![“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 basketball wins second league match against Crystal Springs
Jordan Thompson (11) guards the basket during the varsity basketball team’s match against Crystal Springs.
January 14, 2016
The girls varsity basketball team beat Crystal Springs Uplands 57-9 today at 5:00 p.m. in the Blackford Gym.
This is the girls’ second league victory of the season, resulting in a total record of 11-3.
Although this was not the team’s best match, they secured their victory with effective defense and a number of steals.
Kailee Gifford (11), a new member of the team, spoke about the team’s performance tonight.
“It wasn’t our best game, but we weren’t playing our strongest opponent, so we were able to move past that and still pull out a win,” she said. “The team has come really far. We were a lot shakier in the beginning of preseason. We lost to a couple of teams that I think now we could probably beat.”
Regardless of their low field goal percentage during the game, the girls maintained a positive attitude. Coach Tomas Thompson, the new head coach of the team, shared his thoughts regarding the Eagles’ performance tonight.
“I think they played really well in the first half,” he said. “We tried to run our offense through and get ready for some other games. It’s always a tough game to play that early on, but we just wanted to give everybody a chance to play and get ready for the league season.”
In addition, he mentioned how the team’s chemistry as well as their dedication during training shined through and allowed them to win despite the challenges they faced.
“They really like each other and get along; they gel really well,” he said. “I think that’s an important part about the chemistry on the court as well as off the court. The hard work from all of the practices are really showing in the games. During the situations where it’s a close game, they respond well to [the pressure]. I think it’s all part of connecting on and off the court, given the success that we have.”
The girls now prepare to play Pacific Collegiate School on Monday at home.
Kailee Gifford (11) steals the ball during the varsity basketball team’s match against Crystal Springs.
