![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Kate Chow ranks first with USA Synchro Team at synchronized swimming championships
Courtesy of Kate Chow
Kate Chow (11) performs a backflip into the depths of the swimming pool. The team placed first at the Union Americana de Natación (UANA) Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championship in Puerto Rico from Sept. 1 to 4.
October 9, 2016
The national anthem played in the background as Kate Chow (11) and other members of the USA Synchro Team stood at the podium to receive their medals at the awards ceremony.
The team placed first at the Union Americana de Natación (UANA) Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championship in Puerto Rico from Sept. 1 to 4.
During the competition in Puerto Rico, Kate’s team performed their routine twice, once in the preliminary round and once in the final round. The team ranked first in the 13-15 age group division.
“It was amazing, and the podium is really cool because you’re at the top,” Kate said.
Kate and two other members from her club, the Santa Clara Aquamaids, were selected to be part of the USA Synchro National Team 2 in the 13-15 division. The team trained for eight hours a day for six weeks throughout the summer. Each day, the girls spent seven hours practicing in the water and an hour on land. The team performed a routine called “Magic.”
“Before we swam each time, we would always go in a circle and breathe together because when we swim the routine we get really tired, so breathing was our thing,” Kate said about her team’s pre-competition rituals.
Kate Chow (11) and her team stands behind the American Flag after having finished first at the Union Americana de Natación (UANA) Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championship in Puerto Rico from Sept. 1 to 4.
Kate participated in gymnastics and swimming and the dance program at Harker before joining synchronized swimming at nine years old. She currently swims competitively with the Santa Clara Aquamaids.
“She’s super dedicated; she’s there more than she sleeps,” Taylor Kohlmann (11) said.
Kate described her most memorable moment from the competition.
“Meeting the people there, because they were all from different places, [was memorable],” Kate said. “[Our club members] learned a lot about working with other people that you haven’t for years and years and also competing.”
