On her father’s 40th birthday, Gabriella Torres drives to San Bernadino with her grandparents to donate food to the homeless. Her first experience of giving to the community had truly inspired her to do the same in her local community. Gabby built her role and duty in organizations, clubs, and even as USB President to change her community for the better with the help of a supportive student body.

Torres is widely well known at Ayala High School, some may know her as the USB president, founder of FindKind, Class Representative, etc. With the many duties she has, Torres continues to strive for a change of greater good at school. She finds motivation through her many curiosities and strives to influence the community in a positive way.

Senior Gabriella Torres says, “I believe my motivation stems from by ‘why,’ and that is to be able to serve others and allow others to create a change that is wished to be made, whether that be in the community, on campus, or just in a classroom setting. Many can believe that outside pressures or figures influence my motivation, but I believe that my desire to maximize my potential to serve and bring ideas to life truly allow me to do what I do.”

If in the same situation as Torres, many would feel burnt out, no longer motivate; however, the secret to keep herself from burning out has to do with the mindset of thinking of her extracurriculars as a hobby and sense of enjoyment rather than chores and responsibilities that have to be checked off a list. 

Torres says, “While it may sound overwhelming, I do thoroughly enjoy all my extracurriculars and do not view my ‘task’ as work that needs to be checked off by a to-do list (these lists are only to keep me organized!). I truly love doing club and organizational work, whether that be for the community or on the statewide level.” 

Gabby started her own organization, FindKind, after her first experience giving food to the homeless in San Bernadino with her grandparents. That singular moment sparked a passion for her to constantly give to others and build a community that wants to do the same. By taking advantage of the opportunities and gaining experiences, she hoped for FindKind to become a deeper meaning for people that join.

Torres says, “I’m proud of each Find Kind event, as I believe our whole team and our members were able to make that difference. However, most recently, when our Chino chapter co-President, one of our Find Kind members, and myself went to deliver paintings and letters to seniors living in senior homes at Pacifica, we were met with a pleasant surprise and gave the letters and paintings directly to them, face-to-face. As it has been a while since we had direct contact of seeing our work go directly to the people we wanted to uplift, it was so heartwarming to bring smiles to their faces and feel that same warm feeling you get when you give to others. It was truly so fulfilling, and it reminded me of why I love the work Find Kind does.”

The desire she has to make Ayala a better place is truly inspiring but many wonder if even her hobbies have to do with school or… does she even have any? Of course! Regardless of the busy schedule she has, Gabby has a variety of interests she enjoys doing in her free time from editing videos to even writing poetry.

Torres says, “Outside of school and extracurriculars, I love to create graphics for my Instagram account @unityforstudents, an educational hub that educates Gen Z on societal issues that are prevalent today. I have been trying to produce a film for @illuminationbygabby, but it’s still in the writing stage! Once I have clips down, I love to edit films. I also enjoy playing the piano and acting for theatre! In my free time, I read and write poetry as well.”

Although Gabby has great responsibilities that she endures with such diligence, she also has hobbies of her own outside of school that tap into her interests of creativity.