MONROE — Zuleyma Castrejon is a gifted young artist who wants to use her artistic talents to serve God by serving others. Castrejon has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe since her parents, Severiano and Esmeralda, moved to that town in 1996 from Guerrero, Mexico, just months short of her third birthday.
Now a senior at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, she didn't pick up the paint brush until high school. To fulfill a graduation requirement, Castrejon took a basic art class and learned how to paint watercolors – and she hasn't stop painting since.
"I then took Art 2, Art 3 and Art 4," she says with a laugh. "It just came very natural to me."
She was an honor student at the Central Academy of Technology and Arts High School in Monroe, a magnet school for the Union County school system, and with the help of a caring Charlotte teacher, Castrejon earned a full scholarship to study at Johnson C. Smith. Currently, she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in visual and performing arts with a concentration in studio art.
During her junior year, film professor Sitara Sadler took notice of her artistic work and told Castrejon about an opportunity to illustrate a new children's book entitled "How Will I Love You from Heaven" by Cassandra Miller. She contacted the author and sent samples of her work. After Miller saw her work, she commissioned the young painter to illustrate her upcoming book.
"The book deals with the theme of cancer and how a mom is going to love her child from heaven after she dies," Castrejon explains.
The young artist is in the process of designing the book cover, and she will also do a total of about 15 pages of illustrations.
"For the book I'm using mixed media, I'm using watercolors, acrylics and colored pencils," she says.
Since entering college, she has exhibited some of her art locally at the Charlotte's Latin American Coalition and the Latin American Festival, held annually in Charlotte. Most recently, her work was exhibited as part of "Family Day" at the McColl Center for Art and Innovation in uptown Charlotte.
Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, says, "Zuleyma is an outstanding young woman – totally devoted to her faith – and she really desires to bring the beauty of art and culture to the expression of faith."
The artist credits her faith in God with all her academic successes.
"My Catholic faith has held me together all throughout my studies. I have witnessed the love that God has for me through the many blessings He has blessed me with all throughout my collegiate career. Before any test, job interview or internship interview, I pray to the Holy Spirit so He can guide me – and He always does."
The oldest of five children, she is the first person in her family to go to college, and she wants to go on to graduate school and combine art and psychology to heal others.
"Because of my faith and trust in the Lord I have witnessed the fruits of my hard work...I truly feel that art therapy is my calling."
— Rico De Silva, Hispanic Communications Reporter