The future of Vail Valley is in the hands of our youth, and with Kimberly Mayorga, the future looks bright. Kim is a dancer, a leader, an activist, and an inspiration to anyone lucky enough to work with her. Growing up in the Valley, Kim has taken advantage of every opportunity presented to her, and has always been incredibly active in the community. Currently, Kim’s involvement is focused on service. For Valley’s Voice, she is a tutor for the Tu Guia Program and a new member of the youth executive board. At EVHS, she is an active member of Student Leadership (StuCo), an executive committee member of their Make a Wish program, and a participant in Mountain Youth’s Diversity Council event (September 2019). While Kim naturally exudes qualities of a leader, she continuously seeks ways to “step up” and give back.
Mountain Youth hosted an event on July 12th, The He(art) of Vail Valley’s Youth, where Kim showcased her talent, creativity, and desire to make change. The event featured art created by young people from across Eagle County, and Kim submitted not one, but two pieces. The first was a gorgeously choreographed modern dance representing life during quarantine. The second was a voice recording in which Kim discussed why Black Lives Matter is such an important movement for her—it was a powerful display that demanded attention and brought many to tears. When asked why she created the recording, she responded saying “It was 2 in the morning, and I thought, ‘I am going to do this. I am going to talk about this’” because people need to hear it:
“Growing up, the closest I got to racism was it being said to my parents. Growing up being Mexican and having pale skin I never experienced racism personally. I was never told to go back to my country like some of my friends were. I was never excluded from anything like my parents were ... I have privilege and I am aware of it … This is why I fight for Black Lives Matter. Because although it hasn’t affected me personally, I realize that it is affecting millions around me … This is indeed a huge issue that needs to be fixed and it is up to our generation to do something about it. I will fight for BLM, I will fight for immigrants … My voice has been quiet for way too long and it is about time I start using it because I have a lot to say. I promise you I will strive to create change in our valley because change is needed and we are going to create it.” (Excerpt from “A Message from A Pale 16-Year-Old Mexican” by Kim Mayorga) As you can tell, Kim is willing to stand up for what she believes and better her community in the process.
Academically, Kim is equally as impressive. She takes as many AP Classes as possible, enrolled in two classes at CMC this summer, and plans on graduating high school with an Associates Degree in addition to her high school diploma.
It is rare to find someone who can blend creative and analytical thinking, but Kim thrives in both the world of the arts and in her math and chemistry classes. It may be surprising, but this dancer’s favorite subject is math. As a tutor, Kim loves teaching kids about math—and about how it can be fun. One student who Kim is tutoring was also last year’s EVHS Make a Wish recipient, and he loves Kim’s math lessons so much that he asked her to meet more often than they already were! Kim loves teaching but also appreciates what kids can teach her—even if the lessons are hard. “Little kids are really critical. I improve from that.”
More than anything else, Kim loves to dance. She has danced at nearly every studio in the valley, including Vail Valley Dance Academy, Studio 8100 in Avon, and More2Dance in Eagle. Also, Kim did an internship with Celebrate the Beat where she was an assistant to Eagle County CTB director Kris Ashley and was an ambassador for the Vail Dance Festival. Today, she is an independent dancer with a big support system. Plus, she plans to pursue dance as a minor in college.
Kim is going into her junior year at EVHS and we are so excited to see what she accomplishes next.