SOTW: Raphy Rufino

On campus, Raphy is known for exuding endless joy and compassion. His exuberant laughter can be heard from across the Stu, and those around him are sure to be smiling. As reflected by his involvement on campus, which includes co-head of Latinx and SAA, Raphy cares deeply about the Milton community. Additionally, as a senior, Raphy takes Advanced Portfolio, where he "communicates and humanizes [his] experience through [his] art." Yet, despite his joyful presence on campus, Raphy notes that for a long time, he "felt [he] didn't belong at Milton." Through spaces like FAM (Financial Aid at Milton) and Latinx, who accepted him wholeheartedly, he realized that "belonging meant being [myself] at a school full of opportunities for identity expression."

Below is a transcription from a 15-minute interview with Raphy. It is edited for concision and clarity.

What are you involved in at Milton?

I am the head of Latinx and of SAA. I'm also on the board of PIB (Public Issues Board) and FAM (Financial Aid at Milton). Finally, I'm a senior editor for the Milton Measure. 

What communities have shaped who you are at Milton? 

At Milton, I really found my footing with the Latinx community. For a long time, I thought I didn't belong at Milton. But then I found these spaces—like FAM and Latinx—where people embraced me for the entirety of my identity. Having both these communities in high school really influenced the way I determined how to belong and taught me that I don't have to change myself to belong in a community that wasn't necessarily built to support people like me. 

What classes at Milton have really impacted you, and who has taught these, and like what have you learned from these classes?

My favorite class so far has been Art History with Ms. Millet. As an artist, I loved that class because I got to examine art not through a lens of creative expression but instead focusing on the historical context of the time. It was really fascinating to see how art became an expression of social change. 

Obviously, I've also really enjoyed all of the art classes I've taken at Milton. Last year I took Advanced Painting, and this year I am in Advanced Portfolio with Mr. Torney. 

Tell me about your portfolio class and how Milton has shaped your identity as an artist. 

Art has always been such a big aspect of my life, and Milton has truly deepened that. I was always an artist, but Milton heightened my understanding of what art is and what it can be. 

Through Advanced Portfolio, I can focus on something that interests me, and I have so much agency over my mediums and ideas. I obviously always had creative control over my artwork, but in other classes, I had specific assignments and parameters that I had to fulfill. Now I can really do whatever I want. 

My current portfolio is a response to all of the anti-immigrant rhetoric online, especially pertaining to the usage of the word "alien." I had seen so much fake news spreading about immigrants, and as a child of two immigrants, I felt the need to communicate and humanize my experience through my art. 

I love to tell stories through my art, and so nothing I do is just for aesthetic purposes—it's always going to have a message behind it. This topic is something I truly, truly care about, and I'm so excited to see my final project.

Can you tell me about a piece that you're particularly proud of in this performance? 

My favorite piece is actually one that I presented at the Latinx workshop. I was inspired by this hateful messaging from the white house where a bunch of immigrants were depicted as aliens—like literal extraterrestrials. I wanted to juxtapose this propaganda and depict the actual experiences of my parents and how I was raised. I wanted to say that [this hateful messaging] is so deeply untruthful. 

How has Milton shaped who you are as a person? 

If not for Milton, I wouldn't have received such an excellent education. I wouldn't have had this much curiosity and the experiences to pursue it. I really am not supposed to be here. The only reason I'm able to be here is that my parents immigrated from Brazil. They came, and they took the risk of applying to Milton when I was really young. 

So the fact that I even get to take advanced portfolio, be a part of SAA, and meet all these amazing people is because of my parents. And I owe so much to Milton for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to be here. I really do reflect on how much [financial aid money] it costs for me to be here, and I am so grateful to Milton for choosing to put that money toward providing me an education. 

Has being a "lifer" impacted your experience here?

When I was younger, it was hard because I didn't fully understand the differences that my peers and I had. There wasn't a lot of diversity in my grade throughout lower school, so it was difficult to understand.  

Honestly, I think middle school is very formative for me. I was trying to figure out who I was and trying to explore different parts of myself that I didn't understand yet. I really struggled with finding myself and not trying to fit into certain spaces that weren't meant for me. But I am so grateful to so many of my teachers who really impacted the way I see my identity now. I think particularly of Ms. Martins and Ms. Correa, who really looked out for me because they're also Portuguese, so they understood my struggle. 

What advice would you give to freshmen navigating Milton?

While it's very cliché, I really would just say to be yourself. There were a lot of times when I tried to fit into places by neglecting certain other parts of my identity and assimilating. But once I figured out that I didn't have to do that, and I could find friends without neglecting other parts of my identity, everything at Milton became so much better for me. So I would just say to find people that you can relate to, and that you don't have to fit into something if it doesn't serve you and doesn't make you feel good. It does not matter what anyone else thinks because it's not their identity; it's yours.