Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy: Daisy Ohmes learned how to be herself through high school art experiences

The least interesting fact about Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy senior Daisy Ohmes is that she was born and raised in Louisiana, but doesn’t have a trace of a Southern accent. The rest of her story is what’s fascinating.

Ohmes moved to Idaho during the summer after seventh grade when her mother secured a position as medical director of Kootenai Health Pediatric Services. She attended preschool through seventh grade in her school near New Orleans, and her extended family has lived in Louisiana for generations, she said.

They were displaced for a few months by Hurricane Katrina, and they celebrated her first birthday in Kansas with her father’s family, she said.

“We have deep roots in Louisiana, and moving was a really big change,” she said. “The culture and weather are completely different in an amazing way. Both places have their charm. I was able to tour Charter before I started school, and after that I was really excited to come here. I felt that I would be successful and would be able to collaborate with other students who are passionate about academics and activities.”

One way that manifests: Ohmes is a talented artist and costume designer.

“I started drawing in fifth grade,” she said. “My older sister was my inspiration, and I’ve adored art for as long as I can remember. Art is a very personal process. Some people write, some do sports, and I express myself through art.”

She took only two art courses in high school, but says that those, especially during her sophomore year, taught her how to think creatively about the practicality and composition of art, and provided her with fundamental art knowledge.

“I’ve learned how to be myself and more comfortable in my own skin through art, and my goal when I’m working with younger students is to help build that same sort of confidence in others.”

Her artistic talent also led to working with theater makeup, which she describes as a new way to express herself. She also has designed costumes for drama productions, and this year finished first in that category at the Idaho state Drama Tournament and added a third-place award in makeup.

That’s just the headline for her involvement. She has been an after-school tutor at CdA Charter Academy, and during the summer before her senior year she was a math camp counselor, working with three classes of 10 students each on lesson plans that she developed. She also volunteered last summer at Kootenai Health.

During her senior year, Ohmes has taken five Advanced Placement courses, and is a two-year member of National Honor Society, serving as president this year. The CdA Charter Academy chapter of NHS raised over $4,000 for a Haitian relief fundraiser her junior year, when she sold several art pieces, and an NHS bake sale this year raised money for Children’s Village, a local trauma-response home.

Ohmes will attend the University of Washington this fall, planning to do a pre-med track. But she is also intrigued by the idea of a business degree.

“I want to be a dermatologist,” she said. “And with my theater makeup experience I’ve realized how some products don’t work with certain types of skin. I hope someday to create my own cosmetic brand that is good for skin.”