![“[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)
The Study of Dance students walked into a surprise last week. Instead of sitting by their regular desks and learning about various ancient types of dancing, the class listened to guest speaker Eva Fredrickson.
Costume designer and wardrobe stylist for many prominent shows, Fredrickson visited Karl Kuehn’s Study of Dance class for the second time and additionally met with dance teacher Amalia De La Rosa’s choreography class.
Fredrickson, who has worked on How I Met Your Mother, Private Practice, America’s Best Dance Crew, Criminal Minds, and Wizards of Waverly Place, shared her experiences in the costume and wardrobe designing industry with the students. She revealed some of the tricks she uses to make costumes visually appealing yet effective.
“I liked that she was a professional in the industry and could come and talk to us. She really inspired me,” Study of Dance student Arthur Ye (9) said.
Fredrickson also shared her new passion that she has developed over the course of the year. Having worked on America’s Best Dance Crew, she has created shoes for the dancers and felt a connection with the work.
“What I love most about painting shoes is that I am creating wearable artwork,” she said in an email response. “Art that you stand back and look at can make you feel something, but art that you wear on your body can make you feel something about yourself and for me, that’s even more powerful.”
According to Fredrickson, ever since posting pictures of her work on social media, people all over the nation have reached out to her, and she has even become a part of a group of custom shoe stylists. Fredrickson now has her own company called 2-Step Custom where she makes shoes while adding her own personal flair and style. She hopes that her company will attain new heights of success.
“Never before have creative artists had so many different ways to get their work out there,” she said. “I encourage anyone who has a talent they’d like to share to take advantage of social media. It was a game changer for me and with all the talent that’s out there, I think everyone should be posting, tweeting, tagging their work.”
Many students of both classes enjoyed hearing Fredrickson talk about something they can relate to.
“I thought it was really interesting how she could design shoes and paint on the shoes to make it her own instead of customizing them online, and that kind of artwork you cannot find online,” Study of Dance student Emma Doherty (9) said.
Fredrickson ended the presentation by giving a pair of customized shoes that she made herself to Kuehn, her close and longtime friend.
