As the cheer team stands in a circle outside the weight room, Katherine Fields (12) focuses on warming up for the team’s strength and conditioning session. She leans forward, holding one leg up behind her with her hand as she stretches, breathing deeply. During cheer conditioning, the team often runs through exercises such as squats and chin-ups to better prepare them for their performances.

Having only started cheerleading at Harker her junior year, Katherine dedicated herself as a member of the water polo team before she began participating in cheer. After realizing that water polo did not fully support her interests, she decided to pursue cheerleading instead.

Despite cheerleading now being an activity she enjoys, Katherine initially hesitated to try out a new sport. As a new member of the team, she hesitated to run through cheer routines in front of crowds. However, she soon learned to enjoy performing with the encouragement of her teammates and friends.

“I was super, super scared, and I was like, ‘why am I doing this to myself’,” Katherine said. “I was worried that people would judge me, and they did. I was laughed at by so many people, but there were some people who would be super supportive, like my friends, or the people on cheer, and my coaches, who would say ‘you’re doing great,’ or ‘just have fun’. That really helped me realize that it’s fun, but I had to get rid of that initial embarrassment.”

Though she eventually decided to quit water polo, Katherine still remembers the moments of excitement and joy that she felt during games. Similarly to cheer, she experienced several mental blocks, mostly in regards to being aggressive on offense, but in a few memorable instances, she overcame her barriers to find a moment of triumph and satisfaction.

“For water polo, I have a massive mental block when it comes to shooting,” Katherine said. “But I remember during one game, someone passed me the ball unexpectedly, and I remember just turning to the goal and shooting. It went in, and I was so proud of myself for catching the ball and not screwing up. I remember just being in shock that that happened, that I’d caught the ball and I’d shot.”

A hard-working and strong defensive player, Katherine experienced several moments of pride during water polo games by blowing past her limits. She constantly developed her mental strength, and each time she overcame challenges, she grew more and more resilient. 

“I think it takes a lot of maturity to say, ‘hey, you know, I did this for a long time, but this is not for me,’” upper school water polo coach Cristian Tanase said. “When we spend so much time on something, it’s pretty hard to quit, so understanding that you can do so much more with the time spent on that is wonderful. I think it just shows that she was always mature. She wasn’t always able to express that, and she was probably scared to make that decision, so I’m glad that she found that courage to say, ‘hey, I want to do something else.’”

At some point during her journey of self-discovery, Katherine came across an event that inspired her to start the club Make Our Schools Safe at Harker. Having read an article about a school shooting, its affected families, and the mother who started this organization, she felt motivated to bring MOSS to the upper school, noting that gun violence was becoming more and more relevant to students’ lives. 

In bringing this club to Harker, she wanted to spread awareness on these events to the student body. However, she noted that when she first started the organization, as an underclassmen, she had to overcome some of her own fears in the process.

“As an underclassmen, I was super shy,” Katherine said. “I think with MOSS, I’ve had to talk at school meetings, which is something that I hate and I was so scared of doing. I have a lot more respect for people who follow their passion and are really good at creating organizations like this. Just being able to speak in front of a lot of people is something that I’m proud of myself for being able to do, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without MOSS.”

Katherine spent her time in high school constantly exploring and experimenting, and her efforts have been noticeable to those around her. She continues to be a consistent, sincere presence when with her friends. Close friend Sarah Westgate (12) admires how welcoming Katherine is with her friends.

“I think it’s always just the little things. She just really makes sure that I feel like part of the friend group, and welcomed, which I’ve always really loved,” Sarah Westgate  said. “I do think it’s really cool to see how she strives to make sure all of her friends really feel like they’re her friends. And, at least coming from my perspective and my experiences with her, I do feel like she’s a very genuine person.”

An addition to being a considerate and caring friend, Katherine chooses to stay true to herself and her beliefs, exhibiting sincerity and honesty. By staying grounded to her own identity, she gives value to her journey of finding her passions, from water polo to cheer, and to activities she found a true interest in.

“She always likes to say that she’s very honest, and that she just kind of says what she wants to do. But I do think that she’s observant and considerate primarily of people that she cares about,”  close friend Sydney Ling (12) said. “I think she just doesn’t really care about what others think in, like, a good way. Whether that be academics, or whatever activities she does, she likes speaking her mind and her opinions.”

In exploring and experiencing several different activities, in discovering and determining her true passions, and in committing to and growing due to her interests, Katherine overcomes mental barriers and limitations. By stepping out of her comfort zone and trying new activities like MOSS and cheer, Katherine fully focuses on finding and pursuing her passions.

“I explored a lot in high school, but I also feel like, at the same time, I didn’t explore enough,” Katherine said. “I was doing an activity that I found boring for so long, when instead, there were other things like MOSS and cheer that were my true passions. I wish I could stay and try out more new things while I’m still a high schooler. Still, I’m excited to go to a different area while making new friendships and exploring new subjects.”