Nothing Can Stop Her Now
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THS senior Fezeka Barnes maintains a balanced life all while juggling school, extracurricular activities, crocheting, and sports
by: LISA PORTERFIELD THOMPSON
photo by JOHN BUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Fezeka shows off the medals she won during the 2019 Northeast Texas TISCA Swim Invitational held at the Pinkerton Center of Texarkana College on November 23. She placed second in her individual race, the 50 Freestyle, second in the 200 medley relay, and third in the 200 freestyle relay.
Fezeka Barnes first learned to crochet when she was 8 years old living in Elkhart, Indiana, while participating in a volunteer-oriented after-school club called “Pay It Forward.” Since Indiana, Fezeka has left her mark on several places through the United States, but luckily enough for Texarkana, USA, Fezeka and her family have been here since 2015.
“In one particular project [in ‘Pay It Forward’], we were to crochet hats and scarves for the homeless during the winter,” Fezeka recalls. “I lived in northern Indiana, so every year we experienced pretty harsh winters. This project sparked my new love for crochet, and I’ve basically never put a crochet needle down since.”
After finishing the 5K cross country course during the 2019 Lindale Invite, Fezeka poses for a photo with friends Yolana Wade and Mikalah Brown of John Tyler High School, peers she has known since her freshman year.
Fezeka is an incredible young woman. It doesn’t take long for anyone to realize she is unique and talented, and extremely creative. “Throughout the subsequent years, I stuck to crocheting variations of hats and scarves,” Fezeka said. “At the age of 11, I discovered the world of crochet beyond the simple accessories, such as tops and dresses. I quickly became obsessed with crochet fashion, and the hobby began to take over my life. From in the class at school, to in-between events at swim meets, I was always crocheting, trying to better my craft, trying to create something more impressive than my last creation. My freshman year of high school, age 15, I officially started selling my art.”
A quick peek at Fezeka’s social media accounts reveals just how inspired her creations are. Not only is she an amazing designer, but she models her creations well, too. “I get the inspiration for my pieces mostly from social media,” she said. “On Instagram specifically, there is a large presence of talented crochet artists. My fellow crochet artists inspire me with their beautiful creativity to up my game and try new things.”
Cool locations throughout her backyard serve as a great backdrop for photos for Fezeka’s Instagram showcasing her handmade crochet clothing. The summer of 2019 was a very successful time for her crochet page as it grew a consistently interactive and loyal following.
At this time, Fezeka only sells her clothes through commissioned pieces and plans to major in Business with a focus in Marketing in college. “I have designed clothing for over a decade now, experimenting with numerous mediums, specializing in crochet,” Fezeka said. “This aspect of my life has grown definitive of my identity. When asked about my intended major in college, nearly every response immediately questions: Why not design? Why not entrepreneurship? I enlighten them to the notion that skillful marketing is the backbone of true success in both careers. By training in the field of business marketing, I would be able to maximize the profits from my business which would then allow me the creative freedom to share joy and beauty with the world through all my creations. In the future, I plan to expand my business to selling my designs in pattern form available for other artists to purchase.”
Fezeka is an impressive young lady. Born in Chicago, the South Side, she clarifies, she spent 10 years in Indiana before moving with her family to Phoenix, Arizona, and then relocating to Texarkana, Texas, for her stepfather’s job. She has attended Texarkana ISD since moving to the Texarkana community, first at Texas Middle School and now at Texas High. She is also enrolled in dual credit courses at Texarkana College.
There’s no shortage of activities to keep Fezeka busy, but she finds crochet as an outlet in her jam-packed schedule. “To sum it up, crocheting is a form of relaxing for me,” Fezeka said. “So, whenever I’m relaxing, I’m likely crocheting.”
Fezeka’s mother, Charissa, and her stepfather Michael Johnson, await the start of the Homecoming court presentation on October 9, 2020, at Grim Stadium. Fezeka was one of the 2020 Homecoming maids and was crowned the runner-up to the Homecoming Queen.
In addition to her academic and artistic endeavors, she is a three-sport varsity member of the Texas High swim, cross country, and track & field teams, and also is active in student government as the Student Body Vice President. As if that was not enough, she’s also a member of the Calculus Club, Rosebuds Junior Garden Club, AP Ambassadors, Leadership, Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society, National Honors Society, Quill and Scroll Journalism Honor Society, and Yearbook as a staff writer.
It is safe to say Fezeka stays busy, and she credits that to her mother, Charissa Barnes. “Thanks to my mom, I was raised on a busy schedule,” Fezeka said. “This has definitely helped me learn focus and goal setting. It is an ongoing process to maintain a balance in life! When things are going great, I need balance. And when not so great, I need more balance. Just knowing that after one thing, there will always be something else to put all my focus into has helped me stay on a consistent path of goal setting and working to achieve my goals.
“My mother, by far, has been my best supporter, motivator, and enabler along my journey,” Fezeka said. “From driving hours to a meet before the crack of dawn to forcing me to keep pushing harder in the moments when I wanted to give up, my mom has been by my side the whole way.”
A group hug contains Fezeka and her swim teammates as they celebrate a victory in the 200 medley relay during the 2021 district swim meet on January 23. With her are Helen Chen, Hannah McElhiney, and Laney Latham.
As for next steps as her high school career comes to an end, Fezeka has plenty of options. “I am proud to report that I have been accepted into a few great schools – University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Hampton University in Virginia, Spellman College in Georgia, and Howard University in Washington, D.C.,” Fezeka said. “To date, Howard is my favorite and where I plan to attend. I feel humbled and very blessed to have gotten accepted at these schools. I am ecstatic to be attending Howard in the fall. I can still hardly believe I’m halfway through my last year of high school.”
As previously mentioned, Fezeka plans on majoring in business with a focus in marketing. She is looking forward to attending a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). “I have already connected with a lot of my future classmates, and I am absolutely loving it so far,” Fezeka said. “It’s kind of comical how I decided upon applying to an HBCU, specifically Howard. In 2019 about a week before Beyoncé’s Homecoming concert film was released, I attended a convention for my mom’s sorority in New Orleans. While there, I experienced a culture of Black excellence that I had never been exposed to in-person before. I knew that this was the college experience I wanted, yet I was still confused on how it would be achieved if not merely for the Divine Nine Greek life. This leads me to Beyoncé’s Homecoming. After returning home from the trip, I watched the movie and understood that it was the HBCU experience that I was admiring and longing for, Howard to be specific.” After undergraduate work, Fezeka has plans to live in a bigger city and pursue a master’s degree in Business Administration.
While Fezeka seems to have accomplished a ton over her short life and has plans to accomplish still more, she is most proud of the progression of her crocheting over the years. “It still amazes me that I can transform a flimsy piece of yarn into something as refined as a fancy evening dress,” Fezeka said.