![“[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)
Humans of Harker: Tamlyn Doll uses acting to channel her emotions
“When we do dramatic exercises in acting, there are moments where all my friends and I literally just sit in a circle and cry together. It’s absolutely amazing, the way we all have power and control over our emotions and how we can make ourselves feel a certain way. I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” Tamlyn Doll said.
December 1, 2016
Around campus, Tamlyn Doll’s (12) name is usually mentioned in conjunction with dance. It’s been seven years since she took her first dance class in fifth grade, and she has dedicated thousands of hours in the studio since then.
“Tamlyn’s like the nicest human I’ve ever met. She’s always so polite and friendly to people she meets,” said Charley Huang (10). But the closer you get to her, the more you learn and she really opens up about herself. I’ve just never met someone so sympathetic and understanding as Tamlyn and I’m really glad to be part of the dance community with her.”
Lately, she’s delved into another performing arts passion: acting. The summer before her junior year, Tamlyn attended a performing arts camp and joined an acting program soon after. With the help of her acting coach, she grew to be more confident talking to people and performing on stage.
“When we do dramatic exercises in acting, there are moments where all my friends and I literally just sit in a circle and cry together,” Tamlyn said. “It’s absolutely amazing, the way we all have power and control over our emotions and how we can make ourselves feel a certain way. I think it’s absolutely beautiful.”
Through acting, Tamlyn better understands her emotions and has matured as a person.
“[Acting] has definitely made me look at emotions a different way. I think emotions are something people suppress because they want to feel happy most of the time,” Tamlyn said. “Through acting and embodying all of these different feelings, I’ve grown to realize how much of a gift emotions are.”
Development through acting has lead a change in Tamlyn, as she now has the confidence to speak her opinion and also make new friends. With these changes she’s introduced herself to a lot of new people she has met through acting.
“I’ve realized that changing isn’t a bad thing. I’ve had friendships that have drifted apart in time, but it’s all part of the flow. I’ve changed so much and i kind of like it,” Tamlyn said. “I’m not the same person, but I still have most of the same values even though some of my opinions have changed. A lot of people see change as a scary thing, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.”
