As his time in high school comes to an end, Christian Vega, 12, hopes to broaden his art and communication skills as a first-year illustrator for The Downey Legend. Along with joining different classes and clubs to experiment with his art style, Vega is also involved in many science-based clubs on campus. Off campus, you'll find Vega practicing guitar or ukulele, or exploring nature. Vega's plans after high school, include going to a four-year college, expand his perspective on nature, and hopefully one day write a book about himself. At home, he entertains a range of pets, including 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a lizard.

Vega first began practicing art 7 years ago, finding a lot of his inspiration from the natural elements of the outside world. He dedicates his time improving his art skills by studying techniques or various artists and art styles.

"I've always liked the idea of being able to create art pieces that are very subjective and that you can't really judge upon. You can always have opinions but you can't say this is right or wrong." vega said. "What I liked about it is I was able to explore it indefinitely without limitations. . .  It's a good experience to explore new things and discover yourself in the process."