![“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)
AP Studio Art students exhibit work
AP Studio Art students displayed their artworks for students and faculty to view in an exhibition held today in Nichols Hall during long lunch.
Juniors and seniors in the course, with concentrations in 2-D design, 3-D design, or drawing, displayed their diverse work, ranging from watercolours inspired by The Brothers Grimm fairy tales to surrealist drawings layered on top of photographs.
“These photos are from all around the Bay Area,” said senior Kianna Bisla, whose concentration focused on finding beauty in the ordinary. “I really liked the picture of the house with graffiti, so I decided to go with that idea.”
Artworks were displayed along with a personal statement from the artist to help viewers understand and connect with the work.
The exhibit also coincided with the 60th birthday of Jaap Bongers, Art Department Chair and 3-D Design teacher. Students sang an impromptu “Happy Birthday” before cutting a cake with an image of Bongers that read “Congratulations AP Art Students and Happy Birthday, Mr. Bongers.”
Students and faculty alike viewed the artwork, engaging in discussions with friends and the artists while enjoying the cake and snacks provided.
“I especially liked the idea of the series of portraits taking out blocks of a person’s face and the digital work of the person stuck behind a map of the world,” said Dr. Miriam Allersma, referring to the digital design works of Megan Prakash (12) and Jessica Yang (11), whose concentration was influenced by the vastness of the universe.
Students will continue working on their three portfolios—quality, breadth, and concentration—until submitting them for the AP exam in May.
Drawing:
Camille Piazza(12)
Nephele Troullinos(11)
Maneesha Panja(12)
Monika Lee(12)
Jerry Shen(12)
Digital Design:
Kianna Bisla(12)
Austin Lai(11)
Megan Prakash(12)
Jessica Yang(11)
3D Design:
Manon Audebert(12)
Kavya Ramakrishnan (12) is the managing editor of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year on staff, having previously held the positions of reporter and...