![“[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)
Appreciation is the best path forward
May 5, 2016
The forecasted sunny, warm day turned stormy and gray after I misplaced my English essay and realized that I had forgotten to complete my physics homework the night before.
Dinnertime was quiet that night. I was attempting to tune out my parents’ questions about my day.
To me, silence was better than telling them that I’d bombed my math test, that someone had spilled food on my new sweater and that I’d tripped over a backpack in front of Dobbins.
It wasn’t until my mother dabbed at her eyes with a napkin and slammed the door to her bedroom that I realized how much I had hurt her by not responding.
We take the time every day to care for ourselves. What am I wearing? How do I look? Who should I hang out with? As a result, we easily forget how our actions affect others, focusing on our own needs and interests instead.
When we fail to consider others, we weaken our relationships with the people in our lives.
As students, appreciation is the reason why some of us thank the kitchen staff for providing us with food every day; the librarians for helping us find books and research materials; and our teachers for their dedication to educating others.
When we attempt to show our appreciation, we often encounter the problem of finding the most appropriate way to do so. I typically show my appreciation by talking to other people about their concerns.
Our appreciation may not get recognition immediately, but the best way to show others we care is to simply keep trying. Ultimately, appreciation and patience go hand-in-hand.
Appreciating those who care about our well-being helps us understand the importance of each person in our lives.
Who helped you out with math homework? Did anyone make you smile recently?
By learning to recognize the little ways in which people express their concern for us, we begin to understand how we can appreciate them as well.
Personally, after that night, I understood that communication serves as appreciation in my family. And appreciation has turned a quiet, tense part of the day into a time for us to eat, talk and laugh together.
