Jiale Zhu (Coco)

For Jiale Zhu, art has always been a part of her since kindergarten: quick sketch, oil pestle, acrylics, ceramics, sculpture, procreate, and more. Though not a gifted artist of any sort, she slowly got used to a routine that brought her back to the art studio even in the busiest times in her high school years. 

It was not until her sophomore summer that she realized the value of this art routine. Overworking herself for a whole summer left her vulnerable to all sorts of mental issues and anxieties. Thinking back to the moments she spent painting, she found out the absence of self-care during that summer. That is, the importance of self-care and mental health among high school students, especially therapies coming in the form of art..
 

Outside of this, Coco is an active athlete and you would find her often furthering camaraderie with her friends and teammates in the art studio and gym. She also works as an active leader of the art club in her current high school and as a content creator for a women-activist organization.