![“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 soccer loses home game against Castilleja on senior night
The varsity girls soccer team huddles around Layla before their senior night game. They lost to Castilleja 0-4.
February 4, 2016
The varsity girls soccer team lost their senior night home game to Castilleja Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m on Davis Field.
During the first half of the game, despite a close match, Castilleja was able to score a goal against the Eagles. However, during the second half, the opponents were able to pull the gap farther apart by scoring three more goals, bringing the game to a close with a final score of 4-0, Castilleja in the lead.
Every year, in preparation for senior night, the team will prepare a soccer ball, a poster and a shirt, which are all signed by everyone on the team. The only senior on the team this year, Layla Walker was given bouquets of flowers and candies and colorful, decorated posters.
“We went out there and everyone put in a really good effort, unfortunately we weren’t able to win but it felt really awesome because I felt like everyone on the team was supporting me,” she said. “It was probably one of the best moments I’ve ever had because I felt so loved and appreciated and it’s really cool to have the feeling of an entire team surrounding you.”
Anuva Mittal (11), team co-captain, reflected on the team’s performance this season as a whole, as well as the team’s wishes for Layla going forward.
“Over the season, each and every person has improved their physical soccer abilities and kept a positive mindset throughout the entire season. This season was definitely challenging mentally, so I’m proud of everyone for keeping a positive attitude and treating each game as a new opportunity to improve,” she said. “Even though this was Layla’s first year playing high school soccer, she brought tremendous leadership and was a great role model, and I speak for everyone on the team when I say that she will be missed.”
Varsity girls currently stand 0-4 in league, 0-8-1 overall.
The team will compete against Notre Dame in their next away game today Feb. 4 at 4 p.m.
