![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
*WEB CONTINUATION: This article originally appeared in Volume 106 Issue 1 of our news magazine, Amplifier.
Tumbling into a vivid wash of color, three skaters fall through negative space, hands outstretched, boards flying through the air. Known for her bold linework, playful hues, and starkly contrasting themes, Karina Secchi, senior, has been creating for as long as she can remember.
In sixth grade, Secchi was introduced to a new art form and quickly took to the medium.
“I started doing digital art, and then got more into traditional art later,” Secchi said. “I used to be really all over the place until I started getting into traditional art more seriously.”
A digital arts student during her freshman and sophomore years, Secchi departed from the digital arts courses in her junior year, joining Advanced Placement (AP) 2-D Art and Design. Students in the course build an extensive portfolio revolving around a personally chosen question and submit it to be reviewed by AP Readers, who are art teachers from across the nation.
Mrs. Gauthier, the AP 2-D Art and Design teacher, recognized Karina’s creative passion and talent and has found opportunities for her.
“What I love here is that Mrs. [Gauthier] really pushes and encourages people to do art shows and competitions,” Secchi said. “That really is giving me a lot of opportunities.”
Gauthier acts as a pillar of knowledge in Secchi’s process of entering art shows.
“A lot of the time I consult Mrs. [Gauthier] on what piece I should submit, because she has a really good eye for what judges like, and, more times than not, she’s right,” Secchi said.
Secchi has been recognized by numerous prestigious art showcases for her work. Her painting “Skaters,” an acrylic work spanning over five feet wide, depicts a dynamic scene of skateboarders falling into a bright teal canvas, and is featured on the College Board website.
Secchi’s 2024-2025 AP portfolio was chosen as one of 51 to be spotlighted by the College Board, which analyzed the paintings of all AP 2-D Art and Design student artists representing seven countries. Secchi is the first student in West Linn High School history to receive the honor.
Secchi was also awarded an honorable mention in Scholastic’s annual creative competition, the Art & Writing Awards. The program features over 100,000 students who submitted their work for an opportunity to win national recognition and potential scholarships.
In her junior year, Secchi’s portfolio consisted of many fantastical creatures, all inspired by her sketchbook pages.
“A lot of my older work was literally just my doodles. I didn’t really have a specific inspiration, except that I used to draw a bunch of monsters. I can make people look freaky, but if I describe them as monsters, then they can be literally anything that they want,” Secchi said.
Although the painting process wasn’t daunting to Secchi, some of the requirements of art submission were at first. Most art shows require a written statement as an accompaniment to the piece, and Secchi initially believed that the portion in writing would be challenging.
“I always thought it would be hard for me to do that, because I’m not that good at putting what I think on paper,” Secchi said.
Over time, however, Secchi realized that analyzing her art after it was completed was less of a burden than she’d expected.
“It’s actually pretty easy when you really think about what your piece means to you, and then [put] it down in writing,” Secchi said.
Typically, the creation of Secchi’s art is focused on technicality rather than message until the piece is finished and she steps back to ruminate on her work.
“I never really think about what I’m doing until afterwards, I’ll just create and create,” Secchi said. “Sometimes I do have an idea of what my piece would mean—like, what’s the point of it? Why am I doing it?—But that doesn’t really happen until after I finish the piece and I start writing about it.”
Drawn to creation, Secchi believes that she’s not alone in her reason as to why artistry is so enticing.
“I think every artist would say the same thing. It’s just being able to do what you want creatively. I think it’s like that for every artist, in every art form,” Secchi said.
After she graduates, Secchi plans to study Illustration, Painting and Drawing, and Creative Writing at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. One day, she also hopes to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing and illustrating a coming-of-age graphic novel, another opportunity to understand, create, and further storytelling through art.
