Senior Spotlight-Miguel Chavez

An unassuming kid walks through the halls: sneakers, blue jeans, sweater—a wallflower by definition. While he doesn’t seem like much, his life has been progressing as much as any other kid’s has, if not farther; from kindergarten all the way to senior year. You catch a glimpse of him in the back of the class, twirling a pen between his knuckles, and think to yourself, “Huh, wonder what that guy’s been up to,” before shrugging the thought off.
Well, this story wants you to confront that thought and look deeper into the achievements and aspirations of the introverted, of those who the world wouldn’t give a second glance. And it all starts with Miguel Chavez, not a senior who yearns for the spotlight, but for fossilizing those underneath it in a photograph.
“Taking pictures,” Chavez began after being asked about why he does photography, “it’s like capturing the very moment a memory is made—like a physical reminder of our achievements. Something that can be shared and held close, but also a stunning display of human nature.”
His love for the art bloomed from the simple, yet potent admiration of images and video documentaries. “The crisp lighting, the beautiful dynamic between blur and focus—most wouldn’t give it a second thought, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Since then, Chavez has juggled his hobby between the school’s yearbook, personal photography, and band, where his favorite memories of taking pictures were spent. “When the band jumps in the air, almost falling out of the stands when we hear our placing at a contest or score a touchdown during a football game—having that moment encased in a physical memory is nothing short of breathtaking.”
But photography is not just an aspiration or a hobby, but an accomplishment. This is proven by Chavez’s impressive history with the art in competition.
“I’ve won four medals and several awards from VASE [Visual Arts Scholastic Event] competitions.”
One of the awards in question was the golden key, the highest award for VASE’s regional contest, qualifying him for state; not to mention, Miguel made it into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society after they recognized him for his artistic talent. And he doesn’t plan on stopping there anytime soon.
That being said, what does he plan to do with this talent of his after graduation?
“I aim to attend the University of Houston to study media production,” he said, “After that, I’d say my dream job is being a TV videographer or working at a news station as the head camera operator. From there, I just plan on living my life to the fullest—one snap at a time.”