Elizabeth: Taking Up Space, Finding Confidence

Harlem, NYC (Spring 2026) – When Elizabeth Mendy joined ArtSmart at Harlem Village Academies West Middle School she was, by her own description, “a lot more shy and more closed down.” She would shut down in class, hold back from participating, and struggle to let herself be known.

Today, she walks into a room and owns it.

Now 12 years old and in her second year with ArtSmart, Elizabeth found her footing through the vocal theater program and a weekly one-on-one mentorship with Ms. Carmen Cancél. It was in those lessons that something shifted.

“Music adds a vibrancy to my life that would honestly be missing without it,” Elizabeth reflects.

Ms. Carmen saw the potential before Elizabeth did. “She did not have the confidence to just even open her mouth and let herself be known,” she recalls. “I got to work with her one-on-one and really draw out the personality and the ability that she has to express herself.”

The results extended far beyond the music room. Elizabeth began speaking up when she was struggling instead of silently pushing through. She developed leadership skills, stronger time management, and the habit of setting goals and resetting them once achieved. When tryouts for her school’s cheer team came around the first year, she was too afraid to audition and walked away. The second year, she tried out and made the team.

“I don’t know if I would have actually auditioned for the team if I wasn’t in ArtSmart.”

For Elizabeth, ArtSmart became more than a program. It became a safe haven where mistakes were part of the process and no one was keeping score. Over time, the way she thought about it changed too. It stopped being just “my ArtSmart class” and became “my lesson with Ms. Carmen.” She says she would hate to miss her lesson.

As Ms. Carmen puts it: “She allows herself to take up space and be known, and I think that’s one of the best things ArtSmart can do for a young person.”

View the above video for the full transcript.

“Music adds a vibrancy to my life that would honestly be missing without it.”