![“[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)
Freshmen
Andrew Wang and Claudia Tischler are this year’s Freshman prince and princess.
“It’s going to be nerve-wracking,” Andrew said.
Andrew was surprised with the outcome, as he did not expect to be nominated or elected. He is particularly eager for the obstacle course at the rally.
On the other hand, Claudia is not as anxious as she is honored.
“Once I thought some more about what it means, I realized that it is not something to be afraid of,” Claudia said.
Although she initially believed that the Homecoming Court elections were going to be just like a normal student council election, Claudia felt privileged that numerous people voted for her once she was elected.
“Being elected was a great honor and responsibility, since Homecoming day is such an enormous, school-wide gathering,” Claudia said.
They both hope that they can represent their grade well together on the Homecoming Court.
Sophomores
Sophomore Homecoming Prince and Princess are Rohit Agarwal and Tiphaine Delepine.
“There are a bunch of other great people [on the Homecoming Court], and I just want to see if I can beat them [at the rally],” Rohit said.
Tiphaine is also looking forward to class competition. “I remember last year watching [the relay race] was a lot of fun, so this year I can be a part of it,” she said. “It’ll be fun to represent my class in the spirit activity.”
Juniors
Juniors Julia Lambertz and Jason Kuan will be class prince and princess.
New to this high school tradition, Julia will experience her first Homecoming ever. She is excited to participate in the rally and play a major role for her class.
“It’s so amazing and so exciting because I really don’t know what’s coming up. It’s just exciting because it’s my first… and my last,” Julia said.
For Jason, Homecoming means playing football and bonding with classmates.
“I’m excited to be on the court because it means that I get to represent the juniors in this school. It’s really nice to know that my classmates support me, and representing them in the court, well, is a good way to repay their kindness towards me,” he said.
Jason added that Homecoming is one of the biggest events of the year and feels that being on the court this year will make the experience better.
“I’m looking forward to the football game the most for Homecoming. I’m also really excited for the Homecoming dance, because it’s one of the biggest events in the school year,” he said. “The class competitions are really cool and fun too, and I think that they really help solidify the school’s community.”
Seniors
This year’s senior princes and princesses are Gregory Cox, Santosh Swaminathan, Benjamin Tien, Anisha Agarwal, Amanda King, and Brianna Tran.
“I’ve never really been through this whole experience, so just meeting the other people in the homecoming court and having dinner together is exciting,” Benjamin said. “I’m definitely most excited for the game because that’s going to be really big, and it’s when everyone goes really crazy.”
Unlike most of the seniors on court, Brianna Tran has already experienced the tradition.
“I’m excited for the Homecoming rally. I remember last year it was a lot of fun, and I kept replaying the events in my head after it happened and laughing to myself,” Brianna said.
ASB President Santosh brings his school and class pride with him to the Homecoming events.
“It’ll be fun to be in all the spirit events that are associated with Homecoming,” Santosh said. “[I’m looking forward to] just being in front of my class and representing the seniors.”
Amanda, who leads the cheer squad, is energized in anticipation of Homecoming.
“I’m excited for everything because this whole experience is something new and different,” Amanda said.
Anisha, on the other hand, is looking forward to having an experience with her brother, Rohit, who is the sophomore prince.
“Even just in the relay race during the rally […] to beat him would be amazing,” Anisha said.
Nostalgic about his final year of high school, Gregory reflects on being a part of his last Homecoming.
“I’m really looking forward to the dance because it should be a lot of fun this year,” Gregory said. “It’s my last Homecoming, so I want to make the most of it.”
