In only a few weeks, the velvet seats of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center will fill with an audience anticipating a night of harmony and soothing music. On stage, a group of singers dressed in black will be illuminated by the warm glow of stage lights. But first, filled with excitement and apprehension, Ayla Apsey (12) and Cantilena, the upper school treble ensemble, must pull out all the stops in preparation for the concert. To perfect their tunes, the choir packs in sessions outside of the designated practice times, supporting one another throughout the process.

Ayla looks back on the event fondly. For her, working long hours to prepare for the concert with others offered an opportunity to connect with others and bond as a choir. 

Ayla has called the world of music her home from a young age, when her mother encouraged her to play the piano. In her freshman year, Ayla took a step away from instrumental music and pursued her interest in choir. 

“Because I was new to Harker as a freshman, coming to Harker allowed me to pursue something that I wasn’t as experienced in and allowed me to improve my skills,” Ayla said. “I would say the experience of making friends, joining a new community and figuring out where my place is was the most impactful part of my high school experience.” 

Joining the upper school choir community not only aided Ayla in the technical side of singing but also opened a path for her to release stress. This allowed her to spend more time in the moment and concentrate on her favorite part of Cantilena: singing with her friends. She finds joy in the collaborative nature of music, cherishing moments when the entire choir combines different sounds and elements together to produce a single performance. 

“My favorite part of Cantilena is the safety and the inclusion that I feel with the people in the choir because I’m never afraid to make mistakes,” Ayla said. “I’m free to be myself.”

Even though performing in front of a large audience can be stressful, once Ayla steps onto the stage, she loses all fear and finds pleasure in singing. Living by her motto “make every moment matter,” Ayla focuses on the positives: making music and performing with her friends. 

“Sometimes, choir is nerve- racking, depending on how much we prepared the song,” Ayla said. “But in general, when I go up on the stage, it feels like all the nerves melt away. I’m just with my choir, and we’re having a good time.”

Ayla’s lighthearted nature makes her an easygoing, welcoming friend. Close friend Sophia Bronder-Chang (12) first met Ayla in freshman year and fondly remembers bonding with Ayla as they were rehearsing in the same room for an upcoming dance show.

“[We would talk] about whatever and wait for our turn to go up,” Sophia said. “I remember filming TikToks with her in the green room which was really fun. She’s a fun person to be around.”

Performing with Cantilena allowed Ayla to become more involved in her community as she immersed herself in her surroundings and amplified her strengths. Ayla credits Cantilena for shaping her social awareness as a leader.

Ayla exhibits her leadership beyond the singing community. When wildfires raged across California during the fall of 2020, smoke in the air forced people indoors. One night, close friend Ada Praun-Petrovic (12) called Ayla to talk about her concerns for the environment. Afraid that the repercussions of climate change would soon be irreversible, the pair decided to channel their fears into action by founding the nonprofit Change the End.

“It was her idea to start this nonprofit on that very call,” Ada said. “[Ayla said] we should actually do something about this instead of crying to each other at night. She was the driving force behind Change The End, especially at the beginning.”

Change The End coordinates different clean-up events and volunteer days, rallying people in the community to unite in the fight against climate change. To tackle the root causes of global warming, they work to enact legislative change that will limit the emissions coming from big corporations. From leading these efforts, Ayla has learned about what goes into being a leader, as well as her own contribution to the environment.

“It’s made me a lot more aware of how I have an impact on the environment,” Ayla said. “As a person living in the United States, we have some of the biggest environmental footprints, even if we’re just living as a normal person. It’s really good to be conscious of that, and through the research that I’ve done for Change the End, I’ve become more aware of it.” 

For Ayla, striving to make a difference extends into her everyday life. Upper school mathematics teacher Gabriele Stahl reminisced about the profound impact Ayla brought to her classroom. 

“Ayla is very caring, to a certain degree even selfless,” Stahl said. “She is quiet at first, but then when you get to know her, you will recognize the depth that she brings to the table.”

Stahl paused to think, and reaching into her desk, she found a deep purple stone. Delicately placing it on the table, she offered a warm smile: the year before, Ayla gifted her a healing stone when she was ill. 

“All the students saw that I could barely move,” Stahl said. “But Ayla often asked how I was doing, and then she bought me a healing stone. I thought that was amazing. Everybody saw that I was not doing well, but Ayla took action.” 

From bringing a smile to members of her community to creating a broader change in her world, Ayla has filled her high school experience with adventures and everlasting memories. In the future, she hopes to continue enacting positive change by reaching in and out of her community.

“I would say my favorite part of Change the End is being able to do something about something I’m passionate about,” Ayla said. “Making a difference in the world is something that’s really important to me.”