WACO, Texas — What started as a six-year-old's rebellion in a Mexican classroom has blossomed into an international artistic career from Waco studios to the prestigious palaces of Florence, Italy.

Jesus Rivera, a Mexican-American artist and McLennan Community College graduate, is making waves on the global art scene while staying true to his cultural roots and Central Texas community connections.

Rivera's artistic journey began with an act of defiance that would shape his entire life.

At just six years old in 1970s Mexico, he made a decision that his teachers – and perhaps himself – couldn't have predicted would lead to international acclaim.

"I folded my final exam, put it in my bag and told my teacher, 'I'll give it to you tomorrow,'" Rivera recalls with a laugh. "She said no, you

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