![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Transfer students reflect on first impressions of the school
Courtesy of Alex Chen
Alex Chen plays the drums. He is interested in pursuing music in the future.
Sophomores Stephanie Scaglia, Shea Tuli, Vignesh Panchanatham, Kunal Bhandarkar, Alex Chen, and juniors Elizabeth Rensin, Tina Li, Illana Goldberg and Joyce Li transferred to Harker this year from different high schools.
Alex Chen
Alex, who transferred from Mid-Peninsula High School in Menlo Park, commented on his first impression of Harker.
“Everybody here is really welcoming in the sense that they go out of their way to remember your name or make a conversation with you,” he said.
He also discussed how teachers at Harker stand out from schools he has previously attended.
“The teachers try to be more accommodating in the sense that if you’re new here, they give you more of a boost so that you can get up to speed,” he said. “I think that they emphasize being more engaging in class, making us have to use more critical thinking instead of just handing out worksheets and telling us to do [them].”
The challenging atmosphere of Harker appealed to Alex during his selection process.
“I thought that the classes were the right amount of challenge in the sense that it makes you think and it keeps you on an edge so you don’t become [intellectually] stagnant, but it’s not overwhelming,” he said.
On Aug. 20, the sophomore class grouped into four sections and went to various ropes course locations.
“It was probably the best way I could have gotten to meet fellow classmates,” Alex said.
Outside of school, Alex writes songs, sings, plays the drums, and learns how to play the guitar. His favorite genre of music is 90’s alternative. After attending school, he plans on pursuing a career in music.
“That’s my longterm dream,” he said. “I really want to be a musician.”
Alex is currently a member of Guys’ Gig and has interest in joining Lab Band in the future.
Illana Goldberg
Illana Goldberg (11), another transfer student, came from Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto. She compared Harker to her previous school.
“It’s really big, so im not super used to it, but I really like it,” she said. “Everyone has been really nice so far and all my classes are a lot more interesting than I would expect. At my old school, teachers knew students personally so it was more of a connection, but here, its a lot more professional, and I like it more because they know the material better.”
For their class trip, the juniors went whitewater rafting, and Illana also spoke about the impact the trip had on easing her transition into Harker..
“It was definitely a lot easier to go to school on the first day and see people that I had already met on the the trip, so I felt more included,” she said.
Besides school, Illana plays tennis and enjoys reading books.
“I was thinking about playing [tennis] at Harker, but I just decided to stick withtennis outside of school.”
The sophomore and junior classes have a total of nine transfer students, while the freshman class has 37 new students this year.
Meena Gudapati (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. Her favorite part of journalism is making her humorous podcast "Get Skool'd" and writing interesting...
