There has been a general atmosphere of excitement this year in the Visual and Performing Arts classes, particularly in the fashion program, with its relatively new teacher, Sahar Hersel.
Hersel started teaching at Beverly during the second semester of last year after an abrupt leadership change. She has been received well by the students, many of whom see her as a mentor.
Senior Linor Medhizadeh, who has been in the program for two years, shared, “[It’s] the best experience I’ve ever had with a teacher. She’s the most outgoing. The class is so fun…you get to learn a lot of new things.”
She also shared, “It was so hard for all of us when the original teacher left, and [Hersel] just brought so much light back into the classroom,” When interviewed, she expressed that she initially did not plan on taking the class this year, but changed her mind because she enjoys learning from Hersel so much.
Hersel may be new to teaching, but she is not new to the world of fashion. She is an industry veteran with 20 years of experience. She founded her own company, launched fashion lines for celebrities and influencers, collaborated with Disney and much more.
The fashion program features a highly anticipated spring showcase that highlights students’ designs. Students sketch, design and create various articles of clothing, which they then display at the end of the year. Each year, there is a theme that the students incorporate into their work. The fashion program has already had a casting call for models, who will wear the designs at the showcase. As in previous years, they hope to collaborate with Culinary, Audio Production, and KBEV to elevate the mood of the event.
Hersel is leading the program with a focus on individuality. She works one-on-one with all of her students and encourages them to express themselves and their personalities in their designs.
One of Hersel’s senior capstone students, Makinzi Gregory, shared, “I’ve never felt put into a box when it comes to my ideas,” when asked what her favorite part of this class is.
While talking about the introductory class, Hersel said, “I work independently with each of the students because everybody’s moving at their own pace, so I have to adjust depending on who I’m working with and what steps they’re at.”
She is also bringing a change to the curriculum, with the additional aspect of business. Hersel is teaching the students not only pattern making, sewing and design, but also about the business side of fashion, like ecommerce, marketing and retail math.
She shared, “I have a lot of students who are more interested in business…, they’re working on business plans and designing websites…. as they move into Advanced, I let them pick a track of what they want to focus on more.”
As of now, the theme of this year’s fashion show has been selected and is still top secret. The students cannot wait to display their work, and the school is excited to see what is in store!
