Danica Cheaz embodies confidence, talent, and generosity. As a natural-born leader, Danica stands out in countless ways, both within the Enloe community and outside of it. While her dedication to what she cares about is incredibly inspiring, what makes Danica exceptional is the bright color she adds to the lives of others. Whether it’s through her home-baked sweet treats or the jokes she makes whenever anyone needs uplifting, Danica is selfless through and through. 

From her incredible gymnastic skills to her culinary creativity, Danica can only be described as a woman of many talents. Her versatile nature and success in everything she puts time and effort into exist as an inspiration to those around her. When asked about what makes Danica so special, longtime friend Iris Wang stated, “It’s how much thought she puts into things. With her art and her baking and everything, she’s always very dedicated, which is something I respect a lot about her. And she’s multifaceted. She’s so good at a bunch of things.” 

One of Danica’s many talents—that has stuck with her throughout childhood—is her passion for gymnastics. After staying dedicated to the sport throughout elementary and middle school, upon arriving at her sophomore year of high school, Danica took on a coaching role at her studio. As Danica pays this passion forward, she acts as a role model for her students to look up to. 

Although gymnastics is just one of many ways Danica spends her time. She, alongside her childhood friend Bryan Wu, is the co-founder of Enloe’s Baking Club. Considering her kind and fun-loving nature, it comes as no surprise that Danica’s sweetness is often expressed through the delicious treats she bakes for others. Bryan and Danica’s friendship, plus their sweet-tooths, have stood the test of time since their shared love for baking first surfaced around 7th grade. Bryan recounts, “During COVID, when she was teaching me how to bake, we pretty much baked every week. We would just call each other and then bake stuff. Usually I would fail. And usually she would not fail.” From her universally adored cakes to her famous macarons, The Eagle’s Eye can safely say that we have loved having a taste of Danica’s delicacies. 

But Danica’s pursued passions don’t stop there. In accordance with her generous and creative spirit, Danica acts as Vice President of Enloe’s nonprofit organization, Threads for Hope, which works to support disadvantaged women through sewing, knitting or even crocheting items to donate. Utilizing her artistic talents is just one way Danica gives back to all those who cross paths with her.

Danica has also been an active member of Enloe’s winning Envirothon team for the past 3 years! Envirothon is an international competition that allows students to develop real-world solutions to environmental issues. Given her passionate nature, it comes as no surprise that she cares deeply about the world in which we live! Fostering her natural leadership skills alongside her love for science, Danica has made a long-lasting impact on Enloe’s Envirothon teams, and most importantly on the people around her. 

Thoughtful, confident, reliable, and, as Iris puts it, “She’s big and strong.” Danica is all these things at once, multifaceted but also ready to give those close to her her all. “You know she’s kinda down for whatever. She’s like ‘Yeah I’ll do it. Like I’m down,’” said Bryan, “Kind of like ride or die, you know? I can always count on her.”

It can be intimidating to stand up for what you believe in, especially when it involves confrontation, but Danica is principled no matter the context. Danica’s close friend Ruby Liu described Danica’s outspoken character, “I really admire her honesty and ability to speak up and sometimes like see things that I don’t… things that aren’t right or someone will be doing something, and she’ll actually go up and speak to them to tell them to stop…that’s something I really admire about her.” Bryan expands, ”She’s very good at expressing her discomforts or what she’s feeling.” Although Danica is ready to challenge those she disagrees with, she’s anything but inconsiderate. She enters conversation and debates in a serious, engaging way. “I can tell she ruminates on a lot of things,” says Iris. “She has a lot of thoughts going on up there, and she’s not afraid to share them.”

Wherever she is, Danica brings an assured calm that grounds everyone around her. Her kind of confidence is particularly unique and rare. Iris says, “I admire her confidence the most; I think it’s something that she exudes naturally…She’s a very big point of stability.”

Laura Kohli, now an editor on The Eagle’s Eye alongside her, met Danica at a preliminary interview before being accepted into the class. Laura recounts, “I was immediately blown away…We sat on the couch, and she had a very chic, very cute little haircut. She was wearing a turtleneck…I thought, I hope this girl gets into this class because she’s cool…She was outgoing in a way where it didn’t feel intimidating.” Now, Laura and Danica have three classes together and, as Laura says, “I can’t imagine someone else who I would want to be around that much. She is just such a good person to get advice from. She’s a good person to just laugh with…she’s just so significant in my life, and I feel like my high school experience would not have been the same without her.” 

The Enloe community won’t be the same without Danica’s dedication, integrity, and famous Macrons. But don’t just take it from us; take it from those lucky enough to have Danica in their life:

From: Iris Wang

I want to tell you, thank you so much for everything that you’ve done. I want to thank you for always backing me up… I know that inside you’ll always support me. I want to tell you, good luck at Duke. You’re gonna amaze every single person on that campus with how awesome you are. And I’m gonna visit you all the time. 

From: Laura Kohli

I’m so proud of you and the person that you’ve become, and I hope that you continue to grow and learn new things, because you’re such a curious and kind and principled person. Wherever you go, and you could go anywhere, you’re going to be one of the best people in the room. I’m so glad to know you.

From: Bryan Wu

I’m super proud of you, and I really hope that you stay who you are, no matter what comes at you, you know? And I hope you go through every single obstacle the exact way that you have been this whole time, because you’re so strong. You’ll never be knocked down. 

Dear Danica,

So many fond memories packed into four years.  It’s always sad seeing folks I’ve gotten to know so well go but I also have joy in my heart because I’ve seen you grow and you’re ready for bigger and better things.  Plus I know this isn’t goodbye.  The dynasty warrior, something in the genes of the Cheaz family makes them fearless and courageous.  From jumping in front of a crowd and doing backflips during an awards ceremony to running in place with me and Iris on a ski lift while every other lift passing us stared and laughed at us, you’re always giggling and full of life.  I’ve also seen your compassionate side and how much you care and take care of your younger brother and how much you love your family.  You’re an amazing individual and you will always have a special place in my heart.  Just watch how much ice cream you eat in one sitting…Eek!!!

Sincerely, Mr. Ogren

Dear Danica, 

You’re a once in a lifetime type of person. You inspire me, you challenge me to be better, and you make me laugh even on the earliest of mornings. What you’ve accomplished over the past four years has taken insurmountable amounts of dedication, and yet you still make time to try new things, and to explore different facets of yourself. I’m tempted to say never change, but I know you will, and that is so exciting, too. So I guess don’t ever stop growing. Keep figuring out what makes you happy, keep discovering passions. I’ll miss you so much, but I’ll know you’re doing great things. Duke is lucky to have you, and don’t you forget it!

Much love, Elise Kohli

It is with the most pride and excitement that The Eagle’s Eye wishes Danica luck at Duke University, where she will study Environmental Engineering. We cannot wait to see how you change the world!