Isabel Acevedo

My parents, doctors from the Philippines, and my sister Marisa (Mia) make up my household. We're full of random Filipino sayings, delicious Chinese food, and a whole lot of fun - and by fun I mean books, travel, music, and even comics. My friends are similarly loving, intelligent, and hilarious.

PYSO was my youth symphony in high school, a quite prestigious ensemble that meets at Heinz Hall - the same venue as the amazing professional Pittsburgh Symphony. We rehearsed once a week and tackled professional repertoire. The videos below are from our concerts, where I was a first violinist.

I learned to read at age 3 and write at 4, and since then, I've been filling notebooks and Word documents with my stories and poems. With my writing, I have won poetry competitions, been published in the Teen Ink arts magazine, and had several of my works featured in my school's literary magazine.

Ever since my first escapades into the Carnegie Museum as a child, I've had a love for art. Drawing as a hobby and as artistic and emotional expression has been an important outlet for me throughout my life - and a really fun talent.