![“[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)
Donations for Princess Project dress drive reach second year
The dress rack for the Princess Project sits in Manzanita Hall. Last year, the drive brought in 28 dresses in total donations.
The Upper School is holding a drive in Manzanita Hall for dresses to support the renowned charity organization “The Princess Project” for the second year from March 3 to March 21.
The Princess Project prides itself on bringing underprivileged high school students the opportunity to attend prom in formal clothing when this might not otherwise be possible for financial reasons or otherwise.
Together, Shannon Hong (10) and Sheridan Tobin (11) are working to make this prospect a reality for students for a second year.
“It’s really to feel beautiful when they’re going to their junior and senior prom, to have fun and experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like everyone else at Harker can,” Shannon said.
According to the Princess Project’s website, the charity drive was launched in 2002 and has faithfully carried on ever since. Its ultimate goal is to promote “self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them.”
In comparison to last year, Shannon outlined several differences in the collection process.
“Last year, we started in early February and ended in early March,” she said. “It’s probably better that we started in March [this year], because Sadies would’ve already happened, and people who bought dresses for Sadies could donate too.”
Shannon and Sheridan also started advertising earlier and more frequently, making use of the new PCR bulletin system as well as the TV screens located around campus. Last year, they received around 28 dresses, and this statistic has carried over as an expectation for this year. Though the two of them also collect accessories, donations of accessories are rarer than the dresses themselves.
“I hope it continues after we graduate because it’s a great cause,” Sheridan said. “In terms of philanthropies, it’s goal is something that’s generally overlooked, but it’s amazing to see how much of a difference just a prom dress can make in the girls’ lives.”
Looking further into the future, Shannon foresees extensions of the Princess Project at the Upper School on multiple levels.
“I think it’s possible that we could bring this to other high schools around the area,” Shannon said. “We could maybe bring a project into those places. I think next year we might start [collecting] shoes.”
Many students enjoy creating a full prom experience for others who are disadvantaged through the drive.
“Even if they can’t afford it, they should still deserve to go to prom and have fun,” Annie Zhou (10) said.
Shannon and Sheridan plan on continuing the charity drive for a long time still.
Elisabeth Siegel (12) is the editor-in-chief of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year in Journalism, and she especially loves production nights and...