drawn to the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (WACD) for its theory-heavy, interdisciplinary emphasis and mission to integrate cultural theories with art-making.
More impactful than any theory was the community Anaís gained from WACD.
“At UCLA, I was able to build community with other transfers who share similar backgrounds and struggles,” she said. “I owe at least 95 percent of my success to their unconditional love and support. Whether you're in an institutional, educational, or workplace setting, it's ultimately about finding your people.”
With graduation around the corner, Anaís knows what she wants to do next: work as an arts educator and program developer for a local community space or non-profit, particularly with elementary and middle school students. She intends to foster an environment where young people can be heard.
Anaís Orozco presents at the WAC Senior Praxis Exhibit 2024. (Lucza Brewer / UCLA Arts)
“I want young folks to know it's okay to express yourself,” she said. “They need the most attention because they are at a very crucial time of growth, and art can make a difference in their lives.”
If art is a universal language, it provides young people with the ability to communicate the things they may not have the words for. A young person’s work of art can say so much with so little — and for Anaís, a well-cultivated imagination can even change the world.
When asked what she would say to someone transferring to UCLA, Anaís said, “Don't be afraid to think big. At times the dense concepts can be overwhelming, but don't be afraid to plug in to your own radical imagination and use what you learn in order to transform the world.”
For Anais, that’s the most important thing about an arts education: it’s power to inspire lasting change, one community at a time.
Anaís will serve as the undergraduate student speaker at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15.
By Sean Arenas
Header image: Anaís Orozco is set to graduate with a B.A. in world arts and cultures. (Lucza Brewer / UCLA Arts)
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