2023 Students of Distinction
Arrow Wehmeier found a purpose in art and a home at Henderson Bay
Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles of each of the Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. The students will be honored during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr.
Student: Arrow Wehmeier
School: Henderson Bay High School
Category: Music, Art & Drama
Arrow Wehmeier made her first painting when she was just 4 years old. Since then, she has worked in painting, canvas shaping, sculpting, woodburning and more – and has experimented with a variety of styles and mediums.
Her current mediums-of-choice are acrylic paint and gouache. She recently started making large scale paintings and murals. She painted her first mural at Henderson Bay and also helped a local artist paint a “photo op” mural in downtown Gig Harbor. The theme of her school mural was “Time.” “It’s about how time changes – sometimes it can be really fast and sometimes it just seems to stop,” she said.
Arrow
Struggled with online learning
Arrow “always struggled to learn in the ‘normal’ learning environments and had to gain independence younger than most kids.” And the pandemic presented additional challenges.
She was a freshman at Peninsula when the world went into isolation. Everyone got sent home and school shut down. When classes resumed online, it was a struggle.
“Trying to do computer work was so hard for me,” Arrow said. “I started failing classes. Then when we went back to school we were still staring at computers.”
Doing art was one of the few constant things in her life and it kept her going. It was the way she could express herself.
Succeeding at Henderson Bay
When the opportunity to transfer to Henderson came in her junior year, she took it. It was just what she needed. And she has blossomed.
She’s a school board representative and co-president of the HBHS Interact Club that works with kids at Discovery Bay Elementary School and does other community service projects through Rotary. She received Rotary’s Citation of Great Service and has been a Student of the Month in a local magazine. This fall she plans to attend Northwest College of Art and Design in Tacoma to study art. Eventually, she wants to have a career designing and creating movie sets and doing pop culture art.
Arrow is proud of her determination to be herself and stick with what she loved best. “Nobody believed in me or my art, but I know I can be a success,” she said.
Her advice to younger kids on how to succeed in high school: “No matter what your situation is, keep your determination. Do what you’re passionate about. Don’t let people tell you you’re wrong in doing what you know you love or you will lose yourself. You’re allowed to prove people wrong.”
Arrow Wehmeier
Achievements: HBHS school board representative; Interact Club co-president; Rotary Citation of Great Service; Student of the Month.
Favorite teacher: “I don’t think I’d ever be able to consistently pick one teacher. But off the top of my head I’d say Danielle Choroma.”
Best thing about Henderson Bay: “Our school is diverse and understanding of each other. We all have our own unique stories and no person is the same.”