![“[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)
The click of a turning key, the cheerful squeak of the front door’s hinges, the gentil whirring of the suitcase wheels… Could it be?
“I’m home!” Pavitra shouted up the stairs. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I had missed her. Life had indeed gone on without her, and I had barely found the time to feel lonely without my sister. After all, there were dance classes to take, Spotify playlists to listen to, television shows to catch up on, and of course a full load of high-school course work to fill my time.
But, it was then that I realized what I had truly been missing. I no longer enjoyed the luxury of sister-sleepovers or the exotic restaurants Pavitra would force our family to go to. In fact, the family just was not complete without her.
As self-absorbed as I was with my life, there had been a hole in my world, particularly for the first few weeks after she left for college. I would come home and tell funny stories from school, which weren’t greeted with nearly as much enthusiasm from my parents. I would find an amazing song and have no one to share it with. I would gear up for the gym and remember that my sister was not home to drive me there.
People frequently ask me if I see my sister all the time, being that she is at Stanford, a brief 45-minute drive away. What they fail to consider is that our family does not have an open invitation. College life is about independence, and unfortunately for me, my sister is having a great time there. So no, I didn’t go visit her and sleep over. No, she wasn’t around to drag me to Ethiopian restaurants against my will. And no, she did not come home – not until the holidays.
That is why, when I heard her come in, the excitement came flooding into me. I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over my mother’s purse (which she had no-doubt strategically placed there to teach me a lesson about running in the house).
“Did you miss me?” Pavitra asked, grinning, eyebrows raised, arms wrapped around me in a big hug.
The answer was a resounding yes, more than she will ever know.
