Eliazar Ramirez, 14, is a girl of many talents and interests: She sings, builds, and loves language. She wants to find a school that will nurture her creativity.
Born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease, Ramirez has been in a wheelchair her whole life. As a result, another of her concerns is how wheelchair-accessible a school is.
But, she said at last weekend’s high school fair in the Bronx, that issue is secondary to the quality of its arts program.
Though Ramirez came to the fair to learn about the many schools that might suit her, she thinks she already knows her top choice: the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts near Lincoln Center in Manhattan. LaGuardia is a well known — and highly selective — performing arts school that offers conservatory-style arts education in addition to a full slate of academic classes.
With only limited experience in the arts so far, Ramirez’s guidance counselor is helping her prepare assemble a her portfolio (both visual and vocal) for the art schools she is applying to.
Ramirez said she also hopes to learn French in high school so she can go to Paris to learn about fashion.
Jake Naughton is a student at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.