My name is Moreno. When I was 4 years old, my family fled the Philippines for the U.S. to escape the threats of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. We originally filed for asylum, but were denied and ordered deported. Since then we have been living in the shadows. However, that hasn’t stopped us from dreaming.

My sister is a junior at UCLA, and I am currently an honors and AP student at a Southern California high school with a GPA of 3.67, a love for community service, and a passion for the arts.

After high school, I hope to fulfill my dream of attending and graduating art school (particularly Art Center) with a major in Illustration.