![“[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)
Senior Kathir Sundarraj gave the first of this year’s senior speeches to the student body today during school meeting.
Kathir began his speech with two points: the “malignant side-effects of the disease known as competition” and the impact that each person can make on a community.
As Congressional debate captain, Kathir drew on several examples from his debate career, emphasizing that competition “makes you think inwards instead of outward.”
Kathir argued that his desire for bringing home shiny trophies made him lose sight of why he first started debate. At the same time, he encouraged students to think about how they could make an impact at school that they will be proud of when they come back a year or maybe even a decade later.
Junior Elizabeth Teng agreed with Kathir’s beliefs.
“Ambition and wanting to succeed are not bad, […] but one should always remember that we are still part of a bigger group,” Elizabeth Teng (11) said.
Other students thought that Kathir delivered his message in a straightforward yet meaningful way.
“[I liked] how he sent out a simple message that probably most of us could learn from,” Matthew Huang (10) said.
Senior speeches to the student body are not something new to school meetings around this time of year.
“The concept of having these speeches is something that I admire,” Sachin Pedadda (10) said. “It’s kind of a way for seniors to convey their appreciation for Harker and think back on all of their experiences.”
Ending his speech with a humorously altered quote from President John F. Kennedy, Kathir declared “Ask not what Harker can do for you, but what you can do for Harker.”
