![“[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)
“Making safe changes like this now will help you when you have to make more important changes in the future.”
He has a point. And it’ll always grow back, right? Some part of me knew all of this was true, so, nervously, I consented. A few snips later and it was gone; two years time and eight inches.
It was just a hair cut, and I was going for something different, so why was this change making me feel so different, so lacking? I realized after the fact that it was more than just a new look; it was letting go of something that had been so ‘me’ for years. Even just this small change, something that’s not the least bit life-changing, seemed so unsettling.
Looking back, I realize that the fear of change has affected many of my decisions. Back in eighth grade, I had to choose which high school I was going to attend in the fall, which, at the time, was one of the biggest decisions I had to make. Was I going to stick with what I had known for nine years or consider the possibility of new experiences, new friends, and an entirely new place?
Ultimately, I don’t regret the choice I made; I regret how I made it. I compared a few pros and cons of my two options, but in the back of my mind, I knew I was never going to actually leave the school where I had been so comfortable for so long. I recognize now that I was too terrified of going to an unfamiliar school to impartially consider them side-by-side.
When I started writing this, I wanted to talk about how change is a good thing and it helps you grow as a person; all the stuff you’ve heard way too many times. The more I thought about it, however, I realized that change can actually be really, really hard.
Of course, I’ve had some of my own exceptions to this: trying new things, meeting new people, getting my braces off, and learning to drive. These, along with many others, have been fairly simple changes, but they have all helped shape my current lifestyle.
Regardless of the possible benefits, the fear of change complicating or worsening things, more often than not, makes me want to avoid even the slightest thought of it. Why change something that’s already good, right?
I guess that’s the reality of it; change can be good or bad, but in order to ever be able to realize what we may be missing or possibly change for the better, we have to be brave enough to put our fears behind us and jump into what can seem like the daunting unknown.
