Amelia Ossorio

Amelia Ossorio is an artist and freshman at the University of Washington. She studies intermediate Persian in the Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures department at UW, and is a proud recipient of the FLAS language fellowship from the school’s South Asia Center. Amelia is the student member of the Renton Municipal Arts Commission that oversees the funding and installation of public art and related creative projects around Renton, Washington. Her illustration, We Are Renton, inspired by the 87 languages spoken by students in the local school district, has been turned into a public art installation in Renton’s bustling downtown area. On the Bellevue College campus, Amelia has a mural titled Knowledge is Power, which highlights and celebrates international students at the school. At the University of Washington, Amelia’s art is on display at Boon Boona Coffee, an exclusively African coffee roaster and local business.

Amelia is also involved with several non-profit organizations in Seattle that align with her goals of immigrant-empowerment, which she plans to continue in her work after she graduates in 2025. She has contributed her art to the Seattle African Community Housing and Development organization, where she takes notes during monthly meetings for parents in the Highline School District discussing various concerns to report to the school district with a focus on the needs of African immigrant K-12 students in Seattle. She also volunteers her time to teach art classes for Peyvand, an organization led by the Iranian-American community of Seattle. Amelia’s most recent project for Peyvand was illustrating the designs for the King County Library System’s (KCLS) celebration of Nowruz, the Iranian new year, in collaboration with Peyvand.