Native Texan Zena Ruiz began her life in Pittsburgh seven years ago as an engineering major at Carnegie Mellon University and ended up with an art degree she used to start her career as an artist.

The North Braddock resident — who is originally from Houston, and whose mother is from Mexico — recently began a F.I.N.E. Artist residency at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in the North Side. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9 to 13, Ruiz, 27, will encourage visitors to make colored Feeling Braids to express their emotions. She is one of the resident artists at Braddock's Unsmoke Systems Artspace, a repurposed Catholic school building where local residents rent studio space.

Ruiz — who lives with her husband, Fitzhugh, and daughter, Sawyer, 6 — enjoys community-based art programs and making mixed-media sculptures and prints. She also teaches printmaking for Carnegie Mellon's Pre-College Program.

The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:

Michelle Rodriguez, 'cause I think she would get me.

Childhood hero:

Selena Quintanilla Perez — I loved her music, her smile and her sincere personality. Then she died, and I cried like she was my sister or something. It felt like there was no hope for a little Mexican-American girl.

The superpower I wish I had in real life:

Ctl+Z powers — I'm sure I'm going to regret some of my answers to this questionnaire.

I can't live without my iPod, cellphone, DVR or laptop:

Laptop

My favorite reality show:

“My Life”; it contains hints of vaudeville, trauma and suspense.

My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:

The people

Favorite guilty pleasure:

Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) when I have it available. Fortunately, they don't sell Blue Bell in Pennsylvania.

My most memorable fashion mistake:

Wearing a jean skort (looks like shorts from the back but with a skirt flap in the front) ... three days ago

The person I'm most often mistaken for:

Someone's friend

In high school, I was:

Super confused

My most treasured fashion accessory:

Eyeliner

Exercise I hate most:

Running around a track

Best mistake I've ever made:

Switching my major from mechanical engineering to art at Carnegie Mellon University

Favorite brunch food:

Chicken and waffles

The oldest thing in my refrigerator:

I think it was a pesto sauce ...

When I was 10, I wanted to be:

A teacher in space

The best concert I've ever seen:

Selena Quintanilla performing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The last book I read:

“The Secret Life of Bees”

If I weren't an artist, I'd be:

An accountant

My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:

Spak Brothers Pizza and More — but I honestly haven't tried any others ...

The movie that always makes me cry:

“A Little Princess”

Saturday mornings, you'll find me:

Drinking coffee on my porch watching the sunrise over the Monongahela Valley

What you'll always find in my glove compartment:

A lighter and a blade of some kind

My most embarrassing junk food:

Chicharrónes

My favorite “bad” movie:

“Mean Girls”

Three people I'd love to have dinner with:

Edward Scissorhands (the character), the original Rapunzel from the fairy tale and Whoopi Goldberg

My childhood nickname:

“Zena-roni,” “Zena-rooster,” “Zena-booger”

My first job:

Working as a secretary at Truck and Tracks Inc. in Houston

My worst job:

Working the graveyard shift at a boutique hotel

The song that always gets me out on the dance floor:

Anything! I love dancing!

Life would be better without:

A dog that eats your panties

If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:

Los Lonely Boys and Ozomatli

People would be surprised to know that I:

Was head cheerleader in high school

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