![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
On Friday, December 2, Military Officer Rebecca Murga presented a photo and video series to Upper School students and faculty about the work she did during her deployment in Afghanistan this year.
Murga, who will be deployed again in April, serves as the Public Affairs Officer with Special Forces and Navy Seals currently stationed in Afghanistan. Having spent several months working with the culture support team in various Afghanistan villages, Murga shared the story of her efforts to help build and strengthen the communities there.
“Working with the children really changed me,” Murga said. “I think I had a different perspective because I was a woman walking around with a camera in my hands. Most of these kids had never seen a camera and didn’t understand what a photograph was.”
Students like Adarsh Battu (10) enjoyed the assembly because of the way Murga highlighted the cultural differences between Afghanistan and the United States, especially when considering women’s rights.
“She was really easy to listen to, and she showed us how different the two societies really are,” Adarsh said.
Katia Mironova (10) felt similarly, emphasizing that it was “really interesting to hear her explain the events she saw in an American perspective.”
Since first serving in Iraq in 2007, Murga has used her Canon 5DM2 camera to capture in photos and high-definition videos the story of her deployment in highly unstable war zones. In lieu of trying to explain in words what deployment is like, Murga created short video documentaries to present to her audiences.
“In the places I went to, I was often targeted simply because I was a woman,” said Murga, when asked about using her camera in a war zone. “It was easy to hide behind my lens and forget about the danger for a while.”
Many students, including Nikita Mittal (9), were inspired after hearing about the work Murga did to help Afghan women and children and seeing the photos.
“I’m sure she made a significant impact on many students listening, and especially on me,” Nikita Mittal (9) said. “She actually made me want to go out of my comfort zone and make a difference.”
“I appreciated her coming, as her presentation was very interesting,” Neeraj Baid (11) said.
Murga ended her speech by giving students something to think about: “You guys are going to be the leaders of this country,” she said. “We have to remember that we are global citizens, and we have a responsibility to this world.
