About Me

I have always been a storyteller.

 

I spent my childhood carrying around a notebook documenting what I see. Before a camera made its way to my hands, I drew pictures and painted from real life and imagination.

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Growing up in Sacramento, CA, I had a deep love of the arts. I participated in school theater, band, and spent my free time writing plays and short stories. When I discovered my love for the camera, I knew I found my passion.

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In 2009, I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BFA in Film and Electronic Arts. While I started getting some work in front and behind the camera, something was still missing. I felt called to a higher level of service.

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In my late 20s, I enlisted in the California Army National Guard as an Air Defense Battle Management Systems Operator. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I attended the Defense Information School to reclass as a Public Affairs Mass Communications Specialist and graduated top of my class.

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Today, I still serve in the California National Guard while continuing to further my education, volunteering to serve the veteran community, exploring art in all mediums, and finding the next story worthy of being told.

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-Simone Lara