![“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)
![“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)
![“[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)
![“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 wasn't 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)
Humans of Harker: Venkat Sankar hikes to surround himself with nature
![“Often times, humans try to isolate themselves from nature. People want to sit in their house next to a computer a lot of the time, and I feel like in a way it's those moments [in nature] that remind you that nature can be infinitely interesting. It can be something that's like a life long journey," Venkat Sankar (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DSC_3837-596x900.jpg)
“Often times, humans try to isolate themselves from nature. People want to sit in their house next to a computer a lot of the time, and I feel like in a way it’s those moments [in nature] that remind you that nature can be infinitely interesting. It can be something that’s like a life long journey,” Venkat Sankar (12) said.
October 14, 2016
Immersed in nature’s serenity, Venkat Sankar (12) relishes the feeling of independence when out on a hiking trail by himself. Surrounded by nothing but wildlife and the outdoors, he frequently takes pleasure in spotting bobcats, coyotes, grey foxes, elk, bald eagles and other small mammals.
“I’ve always liked the idea of being in nature, walking around,” he said. “I enjoy going hiking in places where I can see a lot of wildlife, so I like going to Henry Coe State Park for example because it’s kind of peaceful. You can go really far away from civilization and see all kinds of animals.”
His pastime of hiking stemmed from a young age ever since his family moved near a country park, allowing him to spend more time in nature and explore his fascination in different species of wildlife.
“I remember one time several years ago when I was maybe like 10 or something, I was hiking up by my house, and I was all alone, no one else was there, and I saw a coyote and two pups,” he said. “They were walking right up to me. I stayed totally quiet and just froze and just kneeled down, and they walked right up, maybe 20 feet away.”
In a pursuit to learn more about mammals, he traveled to Mexico where he roamed the land with a researcher from another country, despite the language barrier.
“I feel like there are certains things that can connect you even beyond a gap like a language barrier, and I feel like one of those things is an interest in nature and an interest in wildlife,” he said. “I feel like in the end, [the researcher and I] became friends even though the language barrier was there. Both of us connected with each other well. My parents connected with him really well too because we all enjoy nature, we all enjoy wildlife.”
Sankar views hiking not as a form of exercise but more as an outlet for relaxation and a chance to experience nature.
“Often times, humans try to isolate themselves from nature. People want to sit in their house next to a computer a lot of the time, and I feel like in a way it’s those moments [in nature] that remind you that nature can be infinitely interesting. It can be something that’s like a life long journey.”
Mason • Sep 20, 2018 at 9:16 am
Interesting story