![“[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)
Beyond Synopsys
Students advance to ISEF and CSSF fairs
Neil Movva (12), who qualified to participate in CSSF, explains his project at the 10th annual research symposium.
Nine Upper School students qualified to participate in the California State Science Fair (CSSF) and three of those nine qualified for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Nitya Mani (12), Jonathan Ma (11) and Sadhika Malladi (11), the three ISEF qualifiers, are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week for the competition.
Vamsi Gadiraju (12), Rahul Jayaraman (12), Neil Movva (12), Manan Shah (10), Vedaad Shakib (10) and Rajiv Movva (9) are the CSSF qualifiers. CSSF will take place in the California Science Center in Los Angeles from May 18 to 19.
Nitya worked in mathematics and researched curves called hypocycloids, which are “formed by rolling a small circle in a large circle and tracing a point on the small circle.”
She will not attend CSSF because the event conflicts with senior trip, but she will compete in ISEF for the second year in a row.
“[ISEF] was amazing,” Nitya said. “I formed friendships with amazing people who I never would have met. I also met a lot of mathematicians [who] were very welcoming and made [me] want to continue doing math.”
Jonathan and Sadhika researched the variation in effectiveness of cancer treatments based on gender.
Jonathan advised that researchers should always keep their options open when brainstorming.
“Don’t rule out some hypothesis just because it sounds extraordinary or it’s strange or no one’s found it before,” he said.
Sadhika echoed the sentiment.
“It’s important to keep in mind that when things don’t work, you should just try a different approach,” she said. “Since no one has done it before, you could find something really cool.”
Rahul, who studied congential heart disease, provided insight into his motivation for research.
“I’ve always wanted to help the world and make sure that everybody can live healthier, happier lives,” he said.
ISEF began this Monday and will continue through Friday.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on May 13, 2015.
Sahana Srinivasan (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post and Wingspan, having previously served as Managing Editor, Asst. STEM Editor and a reporter....
Kavya Ramakrishnan (12) is the managing editor of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year on staff, having previously held the positions of reporter and...