Working diligently among the disorder of the overflowing art table sits Marin Rios, one of the senior illustrators at Zephyrus. Marin ends her second year on staff planning to attend the University of St. Thomas in the fall, where she will major in finance and is considering a minor in Spanish. Outside of Zephyrus, she enjoys going to Creative Writing Club, hanging out with her friends, drawing, and photography.
Marin’s favorite piece that she’s made for Zephyrus was during the November 2024 election issue, where she made an illustration centering around the problematic nature of using AI as a tool in political campaigns. “I put a lot of effort into it, and I think it turned out well. I liked the topic that was at hand,” she said. While she doesn’t have a favorite memory from her time on staff, she enjoyed spending time with her fellow artists.
As an artist, her favorite subjects to draw when not assigned to a Zephyrus project are people and still life. “[They’re] both topics I draw very frequently,” she said.
Starting Zephyrus as a junior was a decision made later than most other staff on Zephyrus. Marin’s motivation was wanting to be part of a larger community and being able to share her art with other people. “I wanted to be a part of an organization at Edina, and I wanted to get better at art and express my art for a wider audience,” she said. “I also wanted to make memories and make friends.”
Make friends she did, as she often played cards with the artist table during her downtime. “Usually we’d play games like King’s Corner, and a few times we would play Blackjack… It’s fun being competitive,” she said. “We’ve removed the gambling aspect.”
As an outgoing senior reflecting on her time at Edina High School, her favorite year of high school was her junior year. “Most of my classes I found to be manageable, and I also found a lot of friends, and I got out of my bubble more,” she said.
Before she leaves, Marin offered staff some words of wisdom: “[Don’t] be afraid to try something you’re interested in, even if you’re coming in late. Zephyrus was one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school,” she said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 20, 2025
