![“[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)
Parents, faculty, and students collected in the Nichols Auditorium Tuesday to attend the Upper School National Honor Society (NHS) induction.
Thirty-six students were inducted to the society with the traditional candle lighting ceremony. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors were eligible to apply and were chosen based on their essays and teacher recommendations.
“Obviously, conducting the ceremony, we need to believe in the ceremony,” Barth said. “With the lighting of candles, there’s going to be some spontaneity. There’s a lot of symbolism.”
The ceremony began at 6 p.m. with an introduction delivered by president of the society, Vikas Bhetanabhotla (12).
The four officers of NHS delivered speeches on the four pillars of NHS: leadership, scholarship, service, and character. Chapter advisor Julie Wheeler and Upper School teacher Damon Hallback followed with their remarks.
“I like the concept of the community service stuff and the idea of tutoring and helping out. ” Rishabh Chandra (10) said.
Previous members of the club that attended the event were honored by roses given by chapter advisor Mr. Evan Barth.
Nitya Mani (11) found her membership in National Honor Society enjoyable and rewarding. She came to the ceremony to watch her friends become newly inducted.
“I joined NHS last year, and its been really fun,” she said. “I liked tutoring and helping people feel better about themselves,” she said, referring to the volunteer opportunities she has participated in with the society.
After the ceremony, all attendees congregated in the Rotunda to enjoy coffee and pastries.
The officers and faculty advisors of the club regarded the new crop of members to be a welcome addition to the club. They look forward to their first meeting that will include the new inductees, yet to be set.
