By Gianni Martinez
Gianni Martinez (left) and Karysa Serna (right) enjoying time together at the men’s basketball game. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
“Why is she yelling at me?” “Did she call me autistic or artistic?”
These were some of the many questions Karysa Serna had when they first met me. In my defence, during the 2026 spring semester at Pima Community College I had just started my first ever spirit committee in hopes of making Pima history with our very own student section.
During this time, I was desperately looking for fun, energetic and sporty students willing to join my group and help me make posters. Instead I got a Redbull-drinking ARTISTIC film student named Karysa.
“There’s Gianni at this table with a buzzer yelling at people,” they said.
Clearly it worked because they made a poster with me that day and the rest was history. Since then, Karysa has become one of my closest friends and now my roommate. This is Karysa’s second semester at Pima. During the time we met they didn’t have many friends at school or in Tucson.
“I was on the hunt for friends,” they said.
Karysa also attended Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University, so many of her close friends still live in Phoenix.
“I was having a really bad time in Tucson because I was by myself.”
That feeling ended quickly when Karysa started spending more time with me and our group. Between sports games, making flyers or even being a part of our weekly meetings within the spirit committee, Karysa and I became close.
“I feel like we weren’t strictly talking about what needs to happen for the committee, we started talking about our personal lives too,” they said. “From strangers to friends to roommates.”
Just a conversation between two semi-opposite people who live together under one shared roof. I am roommate number five, by the way, and probably the one Karysa “jives” with the most. Am I the favorite? Well, according to my roomie, I’m definitely not last!
Karysa Serna (left) and Gianni Martinez (right) meet each other for the first time. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
Karysa aspires to be a filmmaker one day. If they could pick their top three places to live and someone to live with they would choose Chicago with their partner as the first, then New York (of course) with their two co-writers, Rashad and Finn.
“Number three would be somewhere in Europe. And that would probably be with Gianni,” they said.
I’m honored to have made the list and it’s probably because I’m so easy to live with.
Fine, I’ll be honest, those first two weeks were challenging, to say the least. However, this was my first time moving away from my mom’s house and into an apartment on my own. Ever.
My whole life I’ve only ever known what it was like to live amongst a big Mexican family, where everybody’s in everyone’s business while simultaneously making tamales in the kitchen.
Karysa on the other hand has done this plenty of times, and yet had such a great understanding toward me and my transition into independent living.
“We’re like polar opposites, who are best friends,” they said.
We laugh a lot. We’re always making each other laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this much with anyone ever before, and I absolutely enjoy every moment spent with Karysa.
From the car ride home after a night out, or the late night groceries runs desperately looking for edamame and a dream—there’s never been a dull moment with Karysa and I.
“I feel like I’ve broken out of my shell way more,” they said. “Me now compared to six months ago is such a weird dynamic and those are two completely different people socially speaking and confidence wise.”
When deciding to move, the timing was almost a little too perfect. Both Karysa and I were in similar situations where the two of us were looking for a way out and wanting our own space.
At first they didn’t think I would be interested in moving, considering I was living rent free at my mom’s house.
“It kinda felt meant to be,” they said.
I definitely believe that meeting Karysa was not by accident and that they’ve been placed in my life for a reason. The reason being: to make this complicated thing I call my life more enjoyable.
Karysa has gone from being a complete stranger to being my ride or die, my “yes man,” my dearest friend and now living across the hall from me, my favorite roomie. Ever.
Karysa Serna (left) and Gianni Martinez (right) first day moving in together. Photo by Gianni Martinez.