Feature Photo By: Bao Nguyen – Senior Kenny Luong sits in his art class working on a drawing. Luong is an avid artist and enjoys drawing in his free time.

Senior Kenny Luong is passionate about drawing and is equally enthusiastic about engineering. He has taken and continues to take art classes at Rangeview. Besides his interest in art, Luong has taken engineering classes and is a member of StellarXplorers.

“During elementary school, my mom showed my brother and me how to draw a duck. Then I took art classes in middle school,” said Luong. “As I entered high school, it was strictly drawing.”

In his free time, Luong free draws in his sketchbook. He sketches physical objects or uses his creativity to draw whatever he wants. Luong even draws on the whiteboard in his classes.

“I began to learn some of the secrets of drawing and it all became more interesting,” said Luong. “These secrets are more like techniques and tips, like stop drawing what you think and start drawing what you see.”

His art teacher, Mr. Riggins, has noticed his impeccable skill in drawing.

“He appreciates details in reality. When he sees those, he’s able to replicate them by understanding visual structure and how highlights work,” said Riggins. “I think he does it naturally, but maybe it’s because he’s detail oriented.”

Luong’s fellow classmates stated that he always enjoys humor and is willing to assist others if they need help. Senior Jordan Alvarenga, a friend of Luong since the 7th grade, stated that he’s an amazing person to be around.

“Kenny is such a nice, intelligent, and humble person. He has such a great vibe to be around,” said Alvarenga.

Although Luong is passionate about drawing, he is an avid member of StellarXplorers and enjoys engineering.

“Whenever I ate with my dad, I could only watch T.V. when my parents allowed me to and what they wanted to watch,” said Luong. “My dad would pull up National Geographic and science documentaries. Since first or second grade, I started watching space documentaries.”

StellarXplorers is an aerospace simulation club that has 200 teams worldwide compete in creative and challenging scenarios. The competition can include changing satellite orbits, monitoring select areas, changing satellite components, and even selecting the best rocket.

Mr. Brown is a former teacher and sponsor of StellarXplorers. Not only does he think highly of Luong from an engineering aspect but also in his personality and attitude.

“He’s very friendly and likable, and he’s definitely a team player who works well with others. Besides that, he’s really good at analysis of any situation,” said Mr. Brown.

Luong’s passion for drawing and engineering are on the opposite sides of the spectrum, but he is constantly having fun and improving in both activities. After high school, Luong plans on attending CU Boulder to study aerospace engineering.