![“[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)
Science of success
Although studying is greatly important in achieving goals later on in life, a person must find their pleasure in life in order to support it with their actions.
There are hundreds of theories as to what makes a person successful, what drives a person to go from a regular, hum-drum human being, to a billionaire with the world in the palm of their hand.
People from all backgrounds have conceived theories, ranging from Forbes’ 14 Things Every Successful Person Has in Common to “tiger mom” Amy Chua’s hypothesis about the most successful races published in her recent book, “The Triple Package.”
But truly, the definition of success to each person is unique.
The dictionary definition of success is listed as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.” This definition is broad and paints success in a very different way than the traditional view of success as a game of numbers.
In the Harker community, I have found the definition of success to be different from my personal one. Success is perceived to be money and security by the most recent generations. Instead of a sense of fulfillment from completing a goal, most people view the achievement of goals as materialistic and concrete.
Success was never meant to be defined universally, due to the distinct passions of each person. But since the world became a more competitive place, the definition of success had to be stabilized in order to serve as a platform for rivalry.
When the definition of success as money is swept away and no longer gives an objective view of success, those who are grappling for it no longer understand what they are looking for.
Success should not be about what a person has, but what they can offer the world.
One must introspect in order to find what they love to do, and find the courage to chase that dream. Furthermore, after the initial discovery, sometimes there is no attainment of the goal. Sometimes, the goal is a lifelong race.
As long as this race is towards the thing a person loves, the person is on the correct road for their own long-term happiness. Although this road may not lead to billions of dollars and owning a small island off the coast of Greece, the true success belongs to those who love every step they take towards their goal.
Melina Nakos (12) is a reporter for The Winged Post. This is her third year as a part of the journalism program. She loves to spend time with the rest...