Teacher of the Year
Please congratulate Mrs. Katie Messerly, English, for being voted Teacher of the Year!

Mrs. Messerly has taught at Harding for over three years. In addition to teaching junior-level English, she is coach of the Speech & Debate Team and Volleyball Team. Her passion for teaching started her sophomore year of high school because of influential teachers like Mr. Nemetz. “He had us call him Coach, partly because he was the head football coach, but also because he said he was there to coach us on life and not only literary skills” she said. Now Mrs. Messerly hopes to be that role model for future educators in her class.

She was drawn to work at Harding because of its mission of arts-integrated education. Mrs. Messerly also appreciates the small community that HFA faculty has cultivated. One of her favorite aspects of teaching is seeing the way students accept and support each other. “I have never felt so close to my fellow teachers, and the community we have built cannot be beat. I only see the community getting stronger in the years to come.”
Mrs. Messerly’s advice to future educators is to “dive right in” and ask questions of current teachers. “Do not wait for college education courses to seek out opportunities to learn more. . . . Foster your interest and let others help and guide you. Do not be afraid to go after your passion” she shared.

You can read our full interview with Mrs. Messerly on our website. 
Teacher Appreciation Week
Happy Teacher Appreciate Week! 

The Faculty at Harding Fine Arts Academy consistently go above and beyond for our students. They are invested in teaching responsible, community-centered young adults ensuring each student has a comprehensive educational experience.

To say “thank you” to our teachers, please make a tax-deductible donation to the Teacher Resource Fund. All donations go directly to teachers for school and art supplies in their classroom.

You can also dedicate donations after teachers at Harding Fine Arts or your favorite teacher from High School!
Artist of the Month
Lila Allman, sophomore at Harding Fine Arts Academy, is involved with photography, volleyball, jazz band and plays drums in the Academy’s cover band, The Birdbrains. Lila is a skilled and accomplished photographer. Recently, she received an award from the Oklahoma Camera Club in a statewide competition in which she received a perfect score for her photo! She also sold photographs at the Downtown Arts Festival in late April. Outside of school she enjoys playing volleyball, video games, and board games with her family as well as baking and crocheting. 

Lila is inspired by many people in her life including her mom, Jennifer, who is the photography and karate instructor at Harding, her dad, Maggie Calvo, a fellow student, her girlfriend Lily and Emma Potter, music instructor and director of The Bird Brains. 

Even as an accomplished photographer Lila’s favorite artistic discipline is music. She enjoys making music for friends, family and the community and seeing the joy it brings others. At the end of March, The Birdbrains had the opportunity to perform at Harding Fine Art’s annual fundraising event, Leadership in Arts & Education Awards. “It was so nice to see everyone smiling because of our music,” she said. Her second favorite art form is photography because it allows her to capture and share the world through her eyes. Both of these forms provide an outlet for expressing herself and her emotions.

Lila chose to attend Harding Fine Arts, not only because her mom is a teacher there, but also because of the broad variety of arts classes that are offered. She also chose the Academy because the classes are academically challenging and fun. “It makes for a great day of school each time I come!”

She plans to continue her education journey at Harding because of the great community, fabulous teachers, and friendships she has created. “The community and culture we have here is super accepting and everyone has a place where they belong.”
State Superintendent Award for Arts Excellence
The State Superintendent Awards for Arts Excellence are awarded to high school juniors and seniors who have achieved artistic and academic excellence and served their communities. Co-sponsored by Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Alliance for Arts Education, the following students were presented with their awards at a formal ceremony last month.
 
Please join us in congratulating:
 
Cayden Ball - Drama
Imani Carr - Drama
Breea Hinson - Dance
Lydia Morris - Visual Art (Photography)
Navy Williams - Drama
Poetry Out Loud Winner!
On March 8, 2022, senior Blake Bussey represented Harding Fine Arts at the Oklahoma State Poetry Out Loud competition at the University of Central Oklahoma. Blake began the journey of Poetry Out Loud this year with over 4000 other students from schools around the state and served as one of thirty school finalists for state champion. 

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition with a national grand prize of $20,000, plus poetry resources for the schools of the top five finalists. State champions represent their state in the national competition in Washington, DC. We are very proud of Blake’s accomplishment.
Upcoming Events
HFAA Guitar & Piano Concert
Tuesday, May 10 | 7:00 pm
HFAA Auditorium

Free and open to the public!
HFAA Choir Concert
Thursday, May 12 | 7:00 pm
HFAA Auditorium

Free and open to the public!
Inaugural Alumni Classic
Friday, May 13 | 6:00 pm
HFAA Gymnasium

Still got game? Harding Alumni Association is hosting their Inaugural Alumni Classic basketball game - come watch as Harding's Alumni battle it out with current student athletes in a game of basketball.

Entry Fees
Alumni Association Members: Free
Current Harding Fine Arts Students: Free
Non-Members, Community: $5.00 per person

Cash or credit cards only accepted upon entry. Concessions will be available. All proceeds from the event benefit the Harding Alumni Association.
Alumni Update
To be included in the class notes, please send your announcement with your name and class year to alumni@hfaafoundation.org.
 
Accepted announcements include:
  • Alumni events and gatherings
  • Marriages
  • Family births and deaths
  • Career advancements and retirements
  • Awards or honors received
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