![“[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)
Athletes of the Month
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Katherine Zhu (9)
Varsity Girls Golf
Varsity Girls’ Golf player Katherine Zhu (9) has had an impressive start to her debut Harker golf season.
In her first ever high school competition, Katherine placed third in a ninety golfer field at Poplar Creek after shooting an even par, leading the Eagles to an eighth place finish.
“Katherine brings a tremendous amount of golf experience to the team as she plays extensively in the junior golf circuit,” Head coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “What’s been a delight is to see her in a team environment in an otherwise individualistic sport.”
With shooting three under par at Los Lagos Golf Course to help Harker beat Evergreen Valley High School, her performance was the best girls’ round ever in Harker history.
Besides being a great teammate while playing golf, Katherine personality shines off the court.
“She’s learning and understanding what it means to be accountable to each other,” Cheng said.
Katherine Zhu plans to continue her star performance in upcoming golf matches.
The Varsity Girls’ Golf team will face Sacred Heart Preparatory School this Friday at Los Lagos Golf Course.
Keanu Forbes (12)
Varsity Football
Varsity football quarterback and captain Keanu Forbes (12) has had an impressive high school football career.
Keanu was a key scorer in several games, rushing for touchdowns in every game and scoring touchdowns in every game save one. His season includes impressive performances in games against Overfelt High School, Del Mar High School, and Ribet Academy.
Varsity football coach, Ron Forbes, believes that years of practice have been instrumental in Keanu’s development as a football player.
“He started playing football when he was eight. He’s been playing for a long time, this is his tenth year. He’s got a lot of experience playing the game, [and] knows the game pretty well on both sides of the ball,” Forbes said. “[He’s progressed] very well. He generally makes good decisions, [it’s] kind of like having a coach on the field…he’s doing well.”
Lucas Wang (10), a member of the Varsity team, commented on Keanu’s stellar performance and experience in the sport.
“Keanu has to be one of the strongest and most confident players we have. When he has to make a tackle, he doesn’t have a second thought; he goes for it and makes the tackle,” Lucas said.
The Varsity football team will face California School for the Deaf on Oct. 9.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on October 16, 2014.
Ria Gandhi (11) is the Aquila Features Editor. This is her third year on staff after being the Assistant Sports Editor in her sophomore year and a reporter...
Tara Parimi (12) is co-Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. She has been involved with the upper school's journalism...