The sounds of hangers shifting around a rack follow Hannah Streeper (’25) around the thrift store. Her cart fills up with a varied selection of fabrics, colors and proportions. Hannah’s style, while built off of many stand-out pieces and usage of contrasts, still feels cohesive and distinct. Just as she builds a unique menagerie of clothes through frequently thrifting, Hannah brings her unique style and energy to all different aspects to her life. 

“I need to go with a drink,” Hannah said. “Usually, I’ll bring one from home, but if I’m feeling fancy, I’ll get a drink from somewhere. And I need headphones. I need music the entire time. It’s nice because it helps me just tune everything out. I forget there are other people there.”

Although thrifting is just one of Hannah’s favorite pastimes, she is also an artistic person who incorporates creativity in extracurricular activities at school. Eager to expand her inventive talents to other fields, Hannah took on the opportunity to create her own Student Directed Showcase, as she was interested in musical theater from a young age. Previous to her own production of “The Mysterious Case of The Mysterious Case,” Hannah acted in many different productions for almost a decade. Her role as a director helped her view the art form in a new way. 

“Any challenge that I faced during SDS was overshadowed by how amazing of an experience it was,” Hannah said. “I learned so much, and I really feel so, so proud of the final product of my show. It was a really fun new way for me to approach theater because I’ve been acting for a while, but it’s a totally different thing to build an entire production from scratch. I got to be creative in a lot of really new and fun ways.”

Hannah’s eye for detail throughout the production process was evident through her consistent attempts to ensure the quality of elements of her show and the needs of her actors. Close friend Haden Andrews (’25) admires Hannah’s diligent attitude and observes how it manifests in her personal life through her interactions with her friends.

“She’s one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever known,” Haden said. “She really cares about her close friends, and makes sure that people are good and takes the time to check in with them and know what they want. That’s really great to have in a person.”

Another aspect of theater that Hannah saw in a new perspective through directing was Tech Week. Tech Week is usually marked by long rehearsals and hectic schedules, however, Hannah found the experience was much different this time around. 

“As an actor, I hated Tech Week because you had to be there forever, and it’s a lot of sitting around and waiting, and it’s usually confusing, and you feel like your show’s a mess,” Hannah said. “But as a director, I absolutely loved Tech Week because it’s where I got to let my creativity go crazy. It was a lot of work on your feet. A lot of the time, I would get up out of my chair and walk around on stage with my actors and direct them.”

Visual arts teacher and Hannah’s advisor Pilar Aguero-Esparza commends Hannah’s growth in her personality beyond her commitment to performing arts. She notices how Hannah was quieter when she first met her, but her confidence has grown since then. 

“Hannah is a situation of someone who’s been here a long time, but then being able to come into their sense of power, strength and personality,” Aguero-Esparza said. “She’s really blossomed over time, and now I’m really understanding more about where she’s at. She is a little bit more reserved, but still waters run deep.” 

Hannah’s natural sense of leadership extends beyond theater to her job at the Harker Summer Camp. Although she initially started working there to earn money for thrifting during the summer of frosh year, she finds fulfillment in being surrounded by kindergarteners.

“What’s great about kindergarteners is they’re hilarious and they’re so cute,” Hannah said. “They’re so honest with you. There’s just something so special about working with kids. It’s really rewarding. You get to see the direct impact if you do something that makes a kid happy; the kid will let you know.”

Close friend Caitlyn Wong (’25) takes inspiration from Hannah’s ability to connect with people, highlighting Hannah’s capacity and willingness to help others. 

“My life would not be as bright without her because she’s so kind and understanding, and I truly think that she’s one of the most like emotionally intelligent people I know,” Caitlyn said. “Whenever I tell her about problems I’m having in my life, she’s really able to break it down and make it seem not as big as it really is.”

Hannah’s experience at the summer camp encouraged her to pursue a career in child psychology in the future. While she has always been interested in psychology, a job working with children helped her realize that she wanted to keep working in a field that focused on younger people. 

“When I started work there, I was naturally good at interacting with kids and talking to kids,” Hannah said. “If the cards were different, I would want to be a teacher or something. I had always been interested in psychology, and so the two joined together, and I could use my love for that subject in a way that lets me also work with kids.”