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Alessandra Soriano

6x

Finalist

2x

Winner

General information

Location
Long Beach, CA
Age
21
Gender
Female
US Citizenship
US Citizen
Ethnicity
Hispanic/Latino
Religion
Agnostic

Hobbies & Interests

  • Painting and Studio Art
  • Sculpture
  • Music
  • Drawing And Illustration
  • Animation
  • Writing
  • 3D Modeling
  • Biochemistry
  • Piano

Reading

  • Science Fiction
  • Historical

I read books multiple times a week.

Bio

Alessandra’s artistic drive is deeply rooted in her commitment to honor her family’s resilience and build a better future. Her father immigrated from Chalatenango, El Salvador, as a child, forced to flee his home during the Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992). Her mother’s family immigrated from Guadalajara, Mexico, during the Bracero Program era (1942–1964), seeking greater economic opportunity and establishing their lives in the United States. These intergenerational experiences of migration, survival, and perseverance continue to shape Alessandra’s artistic perspective and the stories she chooses to tell. Alessandra has built an interdisciplinary background across art, animation, design, and film through eight internships in graphic design, game art, urban design, 3D modeling, museum curation, and television production. She contributed to storytelling projects with the Long Beach Community Partnership, advocacy campaigns at the Hammer Museum at UCLA, and environmental design work with Trout Unlimited. As part of her team, she helped pitch a project in Sacramento, contributing to the securing of $4.6 million in funding. Through her work, Alessandra continues to explore storytelling as a tool for representation, education, and social impact, drawing on her cultural heritage and multidisciplinary training to create meaningful, accessible visual experiences.

Education

Chapman University

Bachelor's degree program

2023 – 2027

Majors:
  • Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Minors:
  • Fine and Studio Arts
GPA4.0 GPA

Odyssey Stem Academy

High School

2019 – 2023

GPA4.0 GPA

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
University of Southern California, University of California-Los Angeles, Harvard Extension School, Harvard College
Majors of interest:
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, Design and Applied Arts
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • 3D Animator

    Animation · Nueroleap

    Jan 2026 – Present

  • Storytelling In Animation

    Animation · Gobelins Paris

    Jan 2025 – Jan 2025

  • Student Art Gallery Assistant

    Graphic Design · Chapman University

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Art Installations for the Los Angeles River (Wildlife Conservation Board)

    Design · Still Water

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2024

  • Screenwriter, Storyboard Artist, Editor, Cinemotographer

    Animation · LBCAP: LAMP Program

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2022

  • Activism Artist Intern

    Activism · Hammer Museum (UCLA)

