Dayana Camposeco’s Journey from Fine Arts to Digital Innovation
Dayana Camposeco, a remarkable student at CFCC, embodies the intersection of passion and innovation. Initially drawn to the world of fine arts, Dayana embarked on their academic journey with an artist’s heart, seeking to express their creativity through captivating photographs.
However, their path took an unexpected turn when they enrolled in a Python course that would forever alter their perspective. It was here that Dayana’s fascination with technology and its profound influence on our daily lives was ignited.
This moment led them to make a bold decision: they switched their major to an Associate of Science, setting their sights on a future where art and technology would converge. Dayana aspires to pursue a bachelor’s degree in digital arts, seamlessly blending their artistic prowess with cutting-edge technology.
Beyond their academic pursuits, Dayana’s exceptional photography skills have earned them a spotlight at the Cameron Art Museum. Their captivating work in the “Traer a Luz/Bring to Light” exhibit will be displayed through November 12, 2023.
Offering a glimpse into their remarkable journey of self-discovery and transformation, Dayana stepped in front of the lens to share their unique CFCC experience with us.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ENROLL AT CFCC? WHY DID IT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU?
Both of my parents took classes at CFCC, so it has always been on my radar. I was actually sold on the idea after my brother graduated from CFCC back in 2008 and thought it would better
prepare me for the workforce, so I enrolled. Plus, it is more affordable than going to a university.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY?
I grew up in Burgaw, NC, but my parents are both from Mexico, making me a first-generation
Mexican-American. Growing up in Burgaw, NC, was difficult for a queer Latinx individual like myself. Fortunately, I was provided with a rich experience of two different cultures and two different communities. However, oftentimes I was left with a lot of questions regarding my sense of identity in the American South which is one of the reasons I became a visual artist so I could express that.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term Latinx is “a person of Latin American origin or
descent (used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina).” It is slightly more inclusive towards South American roots which some Americans might confuse with the term “Hispanic.”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CFCC
I am pursuing my associate of science degree and plan to transfer over to UNCW’s Digital Art program. I really want to make apps that contribute to society on the local level, so that’s my primary focus at the moment, that and my Camera club!
I recently started a Camera club with the hopes that I can unite some of the student photographers at CFCC and just talk about composition, subjects, and everything related to photography. You don’t have to be a professional to be part of the club, just a genuine interest in photography will suffice.
Currently, I have a photography exhibition at the Cameron Art Museum (CAM) that will be on display until November 12, 2023, called ‘Traer a Luz’ which translates to ‘Bring to Light’. The exhibition itself focuses on the Starway Flea Market in Wilmington, which was active for nearly 30 years until November 2022. Since it’s a 2 person show my 10 images showcase vendors that also include family members and family friends who were displaced after the venue closed down and more recently heavily burned after a fire. The exhibition was a way for me to grieve the death of my brother back in 2019. He inspired me to pick up a camera and just shoot. That’s
ultimately what I’m bringing to light.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER GRADUATION?
While studying for my associate’s degree, I managed to start my own media business. My
media service is still at its initial stages but it provides services to local artists. For example, I
have gotten a lot of work taking professional still-life photos of different artworks for personal
collections which I plan on continuing as a side gig in the future. I have an interest in the
competitive Digital Arts program at UNCW, and I have been working hard to meet all math
prerequisites since creating code relies heavily on understanding and reading math.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE THAT CAREER PATH?
I took a Python course over the summer that really unlocked a different perspective on life. I was
able to write programs that operated from a binary source code that is now used as a control for data sciences and AI. It’s really interesting to me how technology surrounds us in our everyday
life so I wanted the type of career that offers job security and allows me to explore other interests like digital art. UNCW is the only school in the state that offers this program and I can’t wait.
HOW HAS CFCC HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR NEXT STEP?
Overall, the entire art department has been very helpful and welcoming. I was able to learn from
passionate teaching artists who guided me through principal moments in the early stages of my
art career and provided me with fundamental arts education. A lot of my inspiration comes from
staring at photography books at the CFCC library and wondering what kind of F-stop was used
or what I can learn from a certain photo.
As a photographer, studying different styles of photography was crucial for me to gain a better understanding of what kind of attention to detail can make or break a photograph and it highlighted what kind of work I could get as a photographer. Thanks, Dr. Mace and Mr. B! Although I’m not taking any art classes this semester, the skills I learned from this program will help me throughout the rest of my art career!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE CONSIDERING STUDYING AT CFCC?
STEM is a competitive field to get into but is also very rewarding. My advice is to go to tutoring!
There’s a stigma associated with tutoring, but in reality, tutoring provides a more in-depth
learning environment.
CFCC does really well with providing tutoring centers at both campuses that have impacted my learning and improved retention. I have always struggled with general studies but this school has great teachers and techs who will go above and beyond to make sure students grasp the material they are teaching.
Some more advice would be to explore the Cameron Art Museum, CFCC students are allowed free admission after showing a student ID. CAM does a great job at showcasing local artists and provides that full immersion experience into the art world!
