![“[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)
Sophomores attend first Eagle Buddies event of school year
Sophomores Elizabeth Yang, Viveka Saraiya, Annabelle Perng and Erana Wan eat lunch and talk with their Eagle Buddies. The first sophomore Eagle Buddy event of the year took place on Thursday.
October 7, 2016
Sophomores met with their Eagle Buddies for the first time on Oct. 6 at the Lower School for a group lunch and an afternoon of icebreakers activities.
Students received their Eagle Buddy pairs during advisory earlier this week. Freshmen and juniors who did not participate in Eagle Buddies attended a LIFE assembly on Thursday instead.
Students travelled to the Bucknall campus after seventh period and returned before sixth, spending about two hours with their Eagle Buddies during their first meeting.
“I think it was a really fun experience,” Sonal Muthal (10) said. “My buddy was super cute, and she did all the same things as me. She wasn’t talking at first but then she started talking a lot, and we hula-hooped.”
The sophomore class wore to the event their white Eagle Buddies t-shirts they received the previous day. Later, students engaged in various activities, such as making friendship bracelets, playing on the playground structure and participating in various games. Others spent the afternoon with their Eagle Buddies on the field playing soccer and tag.
“[The best moment] was probably the time when we were playing knockout together and how the third graders managed to beat us,” Sukrit Ganesh (10) said. “[They] were definitely really good.”
Eagle Buddies events are typically held two to three times per year for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The purpose of this program is to connect upper school students with lower school students, allowing older kids to guide the younger ones and serve as a role model.
“I think [Eagle Buddies] gives [students] perspective of how their journey has taken them where they are, especially for those kids who used to be at the Lower School,” upper school chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine said. “It also builds community. It helps the kids see where they’re coming from, and the upper school kids realize that there’s more to this place than the Upper School.”
Seniors also welcomed their fifth grade Eagle Buddies to the Upper School on Thursday, and the junior class will meet with their fourth grade buddies at the next event.
