Salem Romero

Falling in love with theatre in elementary school, junior Salem Romero is an actor. From then on, they have pursued their passion for theater.

“I like [theater] so much. Not only for the really interesting and powerful stories I’m able to tell, but for the community around it,” Romero said.

In Woodbridge High’s annual spring musical performance, Romero will play Fiona in “Shrek the Musical.” In preparation for their role, Romero looks to Sutton Foster.

“She’s done a ton of shows on Broadway, and she originated the role of Fiona in “Shrek The Musical,” so she’s definitely given me a lot of inspiration…I’ve always looked up to her throughout my journey in theater, and I hope that I can accomplish even a little bit of what she’s done,” Romero said.

When acting, Romero tries to embody their character, allowing the audience to fully be immersed in the story.

“It’s a lot more fun doing the show when you’re not thinking about external factors and you’re only focused on the story,” Romero said.

In the future, Romero hopes to continue their journey to the stage beyond Woodbridge High’s Performing Arts Center (PAC). “I’m planning to go to college for musical theater and hopefully I’ll be able to pursue it then. I’ve always dreamed of making acting a career,” Romero said.

Zachary Vu

Inspired by Kanye West’s music and Tyler, the Creator’s “Igor” album, senior Zachary Vu is a rapper and a producer under the alias ZuchVuGoths. “[Igor] was the first album I fully listened to…I learned every sample, every bar and knew this album top to bottom,” Vu said.

However, listening was not enough for Vu. It was not enough to just consume. “I eventually realized that I needed to make something, no matter what, I had to do something,” Vu said.
When writing music, Vu hopes to convey what is on his mind to people. He hopes to be someone that people can relate to and be inspired by.

“Being a sentiment for someone’s ears sonically is what I want to be,” Vu said.

Right now, Vu releases his music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. In the future, Vu hopes to continue his passion for music.

“Music is never going to leave, no matter how big or small the opportunities are. I appreciate all of them and I’m going to do [music] as much as I can,” Vu said. “Music has brought nothing but therapy and fun for me…I just think that no matter what I do in life, I’m going to be connected to music somehow.”

Grayson Deng

Sophomore Grayson Deng is a digital artist, drawing for people based on requests. His creative hobby started almost randomly, beginning when his friends reached out for their Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

“My first time ever getting commissioned wasn’t actually planned or anything. It was kind of my friends [asking], ‘Hey, can you draw something for me?’ By then, I felt like I had enough skills to [say], ‘Okay, but you have to pay me for it,’” Deng said.

Then on, he began seriously considering commissions as a way to earn money.

“I have commissions open in my [Instagram bio, under the username @graystrikes_art]. People can text me, strangers even, if they want commissions,” Deng said.

In his free time, he enjoys drawing and writing storyboards.

“I specifically like animation and storyboarding, because you can tell stories…It’s movie making, but you can direct everything more specifically,” Deng said.

Eventually, Deng hopes to expand his small business.

“Right now, [the business] is for fun. I’m hoping by late junior, maybe early senior year, I can do it more seriously and get more of a profit from it,” Deng said.
From developing his business, Deng hopes to use his earnings to fund his college education. He also plans to pursue a major related to drawing.

Ryan McPherson

Junior Ryan McPherson has always been into music, starting singing essentially from birth. Currently, he’s part of For Those Above, a metal rock band, as their vocalist and rhythm guitarist.

From the start, McPherson always planned to be in a band.

“I’ve always wanted to be in a band, but it never really happened,” McPherson said.

In an unexpected conversation with his friend and fellow junior Neftali Dubon about being in a band, they took action to make their visions a reality.

“[Dubon] and I were talking about how cool it would be to be in a band. I never thought anything would actually come of the conversation until he sent me an album artwork demo he had been working on, and I knew at that point this was something I wanted to take seriously,” McPherson said.

Two years later after this beginning and releasing a few singles, For Those Above are set to release their new album, “Straitjacket!” in February.

McPherson has many aspirations for the future of his band. The main one is to take the band’s production and performance of its music to the next level. Beyond his goals for the band’s growth, McPherson also aspires to help others through his music and through collaboration.

“One day, [I hope] I can work with bands and artists who have a similar dream as I do now,” McPherson said.