![“[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)
On September 23, the Chinese KCSF Channel 8 interviewed senior Evan Yao for being one of three recipients of a $100 scholarship from the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association.
Evan attained an application for the scholarship through his parents’ membership in the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association. The monetary reward aside, Evan valued the “recognition” that the scholarship has brought him.
“I feel very privileged and honored to have been picked,” said Evan.
The application was much like that of a college application. It comprised of a 300-word essay, an activities resume, and a list of personal achievements. Evan wrote about his summer bioengineering internship at Stanford University and his participation in Quiz Bowl.
Evan, Mission San Jose High School senior Andrew Han, and Aragon High School senior Rebecca Hu were interviewed on KCSF about their view on being Asian-American teenagers in America.
The trio talked about how they had attained their “success” including discussions on work ethics and their future ambitions.
Meeting Andrew and Rebecca gave Evan “perspective.”
“I just realized how similar our mentalities were for studying, for time management, and the various aspects of high school. Really, a common thread between all of us is that we realized that time is very precious and we have to maximize it. [Rebecca and Andrew are] really talented and they take whatever they do very seriously. It [was] good being next to these ambitious people and seeing what they’ve accomplished,” reflected Evan.
Andrew designed an iPhone application for the Fremont Unified School District in order to facilitate access to the website. Rebecca recorded the “Yellow River Piano Concerto” by Xian Xinghai with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra.
“I really respect [Rebecca and Andrew]. As public school [students], they may not necessarily have all the resources that [a private school has]. It’s clear that their accomplishments are a product of their personal ambition,” Evan said.
