The Face of HOL
Meet your fellow HOLers through this amazing column where each installment will bring you a new exciting interview with someone from our community. Whether you know them well or not, we are sure there will be something here you did not already know.
Kendra GivensBy Silvana Mandeville
Silvana: HOLers, welcome to The Face of HOL in 2023. To start this year with the HOwLer, I have a Seventh Year and a Head Prefect from Ravenclaw, Kendra Givens, with me.
Kendra, this is your last year at HOL, how do you feel? You will graduate soon! Kendra: I keep thinking to myself ‘have I seriously been a part of this for almost 6 real-life years?!’ I’m excited to graduate and become a professor. Then I can still be involved in the community in a big way, but I have a little less homework to worry about! Silvana: Last year also means that it's your time to do N.E.W.T.s. What will you prepare before you take N.E.W.T.s? Kendra: I haven’t started the NEWTs process yet - that’s about to start when the next term rolls around here shortly. I can let you know what it’s like once it gets underway - wish me luck! Silvana: Have you thought of what you want to achieve after you graduate from HOL? And what about goal(s) as a student that you have achieved now? Kendra: After I graduate, I want to become a professor. I want to still stay involved in leadership somehow too. As a student, I wanted to make sure I graduated in 7 years. I’m on pace to do that. I’ve taken a full class load every time after my first one, and I’ve gotten quills in all of my classes. When I started here, I had no idea that I’d ever become Head Prefect, but I’m pretty proud of that! Silvana: Speaking of your last year at HOL, I'm curious about how you found this school. Please tell us about it. Kendra: Well, I was bored during spring break in March of 2017, and I decided I wanted to find a Harry Potter website where I could take classes. After trying a few of them, I found HOL and loved the fact that there was so much to do here and so many ways to interact with other fans! Silvana: Of course there are many things to do here and it's fun! What's the most fun thing for you at HOL? Kendra: The people are what make HOL fun. I love the fact that I have dear friends from all over the world because of my time spent on HOL. I also think playing snitch is pretty fun, which surprises me because I was never into Quidditch and never thought I’d be on a Quidditch team! Silvana: Next is my favorite but also a difficult question! What's your favorite class at HOL? Kendra: Ugh, too many to choose from! I honestly can’t pick just one - I’m amazed at the creativity and passion that all of our professors and student teachers have! If I can narrow it down - Charms was my favorite cannon class. It was my first one and helped me to fall in love with HOL. I also took Braille: The Basics and Introduction to Sign Language, which were meaningful to me because I love learning languages and can get real use out of those skills. Gosh, running through my ‘classes taken’ list really brought back some fun memories. Silvana: While we talk about classes, I'm sure I have to ask about this one too. Who is your role model and why? Kendra: My role model around here is my good friend Prof. Sindor Aloyarc (yes, you.) He just has a way of making anyone and everyone feel welcome, heard, and supported. He’s great at recognizing people for the amazing work that they’re doing. He’s also crazy involved in all aspects of HOL, including several leadership roles. I’m not sure how he manages to do it all and manage his real life commitments at the same time! Thank you for being you, Sin <3 Silvana: Yeah, thank you for being our Sindor! Anyway, you said before that you never expected to become Head Prefect, but now you are. What are some ups and downs being Head Prefect? Kendra: I love being a leader within the Ravenclaw community. I enjoy being the go-to support when people have a question or need help in other ways. It really was an honor to be asked to fill this role. I will say that there’s a lot more involved as far as responsibilities are concerned, and it’s sometimes hard to juggle those responsibilities with real-life craziness. I’m thankful that our leadership team works well together and we can lean on each other for support! Silvana: Now would you tell us five fun facts about yourself? The others must be curious. Kendra: I play the flute in a local wind symphony. I am bilingual - fluent in both English and Spanish. I am from the USA, but have traveled to Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. I am left-handed! I am obsessed with cute office supplies. Silvana: Ah, I want to travel to many places too. And now before we end this interview, what do you want to say to your fellow HOLers? Kendra: Get involved! Do whatever you like to do, but don’t be afraid to try something different. I also very much recommend jumping on IRC and getting to know people. That’s how I met so many of my dear friends and chat with them regularly. This community is so much what you make of it - the more you put in, the more return you’ll get. Also, don’t be afraid to be you. I’ve never been somewhere more accepting of people from all walks of life. Silvana: HOLers, that's all about Kendra Givens, a Ravenclaw who is going to graduate soon! See you in the next issue and have a nice day! |