As a fifth grade student, Evan Zodl was assigned a project on Japanese culture and was partnered up with his classmate, Matt Johnson. At the time, Zodl was interested in cars; however, Johnson introduced Zodl to origami by teaching him how to fold a pinwheel, a fortune teller and a crane.

Unbeknownst to Johnson at the time, his lessons would eventually transform his Japanese project partner from an origami neophyte to an internationally-known origami artist who hosts a popular YouTube channel,…