    Jan 2021 – Jan 2021

  • Intro to Urban Design and Coding

    Urban Design · Heart Of Los Angeles (HOLA) Program

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2020

  • 3D Modeling

    Computer Graphics Intern · Luke Grey

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2020

  • Graphic Design Intern

    Graphic Design · Odyssey STEM Academy

    Jan 2019 – Jan 2019

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Arts
Dream career goals:
Animation
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Lori Nethaway Memorial Scholarship
STEM and the arts have the potential to make a positive impact on the world in a variety of ways, and I am particularly interested in combing the arts and technology in innovative and impactful methods. One example of this is my current urban design project with my partner, which is focused on restoring the LA River. Through this project, I am using 3D modeling software to design sustainable and practical solutions that consider the historical and cultural context of the river and its surroundings. The LA River, once a vital resource for the Tongva people, has been dramatically altered by industrialization. The riverbed was concreted during the 1940s to prevent flooding during heavy rainfall, but this unintendedly destroyed the natural ecosystem and disconnected the city from the river. In recent years, there have been efforts to restore the river and bring it back to its natural state, but it's a complex and challenging task. This project taught me the importance of understanding a place's historical and cultural context to create sustainable and practical solutions. It reminds me that technology is not an end in itself but a tool that can be used to achieve a greater goal. In this case, the goal is to restore the river's natural ecosystem, create a more sustainable and livable city, and reconnect the community with the river. Understanding these historical perspectives has helped me appreciate the importance of using technology responsibly and to create solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially and environmentally sustainable. In the future, I plan to continue using STEM to positively impact the world. In conclusion, I am passionate about STEM because it has the potential to make a positive impact on the world. My interest in combining the arts and technology to create innovative solutions is exemplified by my current urban design project, which aims to restore the LA River using 3D modeling software. This project taught me the importance of understanding a place's historical and cultural context to create sustainable and practical solutions. Additionally, my interest in STEM has been shaped by the books and articles I've read, which have helped me understand the relationship between STEM and various societal phenomena, such as weather, electricity, and politics. This has shaped my goals to use STEM to solve technical problems, address broader societal issues, and contribute to a more just and equitable world.
Code Breakers & Changemakers Scholarship
Winner
STEM has the potential to make a positive impact on the world in a variety of ways, and I am particularly interested in using it to combine the arts and technology in innovative and impactful methods. One example of this is my current urban design project with my partner, which is focused on restoring the LA River. Through this project, we are using 3D modeling software to design sustainable and practical solutions that consider the historical and cultural context of the river and its surroundings. The LA River, once a vital resource for the Tongva people, has been dramatically altered by industrialization. The riverbed was concreted during the 1940s to prevent flooding during heavy rainfall, but this unintendedly destroyed the natural ecosystem and disconnected the city from the river. In recent years, there have been efforts to restore the river and bring it back to its natural state, but it's a complex and challenging task. Using 3D modeling software, I can create detailed visualizations of our design concepts and simulate different scenarios, allowing us to make informed decisions about which solutions will be most effective. This project taught me the importance of understanding a place's historical and cultural context to create sustainable and practical solutions. It reminds me that technology is not an end in itself but a tool that can be used to achieve a greater goal. In this case, the goal is to restore the river's natural ecosystem, create a more sustainable and livable city, and reconnect the community with the river. Additionally, my interest in STEM has been further shaped by the books I've read and the articles I've read about the industrialization age and new technology. I've learned that STEM is not just about solving technical problems but also about understanding broader societal issues and how they are interconnected. For example, the industrialization age brought many technological advancements, pollution, social inequality, and other harmful effects. Understanding these historical perspectives has helped me appreciate the importance of using technology responsibly and to create solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially and environmentally sustainable. In the future, I plan to continue using STEM to positively impact the world. I am particularly interested in using my 3D modeling and urban design skills to work on projects that address critical issues such as climate change, social inequality, and sustainable development. Through my studies and work, I hope to gain the knowledge necessary to make a real difference. In conclusion, I am passionate about STEM because it has the potential to make a positive impact on the world. My interest in combining the arts and technology to create innovative solutions is exemplified by my current urban design project, which aims to restore the LA River using 3D modeling software. This project taught me the importance of understanding a place's historical and cultural context to create sustainable and practical solutions. Additionally, my interest in STEM has been shaped by the books and articles I've read, which have helped me understand the relationship between STEM and various societal phenomena, such as weather, electricity, and politics. This has shaped my goals to use STEM to solve technical problems, address broader societal issues, and contribute to a more just and equitable world.
