Kennedy Doubler

Senior Ayla Wood lives by Hello Kitty’s ideals of kindness and compassion.

As a child, senior Ayla Wood would often watch episodes of the various Hello Kitty TV shows on cable. While watching an episode of Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater, young Ayla was traumatized by Catula, the milk-drinking vampire. Instead of the trademarked warm atmosphere the show usually provided, the terrifying trade-off was less than satisfactory.

Despite her unpleasant experience with Catula, Ayla was undeterred, and still is an avid fan of Hello Kitty today. 

“I’ve branded [Hello Kitty] as a part of me, I fear,” Ayla said. “When my friends see Hello Kitty items, they think of me and take a picture to send to me. They’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at this Hello Kitty.’ I get [those pictures] all the time.”

Ayla’s association with Hello Kitty began with her mother, who introduced her to the lovable character when Ayla was seven. 

“It started because my mom had a pen pal in Hawaii, and that pen pal would always send her Hello Kitty stickers,” Ayla said. “So, that’s how she found Hello Kitty. Then, she passed it on to me.”

For Ayla, Hello Kitty represents someone she aspires to be—sweet, kind, and caring. These qualities defined her childhood, raising her to become the person she is today. 

“I saw this interview with the creator of Hello Kitty, and he said that she doesn’t have a mouth to tell people that you need to show love to others with your actions and not just your words,” Ayla said. “So, I kind of took that to another level, and I show my friends and family that I truly love them by doing actions for them instead of saying [I love you]. And I love making gifts. I love making crafts for my dearest ones.”

One such gift went to Ayla’s elementary school music teacher. As one of the few adults Ayla had met who loved Hello Kitty, Ayla was determined to gift her something memorable. In line with her actions speaking louder than words, she wanted her music teacher to feel loved and cared for, entirely embodying the classic Hello Kitty characteristic. 

“I gave [my music teacher] this old school Hello Kitty phone, and it had an auxiliary jack so you could plug it into your phone and take calls with it,” Ayla said. “I thought it was the cutest thing ever, so I gave it to her.”

Similar to the Hello Kitty phone, walls of Hello Kitty memorabilia fill Ayla’s bedroom; from plush toys to Funko Pops, Ayla has it all. 

“In my room, I’m never more than a foot away from something Hello Kitty,” Ayla said. “I had this Hello Kitty box TV in my childhood room, stuffed animals—Hello Kitty everything. I had the backpack, and my mom put me in those [Hello Kitty] outfits. Right now, I have a little [Funko Pop] figure that I love dearly, and she holds a little cupcake. For Christmas, two years ago, my mom got me this 3D glass puzzle piece, and you have to build it up to make Hello Kitty. She looks like a big crystal, and she’s one of my favorites.”

Although Ayla’s room is brimming with Hello Kitty collectibles, none quite measure up to the immense display of her senior parking spot. 

Ayla’s senior parking spot depicts Hello Kitty donning a pink cheerleading uniform, complete with pink and white pom-poms in her paws. Instead of “HK” across her chest, it says “FHC”, representing Ayla’s role as a senior on the sideline cheer team. 

It may seem obvious that Ayla’s parking spot was always going to portray Hello Kitty, but in contrast, Ayla wasn’t quite sure herself. 

“First, I was thinking about SpongeBob flowers [for my spot], because I like to draw those a lot,” Ayla said. “I was going to do the “Four Years Later” writing, but that wasn’t me. That could be a lot of people. I wanted a character that represented me. So, I looked up Hello Kitty wallpapers on my phone. I saw one in a pink cheer uniform, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. This is perfect, and I can change the HK to FHC. That’s me.’”

As Ayla looks to the future, she knows Hello Kitty will always be an innate part of her. The character’s kindness, cheer, and clever quips (Ayla’s favorite: “Hello, this is Kitty!”) inspire Ayla to be the best that she can be every day. As such, she expects her college dorm room to be adorned with everything Hello Kitty. 

Ayla hopes that others will find inspiration from Hello Kitty’s message of empathy and joy, just like she did as a seven-year-old girl.

“Don’t just tell people how you feel—show them,” Ayla said.