![“[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)
Q&A: Wheeler and Hwang will not return next year
Julie Wheeler intends to move to Marin and is in the process of purchasing a house. Naomi Hwang plans on working as a substitute teacher while she changes careers in the upcoming year.
History teachers Naomi Hwang and Julie Wheeler will not be returning to teach in the fall. In interviews with The Winged Post, they described their plans for next year and reflected on their years teaching at the Upper School.
Winged Post: What are your plans for next year?
Julie Wheeler: I have no plans as of this moment. We are moving up to Marin, and I have nothing lined up so we are going to be looking in the process of buying a house. We might be involved in a long lengthy renovation in which I could be like a general contractor, which is exciting.
WP: What will you miss most about Harker?
JW: I will miss the people and I use that collectively in terms of my colleagues, the students, as we are all people. I will miss all of the people.
WP: How long have you been teaching at Harker?
JW: This is my sixth year.
WP: What was your most memorable moment while teaching at Harker?
JW: There are so many. I would say I’ve got mortifying memories like that class that just didn’t go well. […] I think Baccalaureate was a great experience. That was a good one. I would say that there are so many. […] I think one of my favorite things is when you guys graduate and come back and visit and inevitably always interrupt classes.
Winged Post: What are your plans for next year?
Naomi Hwang: I don’t really have definite plans. I plan to substitute teach and at the same time find what’s next for me. I’m changing my career. Because teaching is really busy, I haven’t had the time to explore what I would want to do next or look for any type of job.
WP: How long have you been teaching at Harker?
NH: This is my fourth year. I wanted to finish with my advisory.
WP: What will you miss most about Harker?
NH: I think I’ll miss the people, like the community, and just seeing everybody everyday. I think that’s something that you realize when you go to college. In college you can pick and choose who you see everyday and you have to actually make an effort to go. But when you’re in a high school setting, you basically are forced to be with the same people every day and so you’re forced to develop community with them. I think that I’ve developed some really strong relationships with the staff and with a lot of the students here.
WP: What was your most memorable moment while teaching at Harker?
NH: It’s hard to chose just one. That’s what’s hard about it, there’s so many moments and you have to pick one.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on May 16, 2014.
Shannon Su is the Managing Editor and Executive News Director of Harker Aquila. She joined the program as a reporter her freshman year and has held many...
Sheridan Tobin is the co-Editor in Chief of The Winged Post. She is a senior and this is her fourth year on staff. She was the Global Editor and Opinion...