![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
Juniors kayak and sail for their class trip
Juniors sailed the seas at the tradional class trip. Advisories which chose to sail ventured to Elkhorn Slough Estuarial Reserve, where an instructor taught them the basics of sailing and later set to demonstrate their newly learned skills on their own at sea.
Juniors explored the oceans by kayaking and sailing on the class trip today at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Elkhorn Slough Estuarial Reserve.
The trip, which was rescheduled from last Monday due to a recent storm off the coast of Japan, began when students loaded the busses at approximately 7:45 a.m., and ended around 5 p.m, returning time.
“It was my first time kayaking in Monterey, as I’ve done sailing and Elkhorn before. I loved being on the ocean paddling, seeing all the marine life, and having a day away from academics with the juniors,” Class Dean Diana Moss said.
Juniors at the Elkhorn Slough Estuarial Reserve branched into split advisory groups and boarded their assigned boats. A sailing advisor instructed a group of six sailors on the basic procedures of sailing before setting forth into the ocean and actually allowing the students to experiment and sail on their own.
“The sailing trip was a jovial experience for me and and my comrades,” Eric Holt (11) said. “We were able to connect with one another and work together extraordinarily efficiently.”
During the two kayaking trips, juniors were divided into three equal groups, all of which traversed a round trip of six miles. Each student was allowed to select a partner of their choice, who they then were able to share a boat with. Throughout the trip, various sea animals were spotted by the students.
“We were able to see sea lions, sea otters, and even some pelicans,” Avni Barman (11) said. “Although the weather was slightly cold, it was a very fun and enjoyable experience.”
Although the activities at sea operated smoothly overall, students reacted differently to the coastal environment. On both the sailing and kayaking events, various students experienced sea-sickness, causing some to even throw up.
“I was excited to go sailing with my advisory but was not expecting to get seasick,” junior Christina Andrus said. “After we went out for around thirty minutes almost everyone on my boat was sick which made the trip less enjoyable than it would have been but for some groups it was a great bonding experience.”
Other complications on the trip included a high range of 40 student absences due to illnesses and other complicating factors.
The class of 2003 experienced the first sailing and kayaking junior class trip 11 years ago, according to Moss. The final class jaunt for the current juniors’ will be the Senior Class Trip to Laguna Beach in May of 2015, which will be partially funded by the junior class’s hosted fundraisers.
“Honestly, what a beautiful opportunity to get away,” Moss said, reflecting back on the day’s trip.
Mariam Sulakian is the Features Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a member of the journalism program for four years and appreciates the opportunities...
Sindhu Ravuri (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of the upcoming long form magazine. She served as the Winged Post Business Editor her sophomore year and Global...