![“[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)
Students compete at California TSA conference
Juniors Manthra Panchapakesan and Rahul Jayaraman study for their events at the TSA conference. Some events required entrants to submit their projects electronically prior to March 1 while others took place on site.
Twelve students attended the second annual California TSA (Technology Student Association) conference at Diamond Bar High School this weekend to compete in events ranging from Architectural Renovation to Technology Bowl.
Student attendees were sophomores Cynthia Hao, Sophia Luo, and Karen Qi and juniors Eric Cheung, Ashwini Iyer, Alex Jang, Rahul Jayaraman, Neil Movva, Manthra Panchapakesan, Roshni Pankhaniya, Sriram Somasundaram, and Eric Wang.
“[The conference] was really fun but stressful at the same time,” said co-President Sophia Luo (10), who took first in both Career Preparation and Future Technology Teacher. “I had a great time meeting new people and participating in the events.”
Two weeks prior to the conference, Sophia had to work out logistical issues with TSA advisor Anthony Silk. Problems included finding smaller buses to accommodate the small number of students signed up for the trip.
“The most challenging part by far of the trip wasn’t the trip itself but the before organizing,” Sophia said.
Rahul Jayaraman (11), who took first place in first in Essays on Technology and second in Technology Bowl, felt that his favorite part of the conference was the actual competition.
“I really enjoy writing so it felt natural,” he said. “As the words flowed onto the page from my pen, I realized that I was making my voice heard.
At the conference, California TSA hosted a scavenger hunt, a keynote presentation on nanotechnology by Marco Curreli, and an election for state office.
“One of my main goals is really to spread the area of influence [of TSA],” said newly elected state treasurer Samuel Chiang (10) from Diamond Bar High School. “I’m state treasurer, so one of my other goals is also raising funds so we can have better events, and […] we can bring people together so we actually have a sense unity within TSA.”
Nationals will take place from June 27 to July 1 in Washington, D.C.
Alex Jang, Student Life Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior this year and has been a part of journalism for three years. In his free time, he enjoys...