![“[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)
FEM club holds fundraiser for She’s the First
Kacey Fang (11) talks with FEM member Alex Thomas (11) about the fundraiser while enjoying a cookie. Members sold cookies, ice cream, soda, and lemonade after school, and students had the option of either paying in cash or charging to their student accounts.
Female Empowerment (FEM) club officers sold baked goods and root beer floats after school this week to fundraise for She’s the First, a non profit organization that aids girls’ education in developing countries.
She’s the First donates equipment and desks to schools or sponsors specific girls in their education in developing countries such as East Asia and Africa. Up to this year, the organization has sponsored more than 300 girls across 10 countries and has more than 80 chapters across the United States.
“[The people there] teach girls how to read and write, how to use technology, and other basic education. It’s basically to empower them to be able to enter the workforce and out of the cycle of poverty,” co-President Archana Podury (11) said. “It’s kind of like education and microfinance at the same time.”
The club sold chocolate-covered strawberries, cupcakes, homemade chocolate-chip cookies with Oreos, and root-beer floats. During long lunch on Wednesday, the club screened “Half the Sky,” a documentary about the abuses of women in six different countries, in Rachel Freed’s, the FEM club’s advisor, room.
Overall, the club’s goal is to raise awareness about women’s issues to the student body. Specifically, the club hopes to use the money it gained from the bake sales to invest in one girl and see that she receives at least a year of education. The club members emphasized the limited opportunities girls have in education and jobs in many parts of the world.
“There are a lot of girls around the world that don’t have the same opportunities that we do here in the Bay Area, so we’re working to make sure they have an equal opportunity in life,” club member Alex Thomas (11) said.
Students who visited the bake sales also fully supported the club’s cause.
“There are a lot of children, girls and women, in developing countries, who aren’t getting the education they need to grow up and be successful because of the gender differences,” Arthur Shau (12) said.
Other students, such as Marina Newman (9) agreed with this statement.
“I think it’s really great that there are clubs at Harker that are making so many charitable fundraisers like this,” Marina said, “[She’s the First] sounds like a really great charity.”
Overall, the club considers the fundraiser to be a success, though it feels that next year more interactive activities could be included to help bring more light to women’s issues.
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