![“[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: Trisha Dwivedi values family
“I’m an only child, and in both my mom’s side and dad’s side, I’m the first child to be born in the U.S. and grow up here. I feel like my parents have given me this opportunity that no one else in my family has had, so it’s my responsibility to take what I’ve been given and work harder and accomplish more than what my parents have,” Trisha Dwivedi (12) said.
November 5, 2016
Every day, Trisha Dwivedi (12) wears earrings and a necklace from her parents, a turquoise beaded bracelet from her uncle and two rings from her grandmothers. Each with a different significance, these accessories remind her of her extended family.
The second-youngest of 18 cousins on her father’s side, Trisha has six nieces and nephews, as well as six aunts and uncles. She is particularly close with her six-year-old niece, whose low blood platelet count prevents her from engaging in certain activities.
“I FaceTime her every weekend, and my cousin messages me after like ‘oh my gosh she gets so happy and excited to talk to you; you really make her forget that she has to go into the doctor every week,’ so that’s taught me [to cherish] those small moments and just reach out to all your family members,” Trisha said.
She is also close with her one-year-old nephew, who lives near San Francisco.
“I’m always really motivated whenever I meet him to be the best aunt for him and teach him all these things,” she said. “I just feel like the way I’ve had so many cousins to impact me when I was growing up- I want be that same figure for my nephew.”
Even Trisha’s love of watching sports comes from her cousins’ influence. This year, she and her father attended the Super Bowl 50 and the NBA Finals. Currently, she is coupling her interest in sports teams and her lifelong passion for art in her AP Studio Art concentration.
“My concentration this year is going to be taking the 12 team members of the [Golden State] Warriors and depicting each one of their stories and paths, and how they’ve gotten to become an athlete as they are now,” she said.
Out of all of her jewelry, the rings Trisha wears on both hands hold particular significance. Her grandmother on her father’s side, who lives in India, gave her the one she wears on her left hand.
“I’m the only one out of her grandchildren who has her last name, so she always talks to me and has a lot of faith in me,” Trisha said.
On her right hand, she wears a ring gifted to her by her late grandmother on her mother’s side.
“It’s an exact replica of her ring, and she gave it to me few months before she passed away, so it’s kind of like the last time I interacted with her,” she said. “It just means a lot to me, so I wear that every day.”
