![“[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)
DECA members prepare for upcoming conference
DECA members Neymika Jain (9) and Riya Chandra (9) look through examples of business plans at the DECA study session yesterday while trying to formulate ideas for their own. They are preparing for when they will have to present their ideas at competitive DECA conferences.
DECA members prepared for the upcoming Leadership Development and Competitive Excellence Conference (LDCEC) during their weekly study session on Fridays.
This is the first conference DECA members will attend this year, and it is tailored to assist students, through various talks and workshops, before they attend competitive conferences.
Sachin Vadodaria (12), a Harker Business Club (HBC) officer, explained that the conference is for “all members interested” and that he “recommends them for everyone as there are lots of good lectures.”
During study sessions, students prepared business plans and practice for roleplay events, which they compete in either individually or as a team, while receiving aid from experienced members. There was also a featured presentation, which surrounded principles of business events, a starting point for first year members to become accustomed to the process before moving on to more advanced events.
As the conference will be the first time freshman will experience a DECA event, Shivani Awasthi (9), who is participating in a principles competition, describes what she would like to extract from her experience.
“I hope to gain more information on DECA [and] to see what the environment is like if I were to go into business in the future,” she said.
Many members are excited to actually compete after this conference, which is more centered toward learning the process.
“I am looking forward to presenting our topic and explaining our thoughts behind our business,” Neymika Jain (9) said.
DECA members continue to prepare for their events and many plan to attend the fall conference, which will be held in San Francisco from Nov.15 to Nov.17.
Alexis Gauba is a reporter for The Winged Post. She is a freshman, and it is her first year on the staff. Alexis is on the varsity girls golf team and...