![“[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 National Honor Society (NHS), a distinguished group of students who have dedicated themselves to leadership and their community, announced its new members on October 19, 2010 in Nichols Auditorium.
Members of NHS promise to uphold the four pillars of NHS, which include leadership, scholarship, service, and character. Students in NHS are asked to contribute to their community through volunteering and to exemplify good character by maintaining integrity and respect for others and themselves.
“I joined the National Honor Society because I wanted to be part of a group that had strong values such as the four pillars. In addition, I enjoy volunteering and the club gives me more opportunities to do so,” said Tara Rezvani (10).
As a part of NHS, members strive to serve as role models for the rest of the school. Through periodic meetings, students discuss volunteering opportunities and how to help the community uphold the four pillars.
“To me, NHS means serving the community in need to the best of my abilities, I think serving the community can be both a fun and rewarding experience,” said Gene Wong (11).
Many of the new members plan to perform more community service as one of their goals as NHS members.
“I hope to enjoy this experience. I want to be part of a program called KIPP where you tutor younger kids at a different school, and I would love to get to interact with people outside the Harker and Los Gatos communities,” Sondra Costa (10), said.
The new NHS members are excited to be able to be a part of an organization that puts as much emphasis on community as well as leadership, and they encourage other people to join as well.
“ I feel that NHS is sort of a recognition of the efforts students take to do what they can for the world. The four pillars of scholarship, strength of character, service, and leadership culminate in the epitome of success for students,” Lorraine Wong (10) said, a new inductee who hopes NHS will increase students’ involvement in their community and their confidence in leadership.
Students who want to be considered for NHS must have a cumulative GPA of 3.7. From then on, they are considered based on their character, service, and leadership. After an application process, consisting of mostly essay questions relating to education and the four pillars of the National Honor Society, the new members are chosen based on the content of their essays along with recommendations from three of their teachers. This year, 47 students were inducted into this prestigious group, bringing the total number of members to 105 students.
