![“[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: Norman Garcia develops a liking for sports and music
“Work hard, and it’ll pay off. I say that to myself every day, because it’s going to be worth it, although it can be hard at the beginning. When I first started coming to Harker, it was very difficult, because public school and private school are completely different. Everything is different. It was hard for me; it was a really rough transition. But I transitioned very well, and I worked hard every day, and I didn’t give up. There was one point where I almost did give up, but I told myself, ‘hard work pays off, hard work pays off.’ And I did it, and I got through it, and I’m almost graduating,” Norman Garcia (12) said.
October 11, 2016
Norman Garcia loves sports and music, but it’s his golden necklace that connects him most to the past.
“I love history. It’s just my passion. Ever since second grade I’ve loved it,” Norman said. “My uncle gave [my necklace] to me, and he’s had this necklace since he was, like, 15 years old, so it’s really meaningful to me because he’s been through a lot. He was in the war when Nicaragua was in civil war, and he had this.”
Norman’s other two passions intersect when he listens to music before sports events—he plays football and runs track—to get in the “zone.”
“I listen to mainly rap and heavy metal, and I love rap. I listen to a lot of Future before games,” Norman said. “[For track,] I take a different approach to it and just listen to some ocean music to relax myself, and then a couple minutes before my race I listen to some Future to pump myself up a bit.”
Norman also approaches the world with open arms. His sociability and enthusiasm for teamwork have taken form with his football experience.
“I love working with a team, and that’s mainly why I joined football, because just having that brotherhood experience or that team experience is just great, something that you can’t really experience if you don’t know how it is,” Norman said. “You get to rely on other people if you need help, or they can rely on you if they need help.”
Will Park (12), also a member of the varsity football team, describes Norman as a good friend who’s “always there to lift me up.”
“He’s my best friend. Norman’s a really reliable and trustworthy type of person,” Will said. “I can always go to Norman if I have an issue or something. He’s always been by my side, and he’s always been really caring and kind. He’s always open to others too. I can always rely on Norman if my day’s going bad.”
Norman’s life motto is “hard work pays off,” and he plans to find a job in his field of study after graduating from college.
“My dad motivates me a lot because my dad’s a single parent. He raised me ever since I was born, and I’ve only had a couple people in my family for me,” Norman said. “I want to make him proud for all the hard work he’s done. I want him to feel like all the hard work he did will pay off with me.”
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on October 11, 2016.
