![“[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)
CareerConnect holds computer science panel
Lucas Wang
The CareerConnect Program held a computer science and engineering panel at 11:30 a.m. in the Nichols Auditorium today.
Panelists included Sudhir Wadhwa, global IT Director of Company Confidential; Edward Hunter, a software engineering director at Juniper Networks; Sima Shah, the principal engineer at Palo Alto networks; and Julie Zhang, manager of software engineering at eBay.
Panelists stressed the need to become familiar with programming and take advantage of educational resources.
“A guy who wants to be a singer should find every opportunity to be a singer. Practice, practice, practice!” Wadhwa, a self-proclaimed geek who began programming in Fortran 77 at a young age, explained.
In addition to gaining exposure to programming, Hunter humorously encouraged students to “get a life” and pursue interests beyond computer science and to enjoy their high school experience.
“Computers will always be there… but you’ll look back and say ‘Wow, I should have done that when I was young!’” Hunter said.
Like Wadhwa, one of Hunter’s first programming languages was Fortran. He added that the number of different programming languages on a resume is often irrelevant when seeking a job in computer science.
After panelists responded to questions from CareerConnect student director Sarah Bean, they opened the floor to questions from audience members. In response to a question on computer programming in schools, Shah advised students at the panel on the challenges and importance of problem solving in the workplace.
“Every day at work, we find challenges. Certain things resolve on their own,” Shah said. She compared solving problems to working out puzzles. “Relax, and slowly you’ll figure out how to solve [it].”
Likewise, Zhang encouraged students to focus on problem solving in high school.
“Problem solving is the fundamental thing. These are the basic skills that will help your career,” Zhang said.
Manan Shah (9) said that he liked the panel and enjoyed learning the connection between entrepreneurship and computer science.
“I learned a lot about technology and all the aspects about the path between being a high school student and being a successful entrepreneur,” he said.
CareerConnect is the Upper School’s business mentorship program that hopes to connect students to professionals in the field of their choice. Student Director of the CareerConnect program Sarah Bean (11) hoped that the panel would help educate prospective computer science students.
“Hopefully, students who have some interest or some desire to pursue computer science or engineering…were here to learn,” Sarah said. Previous Career Connect panels focused on entrepreneurship and medicine.
CareerConnect’s next panel centers on law and will be held on April 2, 2014.
Vivek Bharadwaj (12) is the co-Editor-In-Chief for the Winged Post. His favorite subject in school is computer science, and he enjoys swimming and watching...