School: Apex Friendship High School
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Hometown: Apex, NC
Roots: Venezuela
Gabriella (Gabby) Martinez is a 15-year-old refugee and older sister. Gabriella was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and she fled the country with her parents at the age of 2. Ever since she was little, she knew she wanted to help people and create things. Her passion for language and writing led her to create the Creative Writing Club as a sophomore at Apex Friendship High School. She would like to continue to study languages and become a translator to help families with the English language barrier. She also adores the arts, visual, and performing. She loves drawing and has always expressed herself through it. One of her pieces was featured at the 2021 NC State Fair. She participates in school plays and musicals whenever she gets the chance, and loves to sing. Saturday movie nights with her family and dog, Obi, is her happy place. She hopes to someday change the world with language and with art.