Wendy Medina

Wendy Medina loves Friday nights at the swap meet. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she loves to watch her people strolling from booth to booth. “Behind those smiling faces [are] lives with stories, so many stories,” says Wendy. “Unfortunately, they are not all happy.” At age five, Wendy discovered a “clunky Panasonic tape camcorder.” She pressed the bright red button, heard a beep and was on her way. By age ten she was creating “embarrassing” YouTube videos. In eighth grade she was part of the team who produced her school’s news show. Eventually she enrolled in the Art of Cinema and Beginning Video Production at Palomar College and soon came to realize that she is “drawn to stories of those who do not have a voice.” Says one recommender, “I have been shocked by how Wendy can turn basic video assignments into incredible and thought-provoking journeys… Wendy is in the top echelon of creative minds…” A Del Lago Academy graduate with a 4.24 GPA, Wendy will be the first in her family to attend college. At Del Lago she was a member of the Varsity Soccer Team, the Yearbook Club, the Truth to Power Club; was “the ‘go to’ scholar when teachers [needed] posters and other class room art” and had a film shown at the San Diego Latino film Festival. That film, Oportunidad, was inspired by her father’s story. Says Wendy, “I filmed in the desert and farm fields to make this film as realistic as possible.” And why did she film it? “Because I needed my dad’s voice heard.” If all goes as planned, Wendy will attend Chapman College in the fall where she will major in Film Production. “There are two sides to every story, but in reality, often times only one side is portrayed,” says Wendy. “To become a more inclusive society, people must be aware of their common humanity.” Wendy intends to contribute to that awareness by becoming a film director.

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