Stepping up to the gleaming spotlight, Kaidi Dai (12) takes a deep breath and grasps the metal microphone stand. She opens her mouth and an abundance of smooth, low notes pour out, complimenting the cheerful saxophone and the somber violin.

Each year, one student is chosen by upper school instrumental music teacher Dr. David Hart to sing alongside jazz band for the school year. Kaidi, encouraged by last year’s jazz singer Kelsey Wu (‘19), decided that she would give it a try. She prepared vigorously with the help of her vocal instructor and earned the spot, despite a challenging process and many talented competitors. 

Friend Roma Gandhi (12) recalls how Kaidi gracefully handled the situation. Ever since they met in Spanish class sophomore year, Kaidi and Roma have gotten along very well and shared many memorable experiences.

“I remember when she was auditioning for jazz band, she had a lot of competition, and she just really put herself out there and showed people what she can do,” Roma said. 

This year, Kaidi also began participating in Downbeat, Harker’s dance-intensive choral ensemble. One of her favorite aspects about being a part of such musical groups is the new relationships that she has formed by bonding with others over a shared interest.

“I’ve met a couple of wonderful underclassmen through these bands and also other people in my grade who I don’t talk to that much. [I’ve been] expanding my horizons a lot, and it’s really fun doing something I enjoy with people I enjoy,” Kaidi said.

Aside from performing arts, Kaidi has become increasingly fascinated with the humanities over the course of her high school years and finds inspiration in the books she reads. Since she discovered her proclivity for the humanities, she also decided to branch out and take AP Art History during her senior year, a class that felt different from all previous ones.

Her enthusiasm for english shows in her amicable relationships with her history and english teachers from past years. Upper school English Department Chair Dr. Pauline Paskali, who taught Kaidi in her sophomore year, admires her excitement in class and her ability to deeply analyze the novels they were reading in class.

“[Kaidi]’s really creative, and she’s got wonderful intellectual energy. She just can’t help herself but wants to contribute and wants to share her insights about what we’re reading,” Dr. Paskali said.

Kaidi has proven herself in both academics and her communication skills. Unlike most students, Kaidi did not join Harker at the beginning of her high school career. Kaidi transferred to Harker from Monta Vista High School in her sophomore year, but she quickly adapted to the welcoming environment that Harker provided. Even though she joined as a sophomore, it wasn’t a burden for her to make new friends due to her outgoing personality. 

“I was immediately drawn to her and her aura. She just has this sense of humor, perfectly aligned with mine, so I thought we were best friends from then,” Katelyn Vo (12), Kaidi’s close friend said.

Kaidi loves giving compliments and picking up the positivity from her friends and the people around her.

“If I see one person giving out a lot of compliments one day, I might be like, ‘I should do that too, if it makes other people happy then might as well,’” she said.

Not only does she attract others with her extroverted personality, but she is known to make her “Kaidi jokes” that couldn’t stop her friends from laughing.

“She’s like the type of person that when you see, you can’t help but smile,” Allison Yen (12), another of Kaidi’s close friends, said.

While Kaidi and her friends giggle about their inside jokes, her friends always have their full trust in her because she would drop anything that she is doing to listen and help them out. 

“Kaidi’s one of the people who puts in the most effort into her friends. I’ve never seen someone work so hard to make someone feel better,” friend Anu Selvaraj (12) said.

Kaidi is enthusiastic both inside and outside of class. Director of Standardized Testing and Scheduling Troy Thiele, who taught Kaidi in her sophomore year, enjoyed watching Kaidi develop her interpersonal skills.

“It struck me that she was not the typical bookish kind of Harker student, she was outgoing and enjoys being in class and socializing with her peers. It was a breath of fresh air to have somebody that enthusiastic about not just the learning, but also just being social and interacting with other people,” he said.

Kaidi controls her talents as she always challenges herself to learn and connect more. As much as she makes her jokes, her hard work pays off because of her persistence and ability to make connections to peers and adults. 

While Kaidi will be remembered for her influence on both Downbeat and jazz band, no one will forget the jokes she makes and her positive attitude towards everyone around her. She truly enjoys her time at Harker and believes that the community has been very supportive of her and her goals.

“I’m just really happy, and I feel like that’s a rare feeling and I don’t know if I’m going to get it a lot in the future or if I’m going to find the same environment that Harker’s given me, so I’m trying to treasure it,” Kaidi said.