![“[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)
Freshmen reflect on the end of first semester
Freshman Dominic Cea finishes his homework on his laptop. The first semester was challenging for many freshman, as they weren’t used to the difficulty of high school academics.
January 19, 2015
As freshmen finish their first semester of high school, some resolve to get better grades, some feel relieved that the school year is halfway finished and some feel heartbroken that their first semester is nearly over.
“I’m relieved. Next semester, I’m going to study harder,” Freshman Dominic Cea said. “[High school] was really different than I thought. It’s a different environment. It’s a lot more work.”
High school being a totally different environment from middle school, freshmen are faced with the challenge of keeping up with their work and extracurriculars.
”I think I’ve really grown as an individual and I think I have really changed from when I was in eighth grade,” Derek Kuo (10) said.
With a new semester approaching, freshmen are determined to continue working hard after having adapted to the new surroundings. With many resources around to encourage and assist students academically, students take advantage and work hard.
“As for the new semester, I’ll do my best to keep working hard and grow as a student as I have grown used to the ‘high school’ life,” Derek said.
Sophomores and juniors have already experienced their first semester of high school, so this was not as special for them.
”It feels good to be done with the first semester; since this is my second year at Harker, I know what I have to do to get good grades,” Srivastav Pyda (10) said.
Student-athletes work hard to maintain their school work with their busy athletic schedule. For many freshmen, this is the first time that they had to be so committed to a sport. Since most sports teams have practice or a game every day of the week, athletes must learn how to manage their time efficiently.
“Basketball season is coming to a close, and I want to play my best and do my schoolwork with no distractions,” Freshman Peter Conners said. “Next semester, I’m going to use my time more wisely and study harder.”
Having experienced a semester of high school, freshmen are prepared to use what they learned from their first semester to have an even better second semester.
