From a distance, Hilari Fan (12) waves, her dog’s leash in hand. Throwing her hair behind her shoulder, her small earrings reflect the rays of sunlight peeking through the clouds as she bends down to pick up her small and adorable bichon, Mimi. Petting her head with a loving yet delicate hand, Mimi’s pink collar jingles slightly in the light breeze as Hilari looks down at her, a smile growing fondly on her face. 

Hilari has always had a love for animals and first got Mimi in 2018, when she was in eighth grade. Hilari’s love for Mimi is evident through the way she talks about her dog, a conversation topic so frequent that close friend Elaine Zhai (12) knows the little quirks about Mimi, from her birthday to her favorite food.

“I know her dog is the most precious thing ever to her because I know her dog is so special to her and … I love animals but I’ve just never seen someone who’s more caring of their dog before. I think naturally she’s just a very caring and motherly person but then you can see that with her and her dog and … it’s really sweet,” Elaine said.

Her care for her dog also connects to how strongly she feels about standing up against animal cruelty and helping the environment, which caused her to gradually transition to a vegan diet. 

“I think it was ninth grade that really made me think more about the world around me and animals. All throughout my life, I didn’t like animal cruelty, but it was mostly ninth grade when I started thinking more about myself and others,” Hilari said.

Although Hilari now has dairy restrictions upon her vegan lifestyle, this decision to avoid foods such as eggs, milk or butter does not stop her from cooking tasty pastries and treats for her and her family. 

“I used to bake lots of sweets, but now I mostly just bake different breads … it was elementary school when I started baking, and I usually don’t bake with my family … so it’s usually just me making food for them,” she said.

Not only does she enjoy baking, but her passions also expand to the realm of STEM. Both she and her twin sister Kelcie Fan (12) started their own coding classes for young girls in their sophomore year of high school and have been able to help many aspiring computer science students around the Bay Area.

“I’m most proud of being able to help young girls find their voice in STEM and [computer science] and helping them grow as not only coders but also as people. I got started because not many girls have the opportunity to grow up in STEM, so it’s more giving other girls a chance to learn,” Hilari said.

As a member of many different organizations and extracurricular activities, Hilari also is an officer for Future Problem Solvers (FPS). Having been a member since she was in seventh grade, she thoroughly enjoys everything about the club. 

“I joined mainly because my friends were doing it, but then when I started understanding what it was and how it worked, I [grew] interested in it myself,” she said.

Outside of FPS’s fun bonding activities, Hilari also enjoys speech and debate. Specializing in [informative speaking], she is able to express her opinion on different issues happening around the world during class.

“[Debate] gives me an outlet to speak on whatever issues I want to talk about, and I really like being able to write my own speeches and talk about what really matters to me,” Hilari said.

Speech and debate teacher Scott Odekirk feels as though Hilari has learned how to open up more and work with her classmates on various topics and assignments.

“I think she was a little trepidatious about [informative speaking], but I saw right away that she enjoyed the collaborative context with her classmates and really took to [informative speaking] very well,” Odekirk said. “I don’t think she always thought that, but I saw right away that she was going to be very good at it.

Through all the encounters that Harker provided, Hilari feels as if one of the most important parts of her experience here is her appreciation she has for the friends she has made along her high school journey.

“It’s being surrounded by people who really bring out the best in you and friends who really just want to help you grow as a person, and that’s really shaped who I am,” Hilari said.

Her friends equally reciprocate Hilari’s appreciation for them. Close friend Emma Dionne (12) admires how easygoing and hardworking she is.

“She’s very positive and easy to talk to, and whenever people are around her, we’re always laughing … she is very, very motivated and I think that makes me very productive because when I see her being motivated it makes me want to be more productive as well, but then she’s also very open to answering questions,” Emma said.

Elaine also appreciates how open and caring Hilari is to her friends and family. Having known her since sixth grade, Elaine feels as though they’ve been able to grow up together and become wiser together. 

“She’s really intelligent and she’s also still kind,” Elaine said. “She’s such an admirable person … and I truly admire who she is and how she works and how she treats other people, and I think it’s something everyone can learn from her … She just deserves so much respect for that.”

Odekirk’s impression on how Hilari’s personality has grown throughout the years is similar to how he thinks someone would slowly come to the realization that they have so much power and potential within themselves. Similar to her friends and family, Odekirk also sees Hilari as someone who is full of life love and so much to offer to others.

“She was a clear CEO, boss-type personality but at the same time she also has that kind of characteristic where she doesn’t know that yet,” Odekirk said. “I can tell right away that her fellow classmates kind of deferred to her expertise and planning, logistics and organization … the leaders that you want most are the reluctant ones because they just do what’s best for the group. She was always that kind of leader.”