As a model, senior Lollypop Howie must try everything to stand out from others in the business.
Luckily, her first name helps her stand out among the competition to secure a modeling gig.
"Having that name has made jobs available in modeling and also helped me stick into people's minds," Howie said.
Her dad decided to give her and her sister, Jelly Bean, candy names to reflect their individual personalities.
"It's a random name, but I think it fits me because it's bubbly, and it catches people's attention," Howie said.
The senior is one of the few students who have distinctive few names that make them stick out from the rest of the Johns, Roberts, Janes and Marys on campus.
Take sophomore Jerusalem Theodros.
Coming from a Christian background, Theodros said her parents wanted to give their children biblical names.
Her brother ended up with the name of an Old Testament prophet, Isayas (though it's spelled Isaiah in the Bible), while her sister was named after one of the King David's waves, Abigail.
The sophomore, whowever, ended up with a first name based on a biblical city – now the capital of Israel, God's promised land to the Jewish people.
"[My parents]were religious," Theodros said. "Having that name makes me feel proud because it always reminds me of how important my religion is."
When they first met, sophomore Kathleen Nadalet said she was surprised to meet a person named a Jewish holy city.
Still, after getting to know Theodros, Nadalet said the name suited her.
"She has a unique personality and a unique name, so it goes together," Nadalet said.
On the other hand, some students, like freshman Trizzy Tran, are named after celebrities.
Tran said her parents decided to name her after a popular singer whom they liked, Trizzy Hong.
Though students recognize the value of having an unusual name, junior Maha Qaiser said she experiences a love-hate relationship with her name.
Meaning beautiful eyes in Urdu, Qaiser said her aunt called her Maha when she noticed Qaiser's long eyelashes when she was a baby.
However, for people who do not know how to speak Urdu, Qaiser said she has had to deal with some interesting challenges.
"I get embarrassed when people I don't know call me that," Qaiser said. "With my friends, it's just another one of our inside jokes."
Despite the jokes surrounding her name, she would not consider having a different one.
"I would never change my name, because I'm a friendly person, and Maha sounds like a really nice name for someone you'd get along with," Qaiser said.
Justin Yoo is a student at Sunny Hills High School. This article was first published in the April 28, 2008 edition of Sunny Hills' student newspaper, Accolade.
