Athena Aiello has loved art ever since she was little. She explains art as a “way to help myself cope,” similarly to an outlet. Her artwork soon helped everyone at Frederick cope with a new challenge: the district phone policy.
In March, she went out of her way to begin painting the phone caddies in classrooms. When asked what had inspired her, she explains, “The phone caddies were boring, and similarly to the stools in the art room, I thought I could paint them.”
Athena has taken six art-related classes in her entire high school time: beginning ceramics, photography, metals, advanced drawing, beginning drawing, and finally the painting class.
Athena used references from movies and inspirations from herself to paint the catties. Athena wants to leave Frederick High to let everyone know the opportunities she got. “I want to leave Frederick, knowing that I had so many opportunities and I had grasped most of them with the help of teachers and counselors.”
This project has been so important for FHS because it brings some light to the classrooms. Some classrooms that don’t have accessories now have a pint of art for their students to see and everyone else around. It shows the importance and the want to make the classrooms seem more welcoming, and art is just the perfect choice for that.
Athena’s ‘hero’ or inspiration is her little sister. “She got me through the hardest times of my life,” Athena explains that when her sister was born, it changed a lot of things for her.
Art has affected Athena in many situations. “My dad and mom have shown me how to do art in all types of ways.” When things got hard in her family, it was how she coped and made it through. Art can truly change someone’s life.
Athena’s favorite quote to help herself through is “This too shall pass and nothing lasts forever, so don’t get stuck in the little things.”
Along with art, Athena hopes to help others in different ways. Athena is graduating a semester early this year to pursue a degree in mortuary science. While she studies, she will also be working at the Weld County Jail as a detention officer. When she turns 21, she will apply to become a police officer.
“I would not have been given this opportunity if it weren’t for Andy Fairbanks’ classes and all the volunteers who come in to help.”
