South High School teacher Elias Lemus Cancino has a passion for art and self-development and wants to pass his knowledge on to the generation after him. 

Lemus Cancino described his first year of teaching at South as good. “It’s been stressful, but it’s stress I accounted for. It’s been good because one, I’ve built relationships with students; two, I’ve been able to share knowledge with students who might’ve struggled to get it; and three, teaching has helped me reinforce the concepts that are important. So, at the end of the day, I’ve been able to help students’ skills and mine at the same time,” he said. 

When asked about his dream for the future, Lemus Cancino said, “stability, as far as finances, relationships and my own self, and as far as being comfortable with who I am. That type of stability.” 

When he was a kid, he said he had big dreams for his future revolving around art and teaching. 

“When I was in elementary school, I thought about being a tattoo artist. In middle and high school, I didn’t think about it much, and since I had a good relationship with my art teacher, I wanted to be an art teacher,” he added. 

Lemus Cancino’s passions are art and self-development. “Art is a little obvious, but I would say aside from that I’m passionate about self-development, and in art I am passionate about tradition, and the sweet spot where technical ability meets creativity, because to art, traditionally speaking, there are two sides,” he said. “Technicality and creativity, when put together, in my opinion, is what makes the best art, though it’s different for everybody.” 

Following up with a question about what motivates him to keep going, he stated it is “God and my mom.”  

When asked to choose a word to describe himself, he chose “calm.”  

“The word fits because I don’t like to be nosy; I think my demeanor and character is calm; I’d rather be doing something relaxing rather than partying or doing something crazy.” 

When asked to choose a color that he thought best described him and his character, he responded, “Blue, because it’s a calm color. And I guess it’s a stereotypical color of the sky, and it’s like my mind is always in the clouds.” 

Does Lemus Cancino have a message he would like to give to the youth of today? “Learn to work hard. Be of service, because life isn’t always about you as an individual; understand that no matter what, we’re all going to have hard times. And instead of finding ways to be happy forever, learn to deal with life as it comes at you. The most meaningful things in this life come from others and relationships with others,” he said. “It’s crucial to build relationships. Don’t be so focused on your phone or pleasures that won’t fulfill you.”