AJCMS staff share their tattoos
A tattoo is a body modification where a design is made by ink, dyes, or pigments that are permanent on your skin. These are drawings people get which can have a meaning or just be on their skin because they want a tattoo.
Mario Garcia, campus security officer
The security guard Mario Garcia got his first tattoo around the age of 19 or 20. All of Garcia’s tattoos have a meaning. They all have a story behind them. Garcia wanted them to have a meaning. His parents didn’t have anything negative to say about his tattoos because they knew it was his decision. One of Garcia’s most important tattoo is the one that says “Fate loves the Fearless” because he believes it means that you accept whatever is supposed to happen to you. Many people have looked at Garcia different because of the tattoos but that doesn’t change the fact that he has tattoos.
Garcia says, “ Yes all of them have meanings, some deeper than others. However all of them have meanings, like this one: “Fate loves the Fearless.” It means you accept whatever is supposed to happen to you, whatever is meant to happen that is what is going to happen and you have embrace it.”
Katherine Cooke English teacher
Teacher Katherine Cooke is one of the few teachers at Animo Jefferson Charter Middle School that has a tattoo. Many students don’t know about her tattoos and think she tries to hide it. However, she is happy about her tattoos. Cooke’s tattoo on her arm is two small flowers separating from one stem. The flowers are blue and have green leaves. The tattoo on her wrist has a meaning of her grandma’s favorite flower and symbolizes her mother. Cooke’s parents were always supportive of what she did as long as she was an adult. Cooke believes that putting on tattoos are a symbol of art and will never regret her decision.
Cooke says, “Sometimes older people or people from an older generation have certain views of tattoos, but I think increasingly people in this generation don’t view tattoos in that kind of negative way so much anymore it’s much more of an artistic expression as a post to kind of a negative statement type of thing.”
Crystal Vasquez, campus security officer
The security guard Crystal Vasquez is the only person that we interviewed with one tattoo. Her only tattoo is on her right arm near her thumb and says “The marathon continues.” The meaning behind her tattoo is the words her favorite rapper used to say and inspires people to never give up on their dreams no matter if you are not where you want to be at. Many people think Crystal is a person who keeps going forward. Therefore, she got the tattoo that symbolizes what she is.
Vasquez says, “My favorite rapper was Nipsey Hussle, and basically all his music is how to never give up on your dreams. My tattoo first of all says ‘The Marathon Continues’ and that basically means never give up on your dreams. Like no matter if you are not where you want to be yet, that doesn’t stop you from chasing after what you want.”
Vasquez, Garcia and Cooke all had meanings to why they got those tattoos. Every tattoo had their own meaning and they’re all different. If people want to get a tattoo they should get the right to put on what they want because everyone has different aspects of what a tattoo is and what they mean.
