Michelle Wilens never wants to live in regret of what she could have been.

The 17-year-old photographer submitted one of her photographs to the “Growing Up Asian in America” scholarship program and competition, sponsored by The Asian Pacific Fund.
Wilens, a 2005 Bay Area Multicultural Media Academy (BAMMA) graduate, won second place and $1,000.

Wilens is a senior at Lowell High in San Francisco and wants to attend New York University because of its wonderful arts program. She also wants to pursue a photography career, but feels it is a very aggressive field.

“Competition is so high and it is hard to make it, but still I am going to do photography forever,” said Wilens. She was introduced to photography in the 7th grade, and has loved it ever since.

“My whole life I was interested in art,” said Wilens, who found inspiration in everything around her, her family, friends, and the news.

She took photography classes and enrolled in BAMMA last year to get some of her work published.

“I learned how to be confident in what I produce and never give up, and just keep reaching for what you believe in and someone will see it,” said Wilens. “You’re the one who is designing the perspective.”

What she wants to do with her photos is to show the emotion of her subjects so viewers can feel the same passion. She continues to submit her photography to contests and hopes to gain exposure through her art.

“Growing Up Asian in America,” sponsored by the non-profit Asian Pacific Fun, is open to Bay Area students from kindergarten to 12th grade and provides an opportunity for students to win scholarships or grants. The contest receives its funding from corporate sponsors.

The Asian Pacific Fund works to address urgent issues affecting the Asian community in the Bay Area, according to the group’s Web site www.asianpacificfund.org.