Yttzel Galia Serrato: We are stronger than we often give ourselves credit for

My journey at ECC started when I was 5, and dancing in the resident ensemble here at ECC, BFH. I danced in the Blizzard Theatre and roamed the halls of Building H before I knew that this building would be my home. As time progressed, I changed, and so did my pursuits at ECC. I obtained my GED from ECC, then switched from being a music major to becoming an art student. My progress has been anything but linear. I can proudly say that my academic career at ECC has transformed who I am as a person.  

Having parents who came to the United States undocumented and being first generation, every one of these opportunities has meant the world to me. I am especially grateful to my mentors Daniel Josh, Juan Fernandez, and Teri St. John. People who saw my potential and treated me as an equal.   

My art curations have been across all spaces on campus; in the hallways and the three galleries we have at ECC. I had my own solo exhibition with three other amazing artists in the spring of 2023, which was displayed for several months in the E. Max von Isser Gallery. I have curated a full exhibition in the Safety-Kleen Gallery in the spring of 2024 for former and current incarcerated inmates of Stateville Correctional Center.  

I have earned nearly every Visual Arts Award available at ECC. I helped revive the Art and Design Club in the spring of 2022. Every accomplishment I have obtained from ECC has been life-changing, and I will eternally be grateful for the opportunities I have had. 

I’ve also expanded beyond art at ECC. I’ve studied race and ethnic relations, international politics, and the systemic inequalities faced by people of color. I’ve written research papers on enforced disappearances in Latin America and the cultural weight of Machismo. These studies have shaped me into someone who values knowledge, compassion, and justice. Through ECC, I’ve grown from an uncertain woman of color into a nonbinary Latine artist with compassion and conviction. ECC gave me the courage to pursue art, to honor my family’s sacrifices, and to trust that I belong in the creative world. 

Truly, anything and everything is possible with the cards that are handed to you. Things can change at any moment, which is very exciting and anxiety-inducing. That shouldn’t deter us from pursuing our dreams. Even if that dream or goal changes, be kind to yourself and acknowledge that it takes great courage to achieve what you wish to accomplish. Higher academia is something that not everyone has the opportunity to do. And yet we’re here.  

Despite the hurdles and roadblocks on our way, we’ve all come to this moment. To celebrate our success, our passion for a promising future. It is understandable to have the notion of having our glass half empty, and sometimes that may be the case. That is okay to acknowledge. Ultimately, our feelings and worries are valid. It is what we do with those sentiments that matters. Defeat does not have to be permanent. It never has to be. We are resilient individuals, and there is so much promise in the air. We are stronger than we often give ourselves credit for. Everyone has a choice, and we are living proof of that. 

Yttzel Galia Serrato ‘25 

Elgin, Illinois 

Associates in Arts