This year’s valedictorian, Haruka Yamamoto, hails from Osaka, Japan, and was attracted to Otis College’s Fashion Design program after seeing videos of its annual fashion show and benefit on YouTube. “I was amazed by the breathtaking beautiful garments on the runway,” she says. Just a few years later, Haruka has gone on to create similarly spectacular clothing and excel academically to earn her the valedictorian honor, which goes every year to the senior whose work represents the pinnacle of academic excellence.