![“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)
Did you know: Davis Howard (11) becomes fourth wrestler to make league finals in Harker history
Davis Howard (11) stays alert as he attempts to find a way to attack the opponent. Davis placed 5th in his weight class at the Jim Root tournament at Prospect.
February 25, 2016
On Feb. 13, the day of the league tournament, Davis Howard (11) became the fourth wrestler to make the league finals in Harker history entering in second place.
After making history and getting this far in league, he described the importance of his techniques and teammates.
While waiting between matches at tournaments, Davis enjoys conversing with his team about wrestling and the matchups for the upcoming competition. He describes this time as one of the best moments he has with his teammates.
“Dolan’s first win of the season [was one of the best moments I’ve had with my team],” said. “We were all sitting on the sideline, cheering him on. Once he finally won, we all stood up and screamed.
“I started wrestling in sixth grade because I didn’t like basketball, and I couldn’t do basketball, so I looked for other sports at Harker, and I saw there was wrestling,” he said.
Davis takes wrestling seriously and made sure that his team does so as well. Team captain Anthony Contreras (10) described Davis as a father who looks after the team.
“He makes sure that we’re at practice on time,” he said. “He makes sure that we do everything correctly and that we don’t fool around.”
For Davis, the mental aspect of wrestling was the most challenging task to overcome.
“I know it’s bad, but I always doubt myself before my matches,” he said. “I always think of the worst possible outcome.”
In spite of this, Davis has continued to improve and he hopes to expand on his ability to attack the opponent.
“In wrestling I’d like to improve on my standing,” he said. “In wrestling there are three positions: top, bottom, standing, and I think I need to work on my offense.”
After competing in several dual meets and tournaments, Davis participated in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League for wrestling.
During the offseason, Davis plans to keep wrestling in order to improve his mental toughness and modify his technique.
“I fine-tune whatever I learn in season offseason,” he said. “I hope that will help me become more confident in what I do.”
