Luke Michel grew up in East Los Angeles with silence in place of sound. Born deaf, Luke did not hear until a cochlear implant surgery after his first birthday. He picked up a guitar, stepped into Garfield High’s mariachi program, and discovered that music could be more than sound. It could be a connection to heritage, to family, to something larger than himself. In mariachi he found both confidence and connection, proof that identity can be built note by note. In June, Luke graduated from Garfield High and will enroll this fall at UC Santa Cruz.