![“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)
In a Nutshell: Pesto chicken pasta
As Valentine’s Day creeps ever the closer, your dinner repertoire might call for an appetizing and really simple pasta dish to impress. Of course, this dish works as a quick dinner any day as well. Do make sure to cook the chicken fully, unless you only want to please the taste buds, and not the stomach. (Priscilla would like to mention she had salmonella once. It was most unpleasant.) On that happy note, let’s get started!
Recipe (Inspired by Kristin from AllRecipes):
Notes
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Difficulty: Medium
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Length: 20 minutes, give or take
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Keep in mind: Make sure the chicken is cooked through–nobody likes salmonella.
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Why we made it: Because Fred once ate a chicken pesto sandwich which changed her view of pesto forever
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Why you should make it: Because it’s one of the easiest sauces and easiest protein that can go on a pasta dish
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
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1 16 ounce package pasta
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1 tsp olive oil
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2 cloves minced garlic
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1 boneless chicken breast (cut into pieces or sliced)
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crushed red pepper flakes (to taste; optional)
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¼ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes (optional, with oil drained)
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½ cup pesto sauce (our very own recipe coming soon!)
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salt (to taste)
Equipment
- Skillet
- Saucepan
- Colander (if not serving immediately)
Dice your chicken into sizes you wish you serve (before you cook it, not after it’s halfway cooked like what we did).
Heat up oil in a skillet. When hot enough (if you can’t hold your hand next to the oil for 3 seconds, then it’s hot enough), add your chicken and saute until cooked thoroughly. Cut a big piece and see if the inside is still pink. Taste and season.
Cook your pasta in boiling, generously salted water. We chose a mini bowtie pasta. (It’s very cute, right?)
Drain your pasta in a colander.
Shock your pasta to stop the cooking and prevent it from being overcooked when you serve. If serving immediately, skip this step.
Add your pasta into the pan right before serving and incorporate pesto sauce.
Place in serving bowl, top with chicken pieces, sun-dried tomatoes, and freshly grated cheese.
Garnish with basil and….
That’s chicken pesto pasta, in a nutshell!
Fred Chang (12) is the Managing Editor of the TALON Yearbook and co-creator of In a Nutshell. Her positions on yearbook were reporter, Copy Editor, and...
Priscilla Pan is the features editor for the Winged Post and co-creator of In a Nutshell. She is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for...