Ana Lara-Cruz is currently a freelance photographer who shoots weddings and portraits. When asked what drew her toward photography, she answered, “ I loved telling good stories but I’m not very good with words. It was kind of hard for me to write in high school but photojournalism attracted me because you could tell a full story from one picture or a couple depending on what you’re showcasing.” She has also published a few articles, one even published by NEA Today magazine.

Ana was a motivated student who liked to push herself into trying new things. This led to her being involved in a variety of school activities. During her time at Santaluces, she was a former member of The Tribe and also participated on the soccer team, cross country, and even theater. 

Some of Ana’s best memories were during her senior year. Even though  it was stressful, she felt that she had a fun time with her friends and that she was really able to have room for self-development. “I feel like I really started to find my passions my senior year of high school, specifically in Mrs. Clifton’s Newspaper class.”

After high school, Ana attended Florida International University in Miami, Florida. There, she continued practicing photojournalism as well as writing articles for their school newspaper. She then graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications in 2019.

Ana wishes to enter creative development and storytelling for the Walt Disney Company and she is currently working towards that goal to this very day.