Soon to be a sixth-grade student, Antonella Rebecca Aurora Smith is days away from starting a new chapter in her life.
Amid summer camps and back-to-school shopping, Smith (who goes by the name Ara) is about to start middle school on Monday, Aug. 18.
At 11, Ara literally carries her future in her hands, a pastel sketchbook that more than hints at her passion for the arts – and her dream of making a career out of it.
Covered in stickers, like one of a frog in western attire and another of a bee with exaggerated wings, the fore-edge of each page peeks through with color and add-ons like magazine cutouts.
Ara, who previously attended Silver Strand Elementary School since kindergarten, says she draws, paints, doodles and artistically decorates her sketchbook on a daily basis.
The Coronado News chatted with Ara to learn how she is feeling about starting at Coronado Middle School this year. Answers are edited for brevity and clarity.
“I’m mostly excited and I know it’s gonna be new, so I’m a little bit nervous,” Ara said. “But I know that the teachers are really nice. That’s what (my brother) Tommy told me. And that everything will be fine. I’m trying to tell myself that ’cause I get really anxious, but I think that I’ll be okay. I’m really excited for this year.”
Q: What is your experience attending school in Coronado?
Ara: It’s really nice and usually teachers will greet you and they give you a nice breakfast. They’re really sweet and the students are really nice too. So I think that everybody would love to go here.
Coronado Middle School seems like a really nice school and I love all the activities they do there. And also, it’s really close to our house! You don’t have to drive super far, you can just walk there. I hope that I’ll still be able to see everyone that was in my (Silver Strand Elementary School) class and I know it’s big and it’s new, but I think I’ll be able to, like, get used to it, and I think it’ll be really nice.
I’m hoping one day I could go to CoSA (the Coronado School of the Arts) when I’m older. I really enjoy doing art, so I really like all the art teachers that tell us how to draw. I really enjoy animating, and I really want to become an animator someday and make cartoons and stuff.
Q: When did you start making art?
Ara: I would always love to doodle. And over time, I just got better at it, and I keep on doing it now. I do doodling, digital media, and I paint and sketch. I basically do all of them, but I do love doodling mostly. There’s this YouTuber that I watch. Her channel name is Doodle Days and I get inspired by her art a lot. I love seeing the way she makes her sketchbook.
Q: What is your back-to-school routine?
Ara: Usually on the first day of school, I pick out a really nice outfit and I usually put on a lot of accessories, and then I usually make sure that I pack everything good. Then I take a few deep breaths and go to school.
Q: What are some of your favorite academic subjects?
Ara: I’m really looking forward to science … I think it’s pretty fun, especially because I love doing experiments. I’m like a really curious person. I also really love math. I like to do puzzles for my brain.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in sixth grade?
Ara: I probably will ask people to be my friend. They can like whatever they want, so I don’t really care if they don’t like the things that I like. I mostly hope that I can at least make, like, a few friends and become (part of) a group. I hope that I can get good grades in class and become a good student. I’m also hoping that I don’t get in trouble. I’m also hoping that I never stop doing art and I hope that I get better at it.
Q: Where do you see yourself 20 years from now?
Ara: I hope I’ll be able to be who I always wanted to be and follow my dreams forever. I think that I might either be a baker – ‘cause I enjoy baking a lot – or an artist.
Q: What should people know about you now, as an incoming middle schooler?
Ara: I love hanging out and playing video games. I love hiking and listening to music; they calm me down most of the time. I like volleyball and soccer, but I don’t think I have a favorite sport, ’cause I really like a lot of sports. But I don’t do sports that often. I have a lot of different favorite foods. I really like ramen and any ramen place. I really like this show called “Hilda.” It’s about this girl who likes to go on adventures and doodle whatever she sees. And so that also really inspires me. She’s a lot like me. I really like this movie called “Parent Trap.” My favorite song right now is probably a song called “Free” by KPop Demon Hunters, it’s really good!
Q: What is one thing you want the Triton community, named after Coronado Middle School’s mascot, to know about you?
Ara: I’m kind. And I like to be creative. I really like hanging out and if you want to be my friend I’m open!
