Edelind Peguero

Edelind Peguero is a student of Boston Latin School and a member of Hyde Square Task Force. She has been a part of various workshops such as Boston Ballet’s event dedicated to working with children with down syndrome. She felt so impacted by that experience that it inspired her to want to become a dance therapist for students with disabilities.

Edelind states: "What fuels my work is the joy and amusement you see in the audiences' faces when they see a group perform. I love seeing others happy while also motivated to learn. Since I was younger, I’ve always seen myself doing something with the arts. I didn’t know what it was but as I grew older and went to Hyde Square Task Force, I’ve learned about how important it is to learn about...Afro-Latin culture."

Paola De La Cruz

Paola is currently a student working on her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration and a 4 year member of Chica Project. Her art is not only meant to be commercial, but to speak alongside equality. She hopes that her art will build bridges between genders, races, and ages creating an environment of conversation, and advocacy for human rights.

Paola states: "Once arriving to Boston, at seven years old, I knew the American Dream does not happen overnight. From living in a one bedroom apartment with seven people, to living in a motel, and then living in a family shelter; art became my personal therapist. Words were not always comforting to me, so instead, I drew them. Ten years later, art became less of a personal diary, meant for my eyes only, and evolved into more of a discussion starter. When I draw my words, I also draw statements."

Samantha Canto De Almeida

Samantha is the Dining Services Manager at Metro Meeting Centers. What fuels her passion for culinary arts is how she can express herself through cooking with the flavors, the textures and the stories behind the recipes and the ingredients. Her international dishes are an artistic representation of the people from many nationalities who have influenced her life.

Samantha states: "My hope is to one day open my own bistro...My grandmother always used to say 'we eat with our eyes and sense of smell', and for this reason learning how to be more artistic and sensorial with my cooking as well as how to present my food in a way that engages the senses just like every other art does, it is a dream that I hope to pursue."