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Birth
I was born on September 21st, 2005--the second child of David and Andrea Harper. Born in Charlotte, and spent the first 6 months of my life in a transition from my first home, to the home I lived in for 12 years of my life. -
Kindergarten
On the first day of Kindergarten, my love for learning flourished. I was the first in my class to read all of the sight words correctly at Wolf Meadow Elementary and took pride in my academic skills. This began my desire to stay at the top. -
Starting a New School
In the second grade I moved to Cabarrus Charter Academy. I didn't want to leave my friends, but I enjoyed the new school. I remained at the school through fifth grade. This school had some good and some bad, I was challenged socially, and had to mature to grow out of it. -
Tap Dance
I joined a tap class at Cabarrus Dance Academy in the third grade. My sister and I were in the same class, and the teacher there went on to be my Lee-ette teacher. In this class I found my love for tapping my feet. -
First Guitar
I got my first guitar for my 9th birthday. I barely practiced, and I wasn't good for many years, but this is where my love for music really began. (pictured is the toy guitar I had gotten a previous holiday) -
First Year of Summer Swim
The summer after 3rd grade, I joined a summer league swim team. Here I found my love for swimming. I made friends whom I talked to and played games with during meets, some of which are still my friends today. -
Middle School Began
By 2017 I had left CCA and went to Winkler Middle School. In math class, I met my current best friend, Kimmie, and was challenged by my 6th-grade math teacher (Ms. Powell) to take higher-level math classes. Without this teacher, I would not have taken Math 1 in the 7th grade. -
Moved
In the end of 6th grade, I moved 5-10 minutes away from the home I had lived in for the past 12 years. Since I no longer shared a room with my sister, we were able to stop arguing, and became friends -
Pandemic
In 2020 the world shut down. 8th grade was cut short by the outbreak of the Coronavirus, and I missed out on the 8th-grade dance, DC trip, and Carowinds trip. During this time I began to play my guitar more, go on walks with my family, and grow close with my sister. -
New Church
During the midst of COVID-19, my family began to look for a new church. We left the church I had been in my entire life and became strangers in a new church. Joining West Cabarrus Church (not related to the school), was a step out of my comfort zone and challenged me to learn to make friends. This church embraced my family, and has built relationships and challenged my faith. -
Freshman Year
When Freshman year came around, I found that all of my middle school friends had left me behind, and I never felt more alone. Classes were through a computer screen at a brand new school where I barely knew anyone. I had to learn to reach out if I wanted to talk to somebody or fill my time with other things. -
Varsity Swim
I joined the high school swim team my freshman year, because I enjoy swimming and wanted a sport on my transcript. During this season, I was the slowest girl on the team, and had to work hard to be able to improve. This made my summer league times faster and helped me through my freshman-year slump. -
ILC
Summer of 2021, my church did their annual summer camp for the youth group, I Love Cabarrus (ILC), where we go on 2 service projects a day for a week, and stay at the church. For the first time that year, I made friends and grew comfortable with the people I go to church with. My relationship with God was also strengthened, and I left the camp with renewed faith. -
Favorite hike
The summer of 2021, my family went to Tennessee for my brother's senior trip. I went on a hike with my parents to Grotto Falls, which is now my favorite hike. Sitting in the middle of the current, where all the heat and humidity fades away, watching the children play in the water, and the insects follow their daily life, I found my appreciation for nature, and truly began to find my faith. -
Brother went off to college
When my brother went off to college, my oldest friend was no longer there. He found a friend group and was six hours away. Suddenly, I couldn't just walk into his room if I wanted to talk to him. Because of this, my relationship with my brother has faded to rare interactions. -
AP World
During my sophomore year, I took AP World History. During this class, I was able to rebuild friendships I had lost the previous year. I also had to learn to prioritize sleep every once in a while. My dad would often remind me that high school grades don't matter in the long run, which I eventually had to realize. -
Joined the band
When I started my sophomore year, I joined the band at my youth group, playing guitar with another person. This challenged me because I never really played in front of people, especially not the songs I'd be playing. This was a humbling experience that helped me to grow in my musical talent, and faith in God. -
Chorus
During my sophomore year, I was a part of the Advanced Chorus class at WCHS. Here I sang with incredibly talented people, who were encouraging instead of conceited. This choir allowed me to grow as a singer and overcome my introverted personality. -
First Relationship
I had a crush on a guy at my church for several months, and on March 27th he asked me to his prom, and we started dating a week later. We went on 3 or 4 dates and then prom, and broke up three weeks later. While it was a short-lived relationship, it was my first. We didn't break up because one of us stopped liking the other, but we both had ambitions and agreed that we didn't want to be in a relationship that had no chance of working out. -
Made the Lee-ettes
After three auditions I finally made the Lee-ettes (a tap group at my dance studio). Being a part of it, I dance higher-level choreography that includes high kicks, fast moves, and participation in various events. I get to be in a Christmas parade, and the Christmas ballet, and perform two dances in all three recitals (most people only perform in one recital). I will also get to open and close each show. -
First Job
At the end of my sophomore year, I got a job as a cashier at Food Lion. With this job, I have been able to see the world from a new point of view. This job helps me to understand that every person is a person; a cruel customer is a person who had a bad day, and an annoyed cashier is a person who had a bad shift. Regardless of a person's status or attitude, everyone deserves a smile.