Malina Zapata communicates through her art.
The San Gabriel resident has dealt with selective mutism for most of her 22 years, but she utilizes her art to convey emotions and feelings that she is unable to verbalize.
Zapata will receive her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art when she attends the 2 p.m. Commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Letters on Monday, May 18, at the historic Shrine Auditorium.
Zapata credits her time at Cal State LA, especially her senior year, with helping her lessen her selective mutism, an anxiety disorder in which fear or anxiety leaves a person unable to speak in certain situations. As she became more comfortable in social situations, she also developed close friendships with her fellow art students.
“It’s very community-based; we have a lot of studio time,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I started to have a community until my senior year. We also gave each other advice, we stayed late with each other, and we always supported each other. It’s what makes the art major special.”
Her previous lack of community and sense of belonging were partly responsible for her selective mutism. Zapata, who is of mixed race, said she has been “dealing with an identity crisis—not being Chinese or Mexican enough.”
But her art, which is largely political, has helped Zapata define herself.
She is a founding member of VoterZ101, a collective of Cal State LA students that encourages youth to exercise their right to vote through art and design. She created various zines that employ pop culture references to attract and encourage young voters.
She tabled at both on- and off-campus outreach events—including at the Japanese American National Museum Democracy Center in 2024 and the Boyle Heights Technology Youth Source Center in 2025—to distribute the zines.
“Politics are a big part of my art, what I’ve gone through, dealing with a constant identity crisis,” she said. “Every day I’m battling with that.”
Zapata also served as a student ambassador for the League of Women Voters (LWV) in the Greater Los Angeles area, for which she created an informative and interactive zine for the 2024 presidential election.
Additionally, she worked with Artists for Democracy on adapting the content of VoterZ101 and LWV for use in voter outreach activities at Columbus State University in Georgia and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, as well as an outreach project in Pennsylvania.
Zapata was granted the 2024 Pat Brown Institute Civic Scholar award for her advocacy work. In 2025, Zapata was the recipient of the Luis Bermudez Creativity and Discovery Grant Scholarship.
She also made the Dean’s List in each of her semesters at Cal State LA.
When she was 8, Zapata’s family moved to Mexico to be closer to her deported father. It was a challenging experience for Zapata, who does not speak Spanish.
She was relieved to return to San Gabriel, which is home to her maternal grandmother and two aunts. Zapata chose to attend Cal State LA so that she could remain close and continue building her relationships with her family.
Zapta’s artwork was recently featured in Bloom, the Spring 2026 Senior Projects Exhibition at the Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery at Cal State LA.
Her favorite mediums are ceramic and painting.
She said she feels joy in “being able to feel and mold the art” through ceramics.
In her paintings, Zapata utilizes massive text, often paired with an animal, to express her wide range of emotions.
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
