VELMA SOTO

Velma was raised in a middle-class White family in Glendale Heights, a suburban community in DuPage County, Illinois. Her upbringing reflects typical Midwestern values of friendliness, community involvement, and self-reliance, while also exposing her to the diverse cultural offerings of nearby Chicago. Family traditions include holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving, Fourth of July fireworks, and attending the local county fair, and she grew up with a mix of traditional American customs and contemporary youth culture.

She plans to earn her GED within the next year, then enroll in a community college program in marketing or communications. Velma hopes to land a role as a social-media coordinator for a local nonprofit or small business, leveraging her creativity and community-building skills. In the long term she dreams of launching her own youth-focused event planning and digital media boutique that blends her love for group activities with practical marketing expertise.

Velma is adept at connecting with peers, quickly reading social cues and building rapport. She creates engaging short-form video content using basic editing tools, and she can plan and run small-scale events like school dances or community gatherings. Her experience playing team sports gives her strategic thinking, leadership, and the ability to adapt on the fly, while she also has a working knowledge of graphic design basics through platforms like Canva.

Velma thrives in group settings: she plays volleyball in a community league, practices hip-hop and contemporary dance, and enjoys organizing spontaneous movie nights for friends. She spends free time crafting short TikTok videos, gaming in multiplayer sessions, and volunteering at the Glendale Heights community center where she mentors younger kids in arts and crafts. She also likes spotting new DIY trends and experimenting with upcycled projects.