beyond the blue light

beyond the blue light

UNEXPECTED HARMS BY AILETH AGUILAR

“My narrative focuses on my middle school experience using social media.

It portrays the positive and negative aspects of social media and encourages youth who view my story to be more aware of using social media.

This project helped me share my story’s message. To encourage youth to be more aware of using social media. To set boundaries, limits, and not let social media control their daily lives. To help make social media a better platform to use.”

— Aileth Aguilar

animation team

A glimpse into our lived experiences using social media

  • Illustrator

    Hello! My name is Aileth (she/her). I'm in my second year in the HOPE coalition. I join HOPE to raise awareness of the negative effects of social media, advocate for change, and make voice heard.

    Being an illustrator myself, I wanted to make my story into something more than just a narrative to read, and that's how the HOPE animation project started. I had the chance to create an animation based on my personal story, which detailed both the positive and negative aspects of my initial encounters with social media. I became the lead of the HOPE animation project, and for the past year the HOPE animation team has been working to animate my story and bring it to life. My intention was for my narrative to inspire and encourage other young people who shared my experience to be cautious when they hop on social media. 

    Check out my story called Beyond the Blue Light: Unexpected Harms!

  • Background Illustrator


    My name is Halimah (she/her) I grew up in the Bay Area and I am now studying to be an animator/to be in the art field. I am amidst my second year in college and I joined this animation team during my first year. I worked on and did the line work for the Backgrounds. I really enjoy art and I’m glad to be having an opportunity to do so in this capacity with HOPE.

  • Animator

    Hello! My name is Maria Torres, I'm the lead animator with HOPE. I've been a part of HOPE for about a year and am passionate about youth having a safe/fun experience with social media. I think that people deserve a secure environment on social media.

    I'm currently trying to be an animator as my future career. I have loved animation and art my whole life then it became what I wanted to do. I plan to go to an art school to get my bachelors in animation and work for an amazing company. I'm so grateful to HOPE for allowing me to put my skills to work..

  • Background Illustrator

    Melanie Espinoza was born in 2003 in Fresno, California to an immigrant family of six, including herself. She is currently studying at California State University in Fresno with a focus on 3D Animation in hopes to someday work in video games. She joined HOPE in hopes to get experience working with other animators and to help improve her own skills while simultaneously helping her community.


    Her 2D work focuses on the use of color, how to enhance her work through it, and to represent the stories of queer women of color in a fictional world. While her 3D work focuses on improving her modeling skills in hopes of translating her love of representing characters, their worlds, and their stories through a video game setting.