![“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)
New ASB officers reflect on upcoming school year, extracurriculars and family
Harker Aquila sat down with next year’s ASB officers and discussed distinct features about themselves that help shape their techniques of interacting with the student body as leaders as well as their goals for what student council should achieve in the coming year.
Junior Eddie Shiang, elected for next year’s ASB Vice President, is no stranger to the public eye. An avid singer and dancer, Eddie’s participation in Downbeat, the high school’s premier show choir group, has allowed him to form close relationships with upperclassmen, shaping his goals for enhancing next year’s student body experience.
“I definitely had some seniors who were mentors to me for my extracurricular activities as well as academics,” Eddie said. “I feel like the senior goodbye was a fitting way to pay tribute to them and it was just a really nice assembly that was fun for everyone so I thought it would be great to bring it back.”
Having been class president for all three years of high school, Sandip Nirmel (11) is well-versed in the skills required to be ASB president for the 2016-2017 school year. In particular, Sandip thrives in planning and even enjoys creating innovative organizing techniques.
“I’m super organized to the point that it’s kind of freaky how organized I am,” Sandip said. “I have these elaborate calendars and reminder systems. I figure out really creative ways to make myself remember stuff. I think it’s almost like OCD. I feel like I really need to know what’s happening.”
Incumbent ASB treasurer Ray Song (11) returns for a second year on ASB council. With a year of prior experience, Ray has set his goals for next year come directly from what he has seen participating in this year’s council.
“I guess for treasurer it’s more on the executive end, so I will make sure first of all you’ll accomplish all your tasks really well, and I will improve the communication between ASB and the administration, and between the ASB and the student body,” said Ray.
In addition, Ray’s four-year-old sister has affected how he interacts with the rest of the student body.
“Because my sister is still in China, I have so much care that I want to instill in my sister, but I can’t, so I transform that care into other people around me.”
Alexander Lam’s (11) experience with public speaking does not stop at making speeches in front of his class during voting season or the weekly announcements at class meetings. Aside from being junior class secretary, Alexander is an active participant in the speech and debate program at Harker.
“I’m an avid debater, and I’ve spent a lot of my high school career on the national circuit, so that’s definitely one of our largest passions,” Alex said. “I think my experience in debate has made me more articulate, so I can more clearly express my ideas to the administration and has helped me communicate better.”
Eleanor Xiao is a junior and Co-Student Life Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Eleanor's third year on staff. In her free time, Eleanor enjoys dancing,...