![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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 girls golf defeats Mercy Burlingame on senior night
Vanessa Tyagi (10), Ashley Zhong (12), Daphne Liang (12), and Vienna Wang (11) laugh recalling the seniors’ funny moments of the season. The team had their senior night game on Monday against Mercy High School Burlingame.
The varsity girls golf team won its senior night game 194-254 against Mercy High School Burlingame on Monday at the Los Lagos Golf Course.
The team honored seniors and team captains Daphne Liang, who scored a 38, and Ashley Zhong, who scored 41, after the final holes. The victory moved the girls golf program to 6-3, second place in the West Bay Athletics League (WBAL) standings.
After the game ended and the scores were tallied, head coach Ie-Chen Cheng gave a speech appreciating the seniors’ effort and commitment to golf since freshman year.
“I commend you both,” Cheng said to the seniors. “I cannot say enough [about] these two girls, and the time and the sweat and the tears. It has not been easy. I’ve been very demanding of them, and they came out like champions.”
Both captains finished off the game below par on the last hole, leading to cheers from the crowd. More than 35 friends and family members came to support the team, and many friends brought posters demonstrating their congratulations.
Vanessa Tyagi (10) holds up a sign celebrating the girl’s golf team’s seniors. The team had their senior night game on Monday against Mercy High School Burlingame.
The seniors were honored just after the ninth and final hole. Following the end of the match, Ashley spoke about how golf has changed her since freshman year.
“When I started high school, I didn’t even think about being on the [golf] team,” Ashley said. “But ever since I started, I fell in love with the sport.”
Daphne, co-captain since junior year and All-League golfer all four years, elaborated on her golf experience at the Upper School.
“I’ve played since freshman year, so it’s a been a pretty big part of my high school career,” Daphne said, following the celebration.
Cheng also spoke about each captain’s improvement and importance to the golf program, which grew from just five players to 17 within four years.
“What we’re really proud of is to take kids in who’ve never golfed and turn them into potential collegiate athletes is amazing,” Cheng said. “That’s more rewarding to me to see than anything. Their development and their commitment. That’s why I say Ashley’s such a shining example, and Daphne too.”
The girls will play against league-leading Castilleja School on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Palo Alto Hills Country Club.
Aditya Varshney (12) is the opinion editor of Harker Aquila and the Winged Post. This is his second year on staff. During his junior year, he occupied...
Adrian Chu (12) is a columnist for the Winged Post and Aquila. He has served as an Opinion Editor for The Winged Post. This is his fourth year in journalism,...