![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
Varsity girls volleyball advances in Norcals with a win against Willows
The Varsity girls’ volleyball team huddles together before the final set. The girls defeated Willows High School 3-0 to advance to the second round of the Norcal tournament.
The Varsity girls’ volleyball team won 3-0 against no. 6 seed Willows High School in the Division IV Norcal Quarterfinals held at Blackford, advancing to the semifinal round of Norcals.
Coming back strong from a slow start, the girls won the first set by a two-point margin, ending with a score of 29-27. The girls gained momentum and took the second and third sets 25-7 and 25-20 respectively.
This game is a momentous win for Harker, as it marks the first time since 2007 that Harker volleyball has advanced to Norcals and Harker’s first time ever hosting a Norcal match in any sport. Harker currently holds the no. 3 seed in the tournament.
http://www.cifstate.org/sports/girls_volleyball/d4
Throughout the game, the girls were supported by the cheers of fellow students, teachers and family members, many of whom sported green and white pompoms or held signs.
Varsity defensive specialist Taylor Iantosca (10) comments on the team’s chances in Norcals.
“I strongly believe that we have a great shot at winning Norcals. We play the second seed on Saturday,” Taylor said. “We’re [going to] have to battle but I believe that we’re [going to] pull through this time. We’ve had our ups and downs this entire season, but I feel like we are peaking at the right time. We’ve [stepped] it up and we’ve been progressing.”
Harker alumnus and former girls’ Varsity captain Divya Kalidindi (‘14) returned to Blackford to see the team compete.
“The girls played really well last night; they all connected really well and looked like they were having a lot of fun,” Kalidindi said.
Harker will face no. 2 seed Sonora on Nov. 29 at Sonora High School. The entry fees are $9 for general admission and $5 for students with IDs.
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...
Alyssa Amick (12) is the Co- Editor in Chief of Harker Aquila. She has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite part of...