Quiet and demure senior Anya Alford has found non-verbal ways to express herself

Megan Serfontein, Copy Editor

For anyone who has spotted senior Anya Alford in the halls, the first thing one may notice is her striking sense of style, distinguished by bold colors, lush fabrics, and an impressive shoe collection. Despite this outward appearance, Alford is typically a quiet and reserved person; however, she has found a voice through her fashion and art.

Alford has always been drawn to art as a creative outlet. As a young girl, she visited art galleries to get inspiration for her own works. Born and raised in New Orleans, Alford would frequent a gallery featuring the works of sculptor Joaquín López Antay, whose works influenced her not only as an artist but also as a person. Alford delved into fashion as an artistic medium after watching the TV show “Project Runway” with her mom. Seeing the designs on the show encouraged her to start sketching her own.

“I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t interested in [art and fashion]—she would draw and color for hours and loved going to art museums,” Marie Sandoval, her mother, said.

Jeanette Clawson, Alford’s art teacher, has also been a witness to her creative pursuits. She notes that Alford is dedicated to her craft and will work as long as it takes for her visions to come to life. Clawson likens Alford’s designs and sketches to the fashion of the Victorian Era and the work of Russian-French artist Erté who is credited with creating the art deco style.

“Anya’s artistic voice in the art program is really just getting started,” Clawson said. “But her personal sketchbooks are bursting at the seams with elaborate drawings of hairstyles and clothing ensembles. They really remind me of the couture you see in fashion week.”

Alford is also partial to other non-visual art forms such as literature and writing. Her mother, an ESOL teacher, piqued her interest in these areas as a child by pushing her and her siblings to always read. Alford is a fan of ’90s campy cult classics like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the movie “Death Becomes Her.”

Other than her artistic pursuits, Alford has found nonverbal ways to show herself to the world. She is driven to present herself as the best version of herself through her actions like taking life in stride and trying to be a leader by example, especially because she often does not verbally express herself. 

“What drives me is my creativity and learning new ways to constantly grow as a person,” Alford said.

Though Alford likes to keep to herself, she is learning to open up to those around her and hopes to become more verbally expressive in the future. Those who know Alford feel her expressions and presence even without words.

“She expresses herself through her outfits and outward expression,” Clawson said. “She doesn’t even have to say anything at all—she speaks without words.”

Sandoval believes Alford is ready to take on the adult world in both her personal and artistic efforts. Even when the future is uncertain, Alford is never negative and always looks for the beauty in everything. Sandoval misses her daughter’s extroverted nature from when she was a child but realizes that Aford’s introspection has helped her grow into the young woman she is today.

“I once wrote in my journal that Anya was to me ‘like a rare and beautiful butterfly,’ and I have no idea how to care for butterflies,’” Sandoval said. “We haven’t always understood each other, but we continue to try and reach out and care for each other. That experience has taught me that if you love and support one another, things usually take shape as they’re meant to be.”

After high school, Alford hopes to study fashion in college and further her artistic pursuits through her carefully thought-out outfits. She hopes to become the person she is meant to be, whomever that may be.

“I hope that in 10 years, I will be living my fullest life, putting myself and my ideas out there, and just seeing all of them come to fruition,” Alford said.