![“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)
Students participate in Arrive Alive Tour
Senior Shilpa Repakula waits for the simulation to begin. Students were to complete a text message while maintaining control of the car and driving at the speed limit.
November 18, 2015
Upper school students participated in the Arrive Alive Tour program organized by UNITE, a health and wellness organization, on Wednesday.
For the past 10 years, the Arrive Alive Tour has strived to teach teenagers the hazards of driving while drinking or texting.
“Getting a hands on experience behind the wheel of a real car and being able to see each other driving in these situations is a huge eye-opener for anybody of any age,” Patrick Sheehy, team leader of the Arrive Alive Tour, said.
Students took part in a simulation in which they wore virtual reality goggles that mimicked a driving environment. The goggles imitated the effects of being drunk, limiting depth perception and peripheral vision of the user.
“I think having a real car made it seem more realistic because digital vehicles don’t really feel the same,” Raghav Jain (12) said. “Also, having the goggles made it seem like we were really on the road, because instead of using a controller to view different parts of the road, we were able to move our heads just as we do when driving.”
The Arrive Alive Tour’s simulation helped many students notice the risks of irresponsible driving.
“It’s really evident that drinking while driving and texting while driving is really dangerous,” junior Andrew Gu said. “From a personal experience, it wasn’t that potent because I didn’t understand how to drive to begin with. But definitely, I feel like for people who do know how to drive, it was a really good way to send a message.”
After completing the simulation, students were given a card and a “Distracted Driving Simulation” sheet. The card contained a QR code leading to the Arrive Alive app. The app allows users to call for a safe ride, preventing impaired driving. The sheet showed what infractions were made during the simulations.
Students can apply for parking spaces for the 2016-2017 school year towards the end of second semester.
