Written by Jalyn Oxendine
“Being the recipient of the Faith Danielle Hedgepeth award is extremely meaningful to me. She was such a shining light in the world and was stolen from us far too soon. I want to honor her legacy by being a representative for Native women like us, and instill in us that we are capable, strong and resilient. Nobody will be able to take that away from us.”
Bella Garcia (Seminole Tribe of Florida) is a sophomore double majoring in Dramatic Arts and American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Home for her is Cherokee, NC where she has been embraced by the community and loved. She mentions she didn’t grow up in Florida and feels disconnected with her own tribal community. She is now studying the Cherokee language and is immersed in cultural aspects of the community.
As a kid, Bella remembers always having a high reading level. “I always took pride in that, and I was always the first person to grab 2 books off of the shelf.” She mentions her streak of good grades and her passion for learning. The drive to always learn something is what fueled her to take pride in higher education.
When asked why she chose dramatic arts, she answered that she has always been imaginative. Her earliest memories consist of watching movies and musicals, like Grease, and striving to be like the actors in the films and on stage. Bella’s career started in middle school when she took musical theatre as an elective class. Her inspiration draws from the teacher, who became her role model rather quickly. The teacher not only taught middle school, but also high school where she was able to learn so much. There were a few musicals Bella participated during high school which include, Clue, and Legally Blonde. The main production she strives to be a part in is Wicked. She loves the show and thinks the message is beautiful.
After graduation, Bella hopes to work in film or on Broadway. After years of experience, she would like to open a studio in her hometown. Her love for teaching and mentoring will coincide with her passion for acting through this studio. She imagines her studio having classes for dance and acting, and an auditorium for play productions. She states, “representation is important. There are productions like Rez Dogs and actors/actresses like Lily Gladstone who are breaking out into this world of film. We need to see more Native people on Oscar stages and on the big screen.” Native people are often invisible in the Hollywood community. Bella sees a change for this and hopes to contribute to building more Native representation. She raised a crucial point that Native kids often don’t have the resources and access to be able to learn dance, acting, and singing. “Native kids don’t see themselves on stage or on screen or even going to college. Having someone that has achieved these goals will drive them to reach for the stars. They need to know that they can be just as successful.”
Being a life-long Carolina fan drove Bella to enroll. She has had past family members attend undergraduate school at UNC-CH. She mentions how her family has shared stories about helping the Carolina Indian Circle (CIC) during their time at Carolina. After her family members graduated, they all returned to their community to practice Journalism and Social Work, and play in Law-and-Order SUV. They were a big inspiration in her decision to attend Carolina.
For self-care, Bella loves to run and workout as it clears her mind and makes her feel healthy. She also winds down by turning on true crime podcasts or the show Law and Order. She enjoys these things while spending the evenings with her boyfriend and dog, Gucci.
Bella was recently inducted as Banquet Co-Chair for CIC. She expressed her excitement and willingness to help plan the annual banquet “I want to make sure our celebration is as memorable as it can be and a space where everyone can embrace our Indigenous identities together.” Bella would also like to perform in a show this year, stating that she misses acting.
CIC has become a big part of her life. This past CIC Indigenous People’s Day celebration has been her favorite memory at Carolina thus far. “That day just healed my soul being in community with everyone. We danced, ate Chipotle, and had a good time.” CIC is like a family to her, and she adores the organization and its members. Bella is also a part of Phi Sigma Pi, which is a national honor fraternity.
Bella’s personal motto is, “Don’t make yourself small to make anyone else more comfortable. If you are trying to be successful, you’re going to have a big presence no matter what and people will be envious and tear you down.” She mentions this motto helps her daily.