Sonya Zhang is a featured artist in this year’s WonderFest West At Clarke Hall in Mississauga. She will be reading some of her original work. A student still expanding her mind and exploring the world, Sonya is also part of Ink Movement,  a Canadian youth-led nonprofit organization that encourages youth to express what’s on their minds. Here are 11 things about Sonya… 🙂

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1. I’m a student at White Oaks Secondary School. While I’m definitely passionate about furthering my education, I’d definitely say that most days I’d rather be at home writing or taking pictures.

2.Both the greatest challenge and reward of being a student is definitely being able to overcome challenges and achieve different goals in a safe space where it’s okay to make mistakes.

3. To me, being an artist is having the freedom to materialize whatever you’re feeling at the moment, and having the privilege of sharing it with others.

4. I definitely didn’t expect to be where I am right now five years ago. I was incredibly shy, self-conscious and I would do almost anything to not be noticed. Which is why it still surprises me today that I ever found the courage to get up on a stage and participate in an art form like spoken word that requires so much attention from the audience.

5. 5 years from now, I’d like to keep doing the things I love like photography, travelling and writing.

6. I would tell my 8 year old self that she doesn’t have to be good at everything. It’s ok if she didn’t make it to the soccer team. It’s ok if she failed that one math test. It’s ok if she didn’t get the lead role in the school play. She was ok then and she will be okay in the future as well.

7. I have so many questions for my 80 year old self. I really hope I end up as one of those cool grandmas with amazing cookies and inspirational life stories. Of course, I’d ask her what she did with her life and how she did it because I have no idea what I’m going to do with mine. Hopefully she’s nice and is still doing the things she loves.

8. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky. This sounds super cliché but I am so privileged to be born to a family of specific people, in a specific time in a specific country. I can only imagine how different my life would be if my parents hadn’t decided to immigrate to Canada all those years ago, or if I was born in a time where women didn’t have the right to an education.

9. Depending on who you’re asking, people would be super surprised to find out that I’m an introvert with too much to talk about. I have always, and still am super shy. However, if you can get me talking about something I’m passionate about I will literally never shut up.

10. I personally find the weirdest things funny. I find cat videos on YouTube funny. I find my 5 year old sister hilariously funny. Of course, I also find the American election this year hilarious.

11. I typically don’t put much thought into humanity and where it’s going because every time I do, as expected, I end up in a dark abyss questioning my humanity. Of course I wonder whether we’re all going to die if Donald Trump wins the election. I think about whether it was a mistake for Europeans to set foot onto that boat and “discover the new world”, killing millions of people and destroying cultures in the process. And even whether it was a mistake for our ancient ancestors to start that first fire, resulting in the creation of guns and bombs and wars. Of course, then I think about all the awesome things in life like puppies and Dr.Who and it all seems ok for a while.

12. My favourite quote is definitely: “We can complain because roses have thorns or rejoice because bushes have roses.” -Abraham Lincoln

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I love that quote! What a thoughtful and Wonderful young lady Sonya is! Please come see her perform at WonderFest West on June 4th! I am so looking forward to her performance energy! What’s WonderFest West? This… 🙂