![“[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 last week of classes has come to an end as students prepare for finals before summer begins. This week featured the academic and athletic awards ceremonies, locker clean-out, and the annual alumni football game on Friday.
On Tuesday night, students who received two or more nominations for any category of the academic awards were recognized at a dinner. The administration changed the awards system in order to recognize more students for their hard work.
The annual athletic awards were held on Wednesday night. Each team nominated a player for the “Eagle Award” in leadership, dedication, and work ethic. Other awards included the “Iron Eagle,” an award for work in the off-season, and one for seniors who played a sport all four years. Additionally, Drew Goldstein (12) was recognized for being the only athlete to play a sport every season throughout his time in high school.
During long advisory, students cleaned out their lockers in preparation for the end of the school year. Following this clean-out, students had a last chance to hang out with their advisories before the school year comes to a close.
The annual alumni game was held on Friday afternoon, as alumni from the class of 2013 and earlier classes played. The two teams, alumni versus current students, held a friendly scrimmage to reconnect and have some fun.. The final score was 14-7, with the alumni winning.
“I always look forward to alumni coming back,” said Head of the Upper School Butch Keller. “It’s always a challenge for the current students to try to play the alumni in any sport, so it’ll be interesting to see how that will all work out. I’m looking forward to the Krishnamurthi brother battle so we’ll see how that goes.”
As the school year comes to a close, so do the installments of this year’s Keller’s Korner. Have a great summer and check back in the fall for more!
