Traveling artist stays active in community

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Jamie Schlegel explores new culture in Mexico. (Photo courtesy Jamie Schlegel)

  Most know senior Jamie Schlegl as an artistic and adventurous person. Throughout her life, she has explored many new fields of art including photography, painting, music, and drawing. Schlegl plays the cello in the orchestra, which she has been familiar with playing since the fourth grade, as well as playing the violin since she was five years old. She has also travelled outside of America out of her curiosity for culture.

  Photography is a new hobby for her, and according to Schlegl she feels amateur because she usually just uses her iPhone camera. She loves it anyways and prefers having a creative Instagram platform such as adding in beautiful scenery and laying it out in an artistic manner.

  Schlegl paints and uses pastels for her artwork, but mostly likes to draw. She is pretty much a self-taught artist and loves to draw nature, such as flowers. She also likes drawing people but is new to it and finds it more difficult to do.

  “When I was a freshman, I did this project for my English class where I drew the characters from ‘The Catcher and the Rye,’” said Schlegl. “I also draw inspiration from the books, and other artists, like Van Gogh and his sunflower drawings.” She wants to continue doing art in the future and is planning on being more serious about it in college.

  “I don’t have as much time for it right now as I would like, but I definitely see myself taking lessons or something along the lines of art next year,” said Schlegl.

  Schlegl is also involved in a large variety of clubs such as MUN, speech and debate, We The People, and a program that involves the High School called Big Brothers, Big Sisters. She is in We The People with one of her best friends, senior Mallarie Apodaca, where last year they got to travel to Washington D.C. with each other in this group.  

  “While we were there, we went to the Smithsonian Art Museum and walked around together, pointing out our favorite artwork and bonding in a different way than we ever had,” said Apodaca.  “It was definitely our most fun and meaningful memory.” They have known each other for twelve years now, and according to Apodaca, Schlegl always makes her feel better about her outlook on life.

  Schlegl does not just want to get into art but also wants to get into International Development and become something along the lines of an ambassador. “This would be where I go into other countries and try to help fix situations with bad education, human rights and helping other countries develop,” said Schlegl. She is very passionate about helping people in other countries who are in poverty, or who suffer from diseases that are easily curable in the United States. “It’s a hard field to go into because the pay’s not always great, it’s really hard work, and it can be scary to go into other countries like that,” said Schlegl. She thinks it is important to go in and help those people in need, no matter what problems their facing.

  Schlegl has two major role models in her life that have helped inspire her for what she wants to do in her future. Last summer, Schlegl went on an exchange trip, called the Student Diplomacy Corps. The Student Diplomacy Corps was something she had to apply for, and when she got in, they sent students in groups of ten to a country.

   “The one I went on, I went to Chile, and their focus was the indigenous people who live on Eastern Islands,” said Schlegl. The leader of this trip, Karla Piacentini, is the main inspiration for Schlegl because of her experience traveling. Piacentini has taught English in South Korea and has been to multiple other areas helping people. Piacentini also did “The Peace Corps,” which is what Schlegl wants to be in after her undergraduate degree. Schlegl was inspired by the things Piacentini has accomplished because she also wants to work with Foreign Affairs.

  “She is also a super open-minded person. She is very kind, and she had a lot of traits I really aspire to have of my own,” said Schlegl. Another role model in her life is Spanish teacher Allison Vold. Along the same lines as Piacentini, Vold spent two years abroad in Spain and has traveled a lot, sparking the same interests in Schlegl.

  Recently, Schlegl has applied for another program similar to the Student Diplomacy Corps in South Africa and Thailand. She is interested in visiting both of these places. She also wants to go to more Spanish speaking countries like Spain and is currently in AP Spanish trying hard to become fluent. There is also multiple other places in Europe she would enjoy to visit sometime in the future.

  “I specifically would like to see the Netherlands, I think it would be very cool to experience everything there,” said Schlegl.

  Her friends know Schlegl as a person who is always there for the people she loves. “In some of the most painful times of my life, she has been the one person to stick with me and help me when I’m in need,” said Apodaca. Apodaca is inspired by Schlegl because she is always working toward her aspirations and makes decisions based on what will make her happy.

  “She has direction in life and is very driven in achieving her goals and being the person she wants to be.” Said senior Skye Bensel, Another close friend of Schlegl. “She is inexorably kind and easy to have in-depth conversations with.” Between her close relationships with friends and family, and her passion for culture and art, Schlegl can be considered to be a busy and outstanding friend and daughter of James, and Ramona Schlegl.