By Lindsay Wu ’20
Artist, author and trained physicist Enrique Martinez Celaya P ’20 spoke at a ninth grade class meeting on March 14. Martinez Celaya’s presentation focused on individuality and life experiences relatable to students.
Martinez Celaya spoke about the progression of his career as an artist, starting with his decision to pursue art instead of physics in his high school years. He discussed his previous artwork, including projects he created for the State Hermitage Museum in Russia, the Cathedral Church of St. John in New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He also mentioned his works as an author and offered book recommendations to students.
To end his speech, Martinez Celaya emphasized the importance of pursuing interests true to each individual.
“The ultimate message I wanted to convey to everyone was to remain authentic. You are who you really are, which I think a lot of people say but don’t truly follow. It’s really a lot of work to remain authentic and who we truly are. It’s a struggle, so I think it’s really important to emphasize, especially with these ninth graders. Whether you’re a scientist or an artist, everything comes from being authentic,” Martinez Celaya said.
Students and faculty said that they were inspired by Martinez Celaya’s speech.
“I really enjoyed Mr. Martinez Celaya’s visit to our class meeting. He had really insightful opinions that were kind of difficult to comprehend, yet very relatable as a teenager. His ideas will definitely help guide me through life,” Scarlett Strasberg ’20 said.
