Aliens are invading, and they’re taking over her house — another vivid dream for her. Most people would just shake off the dream after they wake up, but freshman Delycia Mendoza takes it as inspiration. 

“I have vivid dreams,” Mendoza said. “All my books come from dreams. One time I had a dream about an alien invasion, and that inspired a book of mine.” 

Mendoza is an aspiring author, taking inspiration from her dreams and anime that she watches. Mendoza said she enjoyed being part of the stories she writes.  

“I enjoy imagining it and feeling like I’m a part of it, like I can see it,” Mendoza said. “It’s very vivid to me, it just helps me express myself.” 

She has written full books before. One book she wrote, which she titled Space Animals, is in memory of one of her dogs. 

“One’s about my dog,” Mendoza said. “[It’s] where animals are basically planets. I wrote it for my dog Luna. She passed away a long time ago, but I really liked her.” 

Mendoza is also an avid reader, and she especially enjoys reading romance and poetry. She said she enjoys reading because it offers her an escape. 

“It takes me out of this place,” Mendoza said. “It takes me somewhere else; it makes me feel like I can be wherever I want to be. If I’m going through something, and I want to escape somewhere, I read.” 

Besides writing and reading, Mendoza said she also enjoys painting, sleeping, and hanging out with her friends. She described herself as friendly. 

“I’m very outgoing, I’m very nice towards everyone,” Mendoza said. “I put everyone before myself. I would say I’m pretty friendly and extroverted, I really like talking to people.” 

Mendoza said that she hopes to graduate from Texas Christian University, and alongside being an author, she also hopes to be a therapist because she wants to help others the way she’s been helped by her therapist. 

“I have a therapist, and he’s helped me so much through so many things that I’ve gone through,” Mendoza said. “I may not be strong to be a police officer to help others, but I’m a good listener, so I would rather do anything that I can do to help others.”