![“[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)
Girls golf loses to Castilleja on senior night
Coach Ie-Cheng hugs Alexis Gauba (12) in the ceremony after the game. The girls honored their captains on their senior night in a 199-201 loss against the Castileja School.
October 24, 2016
Varsity girls golf lost its senior night game 199-201, in a close match against Castilleja School at the Los Lagos Golf Course on Wednesday.
Despite the outcome of the competition, the team celebrated and honored its senior players, co-team captains Vienna Wang and Alexis Gauba. The team now has a record of 9 wins and 3 losses and enters the West Bay Athletics League (WBAL) qualifying matches next week in third place.
Friends, families and teammates congregated at the end of the ninth hole to watch the seniors putt on the final green of the course. As the two seniors finished their rounds, the crowd received them with applause to support the honored athletes. Supportive teammates also created posters for their two captains as a show of creativity and friendship.
Alexis Gauba (12) described the role of golf in her high school experience and the relationships she formed as a member of the team.
“Golf has been a large part of my high school experience these past four years. I’ve made so many lasting friendships through the sport and I’ve had a wonderful time,” she said. “Coach has been so supportive these past four years and has really put in a lot to make sure we succeed. She’s been more than just a coach to me, but also a wonderful mentor. I’m so proud to have been a part of this team and I am so excited to see everything they will accomplish in the future.”
After the scores were tallied and the last of the players had finished their rounds, head coach Ie-Chen Cheng led the players to the Los Lagos clubhouse, where she gave a speech to honors the seniors as players and people, noting their contributions to the team, honoring their unique talents and recounting humorous stories.
Despite playing golf longer than both seniors, Katherine Zhu (11) described what each captain taught her through the years.
“Alexis’s positive attitude teaches me to always look on the bright side and to never lose hope. She always has a smile on her face no matter what she’s doing,” she said. “Vienna inspires me to never give up and to always try my best. Whether we’re on the course or off, I always see her doing whatever she can to achieve her goals.”
Following the speeches, friends, family and players enjoyed brownies while socializing and taking pictures with the seniors.
After the match, Vienna described her experience at senior night and her years as a member of the Harker golf team.
“Senior night was so fun. I’m a super emotional person, so it was hard to process that it was my last Harker golf match ever. I’m so grateful for my teammates, as they made it so special for me,” she said. “If it weren’t for [Coach Cheng] reaching out to me, I [probably] wouldn’t be playing golf at all. I fell in love with the sport, but mostly with the team.”
The girls head into their qualifying matches for the league championship next week, playing all of the teams in the league to determine who advances into the finals.
