![“[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 swim team welcomes new coach
Harker directory
Alisha is the new head coach for the Harker Swim team. The season starts on Feb. 2.
Alisha Garcia takes on her role as the new coach for the Upper School swim team, bringing her experiences and skills in swimming to the field.
Garcia’s interest in swimming started when she was five years old. She continued practicing, and at the age of seven, she joined a competitive swim team.
“Swimming has always been a part of my life and I love it.” Garcia said.
Garcia was a competitive swimmer for over ten years. Over time, she developed skills that allowed her to pursue other professions related to swimming, such as a lifeguard, a lifeguard trainer, a trainer for new instructors, a water safety instructor and a trainer for the Red Cross and YMCA. She has been teaching swim lessons for twelve years and counting.
“Swimming is a life skill that everyone should learn.” Garcia said.
After graduating college, she took a job in Japan. Garcia worked on the US Naval Base training lifeguards and giving military families swim lessons. At the YMCA, she was the head coach for four years. At Fresno State University, she taught swimming at the physical education department for three years. She has been coaching the middle school swim team for six years and since 2011, Garcia has been the assistant coach for the Upper School team.
When she is not busy swimming, Garcia enjoys going to the beach and participating in the 5K and a half marathon at Disneyland. She is an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants as well.
Students talked about how they felt about the new coach.
“The new coach was an assistant coach for many years before, and I liked working with her last year. But overall, my feelings towards the change are pretty neutral.” Pooja Kini (10) said.
Garcia will begin coaching the swim team at the beginning of the season, starting on Feb. 2.
Vijay Bharadwaj (11) is one of the opinion editors for The Winged Post and Aquila. She served as the assistant opinion editor and the Wingspan copy editor...