Isabella Bayona & Kyra Karatsu

Passion for Performing

worked extremely hard for. As an individual, I was lucky enough to win the first overall Dancer of the Year at two regional competitions.”

Because of the different culture of competition within ballet, much of Karatsu’s competing correlates with auditioning for roles in ballet showcases. Given that the majority of ballet performances are presented as a narrative with lead characters, Karatsu has achieved her dream role of Clara in the annual Nutcracker.

“In 2018, I got my dream role of Marie/Clara. It was such a learning experience because it was my first lead role, and I really had to act in it. 2019 was also a really eventful year. I was originally cast for four roles (Russian/ Columbine/Spanish/Flower Queen) but after someone dropped out, I ended up having to cover for Sugar Plum in addition to my four roles. It was extremely exhausting to be at the studio seven days a week for hours at a time, but it really was all worth it in the end,” Karatsu said.

Bayona states that she loves the performing part of dance. Once she starts dancing, the world fades away and she forgets every little insecurity and every bad day. Karatsu believes that dance compels people to feel something, whether that be joy, sadness or hope. She found the beauty in dance as a universal language and how beautiful it was to see it bring everyone together.

Both of these senior dancers have strong motivations that push them to perform at their best. Bayona has passion for the art and the people she dances with; she feels a sense of responsibility to lead by example and inspire her teammates. For Karatsu, her biggest motivation comes from her dance teachers. Although her teachers may be her biggest critics, Karatsu believes that they are also her biggest supporters.

While both have immense love for dance, they are keeping their options open as they move onto college. Karatsu has decided to take a step back from dance and major in journalism, which is another passion of hers. Similarly, Bayona plans to continue growing in both education and dancing, and will see where to go from there.

The Paw Print looks forward to seeing Bayona and Karatsu achieve their dreams and succeed in their college careers!

Isa Bayona

Soaring in film: Brady Jones

creates unconventionally and boldly

Students have access to thousands of different career paths, and it can become overwhelming to pick one to pursue in the future. Senior Brady Jones is known throughout campus for his passion for film. When he was in junior high, he found that a career in the film industry was what he truly desired and set his mind to become a film director. “Film has been my safe haven. All throughout elementary school, I never really felt wanted. When I joined the film club in 7th grade, I was looking for friends. I went to the film competition that year, and people actually wanted to hear my ideas. For the first time, my presence was valued instead of tolerated,” reveals Jones. Producing films will always be a big part of Jones’s life as it allowed him to express himself and create inspirational stories. He hopes to help others who wish to take this worthwhile path. Jones explains, “My endgame goal for film is to own my own production studio that specifically hires recent film school graduates and people trying to break into the industry. I want it to be a stepping stone for people struggling to break into the industry after they have the debt of film school.” Jones knows that choosing film as a career will be difficult; however, he is determined to fulfill his dream. He is planning to go to California State University, Northridge as it is nearby, and the film program has a great reputation. He wants to remind aspiring filmmakers that “the path isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. If you put in the work and trust in yourself, you can tell amazing stories.” Currently, Jones is working on some short films, and The Paw Print is looking forward to watching them in the future!

Story by Lauren Guss and Jasmine Wongphatarakul Graphics by Timothy Kang Photo provided by Brady Jones

K

dFashion is another field that many seniors are looking to take up in the future. Katie Dervin has been exploring this passion through the making of her own brand called U9lyguy. Her business focuses on creating art that breaks common stereotypes. Her brand has increased in popularity over the course of a few months. Through her business’s Instagram, @u9lyguy, and through school, she has grown as a Katie Dervin finds a future in fashion Story by Lauren Guss and Jasmine Wongphatarakul Photos provided by Katie Dervin businesswoman with the help of her friends and family and plans for the brand to go far in the future. “I wouldn’t say it was always about the fashion side; it was more of an art side that led to my brand,” she confesses. “I wanted people to feel a connection to what I had drawn. And so it started with me putting my art on shirts, so that people could wear it, and have it close to themselves in hope that it would express something about them, for others to see.” Creating clothing with her art truly allowed for others to see the beauty behind her designs, and people appreciate the messages her creations convey. Her drawings consist of obscure characters that are nothing like what the ordinary fashion world has seen before. She explains that she takes inspiration from different skate brands, artists and street art which she combines to make her own style. She enjoys the laid-back community that comes along with those brands and how they use creative expression in their products. Balancing school, varsity cheer and fashion would prove to be difficult to some, but for Katie, it has been a breeze. “I had never been extremely tight on my academics to be honest because I had always been so focused on creating with my hands or being active with people. I knew I belonged at a hands on, creative school, so that’s what I would find comfort in,” she expresses. She has committed to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. It is one of the top fashion schools in the country and will allow her to hone in on the business aspect of her brand while still exploring her creative side. “It is the best fit school for me to build my skills from the ground up while still using my style and art as statements and expressions. I can gain resources and connections that’ll help me manage my small business and hopefully grow it into something bigger in the future!” she explains. Dervin sees herself creating for other brands as well as her own in the future, such as designing album covers and animated videos for advertisements. “But I most of all just hope that no matter how little or how much my brand will sell or grow, that it can always connect with people, and that they will feel something when looking at the art on the item, because that’s the language of my fashion,” she adds. You can find her shop at www.u9lyguy.com. The Paw Print wishes Katie Dervin the best of luck on her future in the fashion industry!

QMcKenzie Arnold

Story by Brooke Johnston & Connor Davis Photos provided by Mckenzie Arnold and Connor Davis For three years, Mckenzie Arnold Q: Did you personally assign actors and poured her heart and soul into actresses to roles? creating an original play called “Illusive A: We had auditions with casting and I Impression.” With help from her friend was told that I’d help cast, but then when and music producer Connor Davis, it came down to it, I handpicked all of costume designers Eva Gibson and them. Maya Waegner and the passionate Period 7 theater class, Arnold’s vision Q: Who is your favorite character? came roaring to life. A: Prince Park is definitely my favorite The dark satire blends romance, character, because he’s the villain the cynicism, tragedy and humor into an whole time but in the end it’s like wait — I edge-of-your-seat production. “Illusive don’t want to hate him anymore. Impression” played on campus from Feb. 6 to 8; afterwards, The Paw Print had the Q: Had you written plays before “Illusive privilege of interviewing the hardworking Impression”? Do you write other things like and creative Arnold and Davis. novels or poems? A: This was my first play. But I love to Mckenzie Arnold write, so I write a lot of poetry and a lot of short stories. They’re just for myself. This Q: How long was the process of creating was the first thing I’ve ever presented to “Illusive Impression” from start to finish? everyone.A: About three years. I started May 2017 and kind of finished November 2019. Q: Who do you look up to that inspires you? A: Lin Manuel Miranda because he wrote “In The Heights” and “Hamilton” and all these amazing things, and it wasn’t like he got famous right away. It took years and years for “Hamilton” to get so popular. He never gave up, and I think it’s really inspirational. Don’t give up on your dreams just because no one likes it yet. Q: What do you want to do in the future? Are you pursuing playwriting in college? A: Oh yeah, definitely. I want to be a theater teacher like Mr. Cook, so I’m literally doing what I want to do, so it’s really fun. Q: What advice do you have to people who want to write plays or just write in general? A: This is going to sound so cliché, but just don’t give up. You can’t just have an idea and get it out during that same day. It took me three years to finish this. It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of editing. You have to be super open to criticism, and it’s going to hurt a lot at first, but it’ll help make your work better. So you’ve got to be open to stuff like that.