Freshman Friday – Blake Prado

Story by Sofia Hernandez, Staff Reporter|February 2, 2023

Freshman+Blake+Prado+talks+about+their+hobbies+and+dreams+for+the+future.

Image by Autumn Pagan

Freshman Blake Prado talks about their hobbies and dreams for the future.

Freshman Natalie Alvarez here at MECA
Freshman Friday - Natalie Alvarez
Alex reading The Poet X for her English 1 class.
Freshman Friday - Alexandra Davalos
Melanie Lopez can usually be seen around campus with smiling eyes and a fun pop culture t-shirt.
Freshman Friday | Melanie Lopez

Blake Prado is a talented freshman at Mt. SAC Early College Academy, and like many other students, Blake likes to keep themselves busy with their artistic talents.

“I do hand embroidery,” they stated. Hand embroidery is a form of art typically done with strings and a needle. It adds beautiful elements to pieces of cloth. A lot of intricate designs on clothing articles or accessories are done with hand embroidery. It is also very difficult to get interested in.

“I don’t really remember [how I started],” they said, “I just kind of started sewing [because] I got bored one day.”
They work really hard on their embroidery. It’s one of the hobbies that keeps them entertained. When asked if they had a favorite project, they responded like most artists, that they haven’t necessarily finished one. “I haven’t actually finished anything,” they laughed, “but I have this bag I embroider stuff on sometimes, like patchwork.”
Advice they have for beginners with embroidery is to separate the strands. “It definitely impacts the textures,” they say.

Besides their embroidery, they also like playing Minecraft in their free time.

“Private worlds are my favorite,” Blake says confidently, “but I also love playing with friends and shouting at people.” Minecraft is a fun way to spend your pastime, with more than thousands of games and worlds to explore. Blake’s favorite thing to do in the game is making farms.

When they’re not crafting or gaming, they’re making strides towards their future dreams. “I’d like to study culinary arts and have a job relating to food,” they shared. Food is a universal way of bringing people together, and you get to share your culture and memories with others.

“It’s just real fun to make food for people.”

Along with their interest in embroidering, they would also like to turn their interest in food “into a source of income in the future.” They share, “I would love to have some kind of food truck in the future!”