![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Humans of Harker: Haley Keller plays with character
“One time I got this advice from this choreographer named Nicole Kirkland, and she was the choreographer for Prince for many many years, and she was talking about being a backup dancer and how important it is to be more than just your look because in the industry it’s so much about your look,” Haley Keller (12) said. “So she’s just a redhead dancer, but she says, ‘You know, you have to stop being just a redhead dancer and you have to start being called by your name. You have to stop just being a look. You have to be Nicole Kirkland. You have to be Haley Keller.’ You have to stop being just somebody that is determined or auditioned by this. You have to be more than that.”
November 17, 2017
Which names in the fashion industry evoke powerful images of bold personality which have broken past the confines of stereotypes and expectations? Ashley Graham, for one. Tory Burch. And soon, Haley Keller (12).
“Right now a big thing in the whole modeling industry is this breaking the mold saying, like breaking the stereotype,” Haley said. “I want to break the mold in a different kind of way where you don’t need to be this height, you don’t need to be this or that. I think everybody should have the opportunity to do what they should in the modeling industry, to make a name for themselves.”
It often is hard to believe Haley stands at a modest height of 5’3’’ because the energy she commands on set or on the dance floor transcends by far the limits of her height. The videos on her Instagram page, which are often professionally filmed, or her dedication to her work as a student director this year only prove her wholehearted commitment to the arts even further.
“It’s something that I’m learning now, [and] it’s investing in yourself,” she said. “Yes, you should have a backup plan—that is very important and a career in this industry is very dangerous and risky—but you have to make it your priority or it’s going to be so hard to get where you need to go.”
Haley is currently signed with Rae Agency, a model and talent agency, and has modeled for multiple magazines and danced for videos and performances.
“Everything she does, no matter how hard it is, she will do whatever it takes to get it done,” her brother Devin Keller (10) said. “She’s super professional, she will always get the job done, and she’s great at everything she does.”
Directing “Imperfect Proposal” for this year’s Student Directed Showcase has given Haley another opportunity to perfect her skills as both an artist and a leader.
“She is really good at being the boss,” one of her cast members Nate Kelly (12) said. “Whether it’s making a decision where to go eat for lunch or something, or whether she’s leading the group discussion in her class, whether she’s directing Student Directed Showcase—whatever it is, she’s very persistent about her leadership role and her leadership skills.”
To Haley, Tory Burch’s and Ashley Graham’s successes as leaders of the fashion industry are signs that the dangers and risks of a career in the arts can be overcome and that the “molds” in the fashion industry can be broken.
“In this field when you meet very genuine people who really love what they do and put all of their time and commit to dancing or modeling or acting, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Haley said. “It’s a really risky business and a really scary one, too, so I think that when you meet people who really have their heart into it it’s really inspiring.”
A key to success in this industry is to reach beyond simply putting on looks, as Haley learned from a choreographer named Nicole Kirkland.
“She was talking about being a backup dancer and how important it is to be more than just your look because in the industry it’s so much about your look,” Haley said. “So she’s just a redhead dancer, but she says, you know, you have to stop being just a redhead dancer and you have to start being called by your name. You have to stop just being a look. You have to be Nicole Kirkland. You have to be Haley Keller. You have to stop being just somebody that is determined or auditioned by this. You have to be more than that.”
Despite her professional career with Rae Agency, to her friends and family, Haley continues to maintain a lighthearted sense of humor around her peers.
“She’s very funny, and I feel like she makes people comfortable by making fun of herself a little bit,” Haley’s friend Mallory Millard (12) said. “She seems very personable in that way, and when people meet her, I often notice they’re immediately smiling and they just feel so happy, and I think that is definitely because of her humor.”
While Haley is still uncertain whether she will major or minor in dance at college, there is no doubt that she will continue to pursue future opportunities in the modelling, dancing, and acting industries.
“I love playing characters, and that’s something that I can do in dance, something I can do in acting, something I can do in modeling,” Haley said. “I love exploring and always trying to figure out who I am, and each time I’m brought to a new project in any of those fields, it reveals more of me to myself and more of what I would want to become.”
