Kurtis Tong (12) collects shoes. Whether they’re cloudy gray and decorated with turquoise laces, sea blue and illuminated by a sunny yellow lining or a simple matte black, countless shoes sit in Kurtis’s home. Sneakers boasting intricate patterns crafted by Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh, musical artist and fashion designer Kanye West and vintage sneaker store founder atmos USA Hommyo Hidefumi fill his collection. In fact, many of the shoes Kurtis owns were once limited editions and are no longer sold publicly.

“My favorite part about collecting shoes is how I have a piece of history,” Kurtis said. “There have been millions of sneaker designs and to have some from famous designers makes me feel good. When you are wearing a pair of kicks that someone on the street will definitely recognize, they might even pay you a compliment.” 

To upper school math teacher Caren Furtado, Kurtis’s interest in the diversity of shoes is evident. As she began to sport different shoes herself, Kurtis was able to talk at length about them with her. For Kurtis, speaking about his own passion for shoes empowers him in his day-to-day interactions.

“[Kurtis] would notice [my shoes], and then we would have long discussions about shoes, which basically was a long monologue by Kurtis, because I know nothing about shoes,” Furtado said. “That’s how he got to be very comfortable in my classroom, and then he really started putting in a lot of work into math.”

Kurtis views shoe collection as a form of expressing himself and creating connections with others. He frequently also turns to painting as an avenue to channel his creativity into a physical visual product. 

“When painting, I can spend up to five hours on a painting since I’m fully concentrated and determined to finish the artwork,” Kurtis said. “When I’m in the zone, I usually have my AirPods in since I’m doing something I love. The reason it takes that long is that I use acrylics, so I have to wait for it to dry. I also use a bunch of tape strips, so after an artwork, my trash can looks blue. It’s worth it, though. I always feel better when I’m painting.”

In his art, Kurtis takes inspiration from many famous artists, as well as those closer to him, such as his aunt, a frequent calligrapher. 

“My favorite part is being creative because most of my artworks are abstract, so it’s not really realistic,” Kurtis said. “Creating new ideas is fun, but sometimes, thinking of ideas on what to make can be hard.”

As an artist in a STEM-focused community, Kurtis thrives at the intersection of science and creativity. His innovative perspective offered unique insights, which stood out to upper school chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine.

“I’ve been trying to sell [Kurtis] on this idea that he has a unique talent here at the Harker School, which is called artistic creativity,” Irvine said. “It’s an undervalued talent here at the school where the more typical expression of success is through the traditional academics, so I really respect Kurtis’s creative thought process.”

Irvine, who taught Kurtis in his sophomore year, observed Kurtis’s creativity shine through in his academic work. During a hands-on lab during his sophomore year chemistry class, Kurtis finished the activity much quicker than his peers after discovering a new way to approach the question.

“As a teacher, I find it refreshing when kids come up with new ways of looking at chemistry and new ways to solve problems,” Irvine said. “Some solutions that Kurtis would think of, I didn’t even think about the problem that way. It comes in hand with being a more creative mind. There’s a lot of creativity needed to do that.”

Close friend Brian Chen (12) observed the thoughtfulness and spirit Kurtis exhibits on a personal level. The two find joy and connection in the small, everyday moments they share, such as doing push-ups together for fun.

“Kurtis can find fun in small things, like small moments we share and both find funny,” Brian said. “He’s a fun person to be around, a very light-hearted person. We share a lot of unique interests.”

At the end of the day, as Kurtis looks back on the paintings he’s produced and the sneakers he’s accumulated, he values them as an outlet for his creativity and a platform for him to craft new ideas.

“There are many ways people can express themselves,” Kurtis said. “I put a lot of myself into my art, a lot of effort and a lot of time, so what I create reflects me as well.”