![“[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: Jonathan Schwartz takes time to wind down
![“[I started playing volleyball] in sixth grade. My brother was playing volleyball, and my mom also played volleyball when she was in high school. I like the teamwork aspect of it and the fact that it’s not a one-person sport but requires the cooperation of everyone," Jonathan Schwartz (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-02-at-9.02.58-PM.png)
“[I started playing volleyball] in sixth grade. My brother was playing volleyball, and my mom also played volleyball when she was in high school. I like the teamwork aspect of it and the fact that it’s not a one-person sport but requires the cooperation of everyone,” Jonathan Schwartz (12) said.
January 2, 2017
Jonathan Schwartz cherishes the time he spends relaxing with his dogs in his backyard.
“[My dogs] are always happy to see me, so they’re always a source of brightness in my life,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan’s family plays a major role in his life. He feels as if the person who inspires him the most is his mother.
“[My mother has] raised me all my life, so it’s impacted me and shown me that I always have someone to fall back on,” Jonathan said.
His family also aided him in his volleyball career, as multiple family members introduced him to the sport.
“[I started playing volleyball] in sixth grade,” Jonathan said. “My brother was playing volleyball, and my mom also played volleyball when she was in high school. I like the teamwork aspect of it and the fact that it’s not a one-person sport but requires the cooperation of everyone.”
In addition to volleyball, Jonathan also exercises. He uses both volleyball and exercise as outlets for his stress and frustration.
Jonathan’s stepfather also plays a major part in his life, from helping him build a computer to teaching him other important skills.
“The most useful skills [he’s taught me] are how to change the tires on my car, how to change the brakes on my car and how to replace the fluids in my car, like transmissions fluids and oil,” Jonathan said.
The computer he built alongside his stepfather helped him clarify what he wanted to do in the future.
“[The most important object to me is] the computer I built myself because I talked a lot with my stepfather, who helped me pick out parts,” Jonathan said. “He helped me get an interview with someone at his work, so it helped define what I want to do in the future with video game design, and it really kind of helped solidify my passion.”
He highly values his friends in addition to his family.
“[Ryan Vaughn (12)] is my best friend,” Jonathan said. “We both are Harker lifers, so it’s kind of been a journey through school with him. He taught me just to be myself and that school isn’t necessarily the most important thing in life.”
