![“[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)
This week emphasized the senior class of 2013 including events such as Baccalaureate, their final Eagle Buddies event, and Senior Showcase, all culminating in their graduation on May 25.
“This week is about the seniors. I think with Baccalaureate last night, in which they basically handed over the keys to the juniors, everyone had a lot of fun. Ms. Wheeler, Emily, and Carlos were great,” said Head of the Upper School, Butch Keller. “The Eagle Buddies event is going to be fantastic. It’s a culmination of so many years of hard work and fun for the seniors and the fifth graders. Then, Senior Showcase is one of my favorite events of the year so I’m looking forward to that. I’m sure it’s going to be phenomenal, and the kids always have a great time showing off their talent and skill. They’re all my favorite, so I look forward to all of it this week.”
The Baccalaureate Ceremony took place on Thursday with speeches from a student-elected faculty speaker, Julie Wheeler. Additionally, instead of a Salutatorian speaker as has been tradition, the senior class elected two student speakers, Carlos Johnson-Cruz (12) and Emily Wang (12), to address the senior class, their families, and the junior class in attendance.
For the first time ever, the final ceremony was held in the Eagle Buddies program. The seniors presented their fifth grade buddies with a souvenir with the college that they will be attending on it, as they ate lunch and played for the final time. While the seniors graduate high school, the fifth graders will ‘graduate’ the Lower School.
On Friday, the annual Senior Showcase was held to display the talents of 27 graduating conservatory students in one of the branches of performing arts including Dance, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Theater, Musical Theater, and Technical Theater. The seniors put together a short piece to demonstrate their mastery of whichever field they chose freshman year.
