![“[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: Taylor Iantosca develops a liking for rowing
“I always think that being underwater is the closest thing you could ever get to being on the moon just because everything is so quiet, and you actually have that zero gravity feeling, and it’s really cool. It is like another world, and it has its own culture, too,” Taylor Iantosca (12) said.
October 26, 2016
3:30 a.m. wake-up call, three times a week. Before sunrise, Taylor Iantosca (12) has driven the 20 minutes to Palo Alto and is already out on the water, squeezing in a rowing practice before school.
“Most clubs either practice late at night or early in the morning, so the water’s pretty smooth,” Taylor said. “I go to Palo Alto, and I row for two hours, and then I come to school. After school, if I’m not in volleyball, then I go back and I work out at the gym, and I do the erg machines.”
Growing up in Florida, Taylor found her passions closest to water.
“My past environment led me to figure out what I actually prioritize in life, and to go after it despite what other people say,” Taylor said. “School in Florida was pretty bad. I wasn’t happy, and I feel like I wasn’t doing as well as I thought I could, both academics and lifewise, because nobody was really supportive of what I wanted.”
She heavily influenced her family’s decision to move to California.
“I kind of made the executive decision to have our family relocate to an area that was okay and where people accepted me for who I was and what I wanted to do and supported me through that process,” Taylor said.
Despite undergoing hardships in Florida, it was there that Taylor discovered her love of rowing. The move to California before high school brought legions of other commitments, but she still found time to go to the gym to row indoors.
Starting this year, she began water practice for the first time. Taylor’s teammate Ellen Minkin (11) carpools with her to morning practices.
“It’s great because our little boat is our own little team, and we work together, and it’s great that all of us make something so fast and so great,” Ellen said. “Even though we just started recently, she’s been a really fast learner and she’s been improving and helping everyone adjust to the sport.”
Taylor’s hours of commitment paid off in September, when she was recruited by UC San Diego for rowing.
“It’s a great feeling,” Taylor said. “There’s just so much stress that’s lifted. You have a really solid school in the bag now, and it’s just so great not to have to fill out so many apps anymore.”
Other than rowing, Taylor enjoys other water activities such as diving. She has gone diving in places such as Hawaii and the Caribbean and plans to go to Mexico.
“I always think that being underwater is the closest thing you could ever get to being on the moon just because everything is so quiet, and you actually have that zero gravity feeling, and it’s really cool,” Taylor said. “It is like another world, and it has its own culture, too.”
Taylor appreciates the atmosphere of the sport beyond just the physical experience.
“When you’re out in the water, and you’re in a boat with four or eight people, you’re just rowing for the fun of it,” Taylor said. “On top of that, you see seals and stuff, and you see the sun rise, and everything’s so perfect and it’s sublime in that one moment. The world is actually really perfect at that time.”