Minority/Women in STEM Scholarship
In elementary school, I confidently acknowledged to my parents that I would eventually become a cartoon version of myself. I ultimately concluded that I couldn't transform into a fictional character, but I never lost interest in art. In middle school, this is where I became fascinated with 3D modeling projects and enjoyed programming robots that could perform various tasks. Boys who refused to work with me usually filled the classrooms. My classmates rebuked me for objecting, calling technology unfeminine and unartistic. They were wrong. I've been attending art and technology internships for the past four years while taking advanced math and science courses in high school in the hopes that I can continue to use technology and art to express my creativity and significantly impact the art world. In high school, I eventually produced a 3D modeling passion project in my Sophomore year during virtual learning. A model of a personified version of myself that stemmed from my childhood. Character design and animation have always captivated me, especially regarding how they apply to computer science since it's often taught in these programs in addition to art skills due to digital art's reliance on technology. I proposed that my design would appear to be three-dimensional. My challenges with my STEM education were having a lack of female role models in the industry and always having persistent stereotypes about my intellectual abilities just because I'm female and Hispanic. I have been discriminated against and undergone sexism, which can be intimidating because of male students' lack of cultural awareness. This year, I joined the MESA team despite my doubts that I would fit in the predominantly male field. I was hooked after I completed projects using 3D modeling, held a coding program for the second time, and dove into the muck to fix a prototype. Thanks to this experience, I expanded my academic expertise in what I love by finding a community that accepts and acknowledges my talents and interests despite my gender and ethnicity. In my practice, I often express my political ideas or convey deeply personal thoughts. The Minority/Women in STEM Scholarship can help me pursue my favorite academic interests with 3D creation, study, research, and computer development. Because of the STEM multidisciplinary accessibility, I believe I'll be able to combine my love of computers with an exploration of the depths of art while becoming a role model for my sisters to continue doing what they love despite their gender and despite their Hispanic culture.
Future Minority Leaders Scholarship
Winner
As Toby Fox said, "If there's anything you want to learn, don't be stopped by thinking it'll be too hard! Game-making, music, art, language, anything!" The 2015 role-playing video game Undertale is his most well-known creation. Before Undertale, he created role-playing games in high school. This person was interesting to me because he made game characters since he was a teenager like me. Excited by his persistence to make characters appealing, it was my turn to build a passion project of a caricature. What factors outlined the depth and allure of my passion for animation? This is the exact question I asked myself as my eyes riveted on the white canvas on my tablet digital screen with my stylus pen on my desk. It was 12am and raining on a July weekend in my Sophomore year. I watched the Peanuts movie concurrently. As a result of this movie's artistic decision, I made some small scribbles. Because I enjoyed expressing my personality and interests to others, which allowed me to reflect on the most authentic version of myself, I recreated a character who had been a version of myself since I was a young child. This project came about due to my research into 3D modeling techniques and my hobbies. As part of my passion project, I decided to look into the making of the Peanuts movie to determine what factors best describe the range and allure of my passion for animation. And therefore, I came across The Art of the Peanuts Movie on Amazon. The book was a winner to buy, and I got it in two weeks. After reading this, I realized that animated characters must be given enough time, attention to detail, characters, and technique to appear innovative. The movie was revolutionary because the animators spent two years perfecting Charles Shult's (the Peanuts creator) artistic style while having to disassemble the software and reassemble it. At this point, my geek radars were alarming, so I wanted to talk to an animator who worked on the movie. After weeks of looking, I finally located Dave Vasquez online. I emailed him questions about the movie-making process, the animation business, and what other skills are needed in the field. He explained, "You must invest the time and effort to enter the field as a professional if you want to work as a character animator professionally. But you can become valuable if you excel in one area and have spent time learning other things, such as C++. At Blue Sky Studios, we had a man who was a fantastic animator and great at coding. Who do you believe created many of the tools used by animators? " After making changes to the design of my model, remodeling it, and pausing for thought, I concluded that 3D modeling is an amazing technological accomplishment. I completed my first model in three months using free software thanks to game and animation development research. Later, I explored my interests in coding, urban planning, and filmmaking to develop new skills that would allow me to extract the most emotion from even my most straightforward storylines. I discovered that I could pursue my interests in animation and turn intangible concepts into practical techniques. The Future Minority Leaders Scholarship will help me because I can pursue my favorite academic interests with it, including art creation, study, research, and project development. Because of how college has multidisciplinary accessibility, I believe I'll be able to combine my love of computers with an exploration of the depths of art with this scholarship.
Alessandra Soriano Student Profile | Bold.org