When she was a child, senior Chloe Dodds spent hours drawing animals and people.
Though Dodds only created art for fun at first, she really started getting focused when she was in fifth grade. By junior year at Baldwin, Dodds’ passion for art led her to apply for the National Art Honors Society.
NAHS is a nationally accredited program that started in 1978. It is a club where students participate in special arts activities and volunteer projects.
“To be a part of NAHS you have to have a 3.0 GPA. You have to have at least one semester of an art class where you got an ‘A,’ and then you have to fill out a form and write either a small essay or do a project on why art matters to you,” Dodds said.
Dodds ultimately chose to do the essay on why art is important to her. She wrote that art has helped her get through hard times and is a great way to express herself.
Just a year after joining, Dodds’ leadership stood out. Art teacher and NAHS sponsor Nicole Flannery approached Dodds and senior Andy Wojtowicz with an opportunity to lead the organization together as co-presidents during their senior year.
Flannery explained why Dodds was a good fit for president.
“She’s an amazing artist, highly creative, but also very organized, very driven, and does well academically,” Flannery said.
Dodds and Wojtowicz have known each other since freshman year history class, in which they collaborated on assignments. They soon became good friends and started a friendship that would last throughout all four years of high school.
Dodds and Wojtowicz split their work for the club. They decide who does presentations, who organizes events, and who helps members sign up for volunteer work. The events include face painting, charity work, including helping at Mini-THON.
“When one is not able to do something, the other one will do it, and they work really well together,” Flannery said. “They complement one another very easily.”
Wojtowicz said Dodds has grown through the years.
“She’s definitely become a lot more assertive, and I think she’s always been very hardworking,” Wojtowicz said.
In the future, Dodds is planning to go to West Virginia University, where she will major in nursing and minor in Spanish.
