![“[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: Shivani Awasthi delves into novels
“You know how people like watch movies and TV, and they say they’re addicted and can’t stop? It’s like that when you pick up a good book. You want to see what happens at the end of it… Honestly, it’s so bad; if I find a good book, I will stay up until 3 a.m. I’m just as good at binging books as I am binge watching Netflix. You’re so invested emotionally in the characters, and the story, and what’s going to happen, and it’s fascinating,” Shivani Awasthi (12) said.
January 4, 2017
Shivani Awasthi (12) learned to read much later than other children of her age group. But once she started, she couldn’t stop.
“You know how people like watch movies and TV, and they say they’re addicted and can’t stop?” she said. “It’s like that when you pick up a good book. You want to see what happens at the end of it.”
Inspired by the books she read, Shivani took her hobby to another level in fourth grade when she attempted to write a novel herself.
“It was a mess. One of my friends dug it up and posted it on my wall for my birthday, and it’s legitimately the worst things I’ve ever read,” Shivani said. “I’ve thought about [writing], especially when you read a bad book and you’re like, ‘I could write a book better than this.’ Maybe one day.”
Although Shivani’s brother did not read at first, Shivani introduced reading to him as a pastime.
“Basically, the first time, she had to force me to read one of the books that she liked, and she helped me find a genre that I liked,” her brother said. “She forced me to sit down and read, and that’s how I found the Harry Potter Series. Now, it’s one of my favorite books.”
Although the workload of high school has reduced time time she spends reading for leisure, she catches up during school breaks. She spends most summers in New Delhi with her family, exchanging and borrowing books from her cousins. She estimates that she reads anywhere from thirty-five to forty books each summer.
“My grandma’s dad was this huge author in India, and he won this really important award; he’s super literate,” she said, “[My grandma] studied English in college, too. My mom has always been a bookworm. In New Delhi, we go to the same bookshop she went to when she was a little kid, and the guy knows her by name. He gives us a discount because he used to give my mom a discount.”
Shivani continues to delve into novels throughout her high school career.
“Honestly, it’s so bad; if I find a good book, I will stay up until 3 a.m. I’m just as good at binging books as I am binge watching Netflix,” she said. “You’re so invested emotionally in the characters, and the story, and what’s going to happen, and it’s fascinating.”
