Cynthia Arinaga Hernandez

Trippie Redd, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Willow, Eslabon Armado — the list goes on. Whenever she has time, Cynthia “Cindy” Arinaga loves listening to music from a variety of genres. Her palette ranges from rap to hip hop to alternative rock and latinx music. 

Cynthia has spent the last seven years of her educational career at Eastside and will miss the close bonds she has built over the years. Although it was challenging to balance sports and academics, Cynthia thanks her teachers, classmates and tutors for helping her prosper and learn from obstacles. 

“Over the years, I have definitely become responsible and have learned to persevere through a lot,” said Cynthia. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cynthia was an active member of the cross country, track and soccer teams. She especially enjoyed Cross Country as it gave her time to bond with friends, work out and meet new people. 

“My favorite thing about working with her was how much he valued being a member of a team,” said Cross Country coach Cal Trembath. “She found a sense of self and a sense of purpose in the teamwork of cross country.”

Cynthia highlights camping trips as her favorite memories here at Eastside. She has always enjoyed spending time outside surrounded by nature. Camping trips gave Cynthia the opportunity to bond with friends and enjoy the beauty of nature. 

“The sound of everything — the birds, the water — is destressing and relaxing,” she said.  

Friends describe Cynthia as outgoing, straightforward, a risk taker and goofball. She is known for being blunt and reminding her friends to be true to themselves. 

“She’s like my right hand, she has a very unique personality, she always does what she wants to do and never gets influenced by other people,” said friend and classmate Arianne “Nani” Delgado. 

Since she was little, Cynthia has enjoyed the sciences. She will take this passion to University of California, Merced to major in Bioengineering.