![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)
Did you know: Senior Natasha Mayor travels to Nicaragua for service project
Courtesy of Natasha Mayor
Natasha and other students on the trip add a coating to one of the tables at Los Mujeres del Plomo for protection against weather and insects. Natasha and 16 other high school students traveled to Nicaragua for three weeks over summer, participating in service projects and learning more about the area.
Straying from the path of summer internships and jobs, Natasha Mayor (12) spent three weeks of her summer in Nicaragua working on service projects, learning about the country and volunteering.
Along with 16 other Bay Area high school students, Natasha traveled to the city of Matagalpa with a program called Global Glimpse, a non-profit in support of global education.
Natasha heard about Global Glimpse through relatives who had participated in the program before and now wants to expand the program to Harker, giving other students the chance to experience a summer similar to hers.
“It kind of just opens your eyes to the world. I didn’t imagine that there’s people living in such abject conditions,” she said. “The only thing you need is an open mind. I think it’s an important experience for everybody to have.”
Over the three weeks, Natasha and the other students participated in numerous local service projects, spent time exploring the area with local guides and learned about Nicaraguan culture, history and politics.
The Global Glimpse students also spent a day at a waterfall called Cascada Blanca. Natasha and 16 other high school students traveled to Nicaragua for three weeks over summer, participating in service projects and learning more about the area.
One of these service projects included volunteering as tutors at a local university. Natasha taught an advanced English course and, despite the language barrier, was able to successfully get through to the students, which she recalls as her favorite part of the trip.
“I was teaching them all these complicated things, [and] I was like ‘I don’t know, are they really understanding this?’” she said. “But then on the last day we gave them this cumulative test, and I was so surprised by how much knowledge they’d actually absorbed.”
In addition to tutoring at the university, the students renovated a store called Los Mujeres del Plomo, which specializes in jewelry made from natural seeds. They worked together to paint the walls and build the store new tables and benches.
The volunteers also created a billboard and a Facebook page for the company, trying to help out with increasing sales and awareness of the store.
Although she says she probably will not return to Nicaragua specifically with Global Glimpse, Natasha still plans to volunteer in other countries, considering her trip as eye-opening.
“It’s definitely made me want to go to more of these third-world countries,” she said. “I definitely want to see what I can do in the global economy to improve their lives.”
The Global Glimpse students traveled to a dump one day with a portable blackboard to teach children there. Natasha and 16 other high school students traveled to Nicaragua for three weeks, participating in service projects and learning more about the area.
Natasha has also been trying to incorporate what she learned and saw in Nicaragua to improve life here in California.
“Everyone [was] so kind. Coming back here, I [have tried] to bring back some of that kindness and happiness, especially with my friends,” she said. “I [try] to treat people better now and just be nicer in general. Everyone there was so happy. If we can translate that more into our culture, it’ll be better for everyone.”
Looking back on the trip, Natasha labels her decision to travel to Nicaragua as an easy one, since she had already known what she wanted to do. In retrospect, she acknowledges the impact her decision has made.
“I actually made a difference in the lives of these people,” she said. “I don’t know how big or how much of an impact it’ll have, but I’ve done something.”
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....
