Marliza Mabutas

Marliza Mabutas is an 18-year-old senior at Dickinson High School and a dually enrolled student at Hudson County Community College. Born and raised in the Philippines, she was taught to write by her father whom she looks up to for his excellent writing skills. Marliza had been trained by her parents to excel in different aspects of her academic and personal life. Because of this, she had always remained at the top of her class while simultaneously building a promising career as a singer, performer, and actress in one of the major television networks in the Philippines. Moving to the United States with her family when she was 12 years old, Marliza faced vicious challenges that led to numerous downfalls and an ultimate realization of her resilience. Throughout her years in America, she saw many opportunities to showcase her talents in singing, writing, and public speaking. In 2016, she placed 2nd in the city-wide Martin Luther King Oratory Contest held at the City Hall. She then performed the national anthem for Mayor Fulop’s State of the City Address the same year. During the following years, she continued a streak of achievements such as performing songs at the Apollo Theater in New York on two different occasions, becoming a finalist at the Boys and Girls Club Lyricism competition, and recently becoming the first Dickinson High School finalist at the national Poetry-Out-Loud competition. At her high school, she maintains a 4.0 GPA and would soon graduate as either Valedictorian or Salutatorian of her class. She is also graduating Summa Cum Laude at HCCC this Thursday. She attributes her achievements to hard work and her faith in God. But in the midst of all her achievements, Marliza gained her share of losses. Whenever she would fail, she’d use writing as a bridge to a comforting world of peaceful growth and healing. She had learned to turn her obstacles into a work of art in poetry and song. Today, she has written more than 100 unpublished poems and songs and continues on a path as an aspiring doctor and astrophysicist, as well as a professional artist and writer. Though her love for academics remains her top priority, she finds a home in writing from the heart.