![“[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)
Summers spent in service
Courtesy of Eesha Chona
Eesha Chona (12) and her mother show their support for those against breast cancer. Eesha founded the Association of Teens Against Cancer.
Eesha Chona (12) spent her summer building a nonprofit that she co-founded last year along with her brother, Aneesh (‘13).
The Association of Teens Against Cancer (ATAC) is an organization that aims to help children and teenagers with loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The Chona siblings were inspired to start ATAC after their own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“We noticed that there is a lack of support provided to the children of parents diagnosed with cancer,” Eesha said. “There’s tons of support for the patient, of course, and their spouses, but the children are unintentionally ignored. And when my brother and I went through this situation in our family, we had each other to lean on for support, but we realized that not every child is that lucky to have a sibling or even a friend who underwent the same experience.”
Eesha Chona (12) poses with arts and crafts materials. Eesha’s organization supports teens with loved ones who have cancer.
ATAC allows children and teenagers to share their voice with the world through blogging, and the association provides education on the various types of cancer. There is also a directory of hotlines for teenagers to call if they need support during a crisis.
In addition to providing support nationally, ATAC is active in two continents and has given over 200 individuals access to healthcare through fundraising, but it hopes to continue to grow.
“Both my brother and I hope to extend ATAC’s domestic and international footprint,” Eesha said. “In India, we hope to sponsor those 11 villages and provide healthcare to those who wouldn’t otherwise obtain it. Secondly, we would like to expand the educational aspect of our website. In addition to providing information about types of cancer, we would like to add [research that provides] information of new, innovative therapies and groundbreaking news in cancer research.”
ATAC will also release an app this fall that allows children to send personalized cancer ribbons to their loved ones.
Ria Gandhi (11) is the Aquila Features Editor. This is her third year on staff after being the Assistant Sports Editor in her sophomore year and a reporter...