![“[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)
Freshman golfer places second at CCS
Katherine Zhu (9) takes a hard practice swing before readying herself for the real one.
Katherine Zhu (9) tried out for the girls’ golf team and joined the varsity team for the season. As an individual, she placed second at the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament on Nov. 4.
“I’m really grateful for placing second in CCS,” she says “I didn’t think I would do so well because I was competing with some of the best girls in the Bay Area.
Katherine has been playing golf even before she arrived at Harker in fourth grade. She’s been playing for a long time because she loves the feeling of being on the golf course.
“I have been playing for about six and a half years,” Katherine said. “When I play, I don’t think about anything else.”
Although Katherine currently has a passion for playing golf, she did not always feel this way. When she first started back in 2008, she had a different attitude towards the sport.
“My mom played, and she made me play,” Katherine said. “I hated it because it was really boring, and then I started winning and making new friends, and it was okay.”
Though she has been golfing for many years, adapting to a new way of playing the sport was a challenge.
“[I wanted to improve] my ability to work with the team because I’ve been introduced to the game as an individual player my whole life, and I don’t really have much team experience,” she said. “I have to work with everyone, so everything can’t be about me, but I have to think about everyone else as well.”
Her morales about the importance of teamwork can be seen during practice.
Vanessa Tyagi (9), who is also on the varsity team, describes Katherine’s attitude towards the team and her teammates.
“She’s always willing to help out the people who aren’t so good and to just be a support,” she said. “I remember once we were practicing bunker shots and some of the newer people were having trouble, so she came over and helped everybody and [she] was really patient.”
The golf season ended on Oct. 29, but Katherine has other goals she wishes to accomplish and hopes that her sport will be able to take her even further after high school.
“Hopefully to college, but I don’t want to get into a college by using golf,” she said. “I’m playing for myself and not because of anything else.”
When asked about how she expects golf to affect her future, Katherine remains clueless.
“I don’t know, I have no idea what’s in for me in the future,” she said. “I’ll be fine with turning pro or not. If I do turn pro, that’s just a plus.”
Next Monday, Katherine will compete at the Crazy Horse Ranch Country Club in North California for a chance to advance into the next round of the tournament.
Danya Zhang (9) is a reporter for TALON. Her extra curricular activities include, volleyball. She enjoys watching Youtube, playing basketball, and reading...
Kathy Duan is a senior and Co-Editor-in-Chief for TALON Yearbook. After three years on staff, she practically lives in the journalism room. She enjoys...