![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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: James He problem-solves using computer science
![“Using programming, I can tell [computers] what to do with their ridiculous brain power. Part of why I enjoy computer science is because of those moments where I go, ‘Oh man, I figured out the answer!’ whenever I solve whatever problem I’ve been trying to solve. There’s that little epiphany I get, and I think that’s the best feeling,” James He (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-12-at-10.16.42-PM-900x587.png)
“Using programming, I can tell [computers] what to do with their ridiculous brain power. Part of why I enjoy computer science is because of those moments where I go, ‘Oh man, I figured out the answer!’ whenever I solve whatever problem I’ve been trying to solve. There’s that little epiphany I get, and I think that’s the best feeling,” James He (12) said.
January 12, 2017
For James He (12), computer science is a passion, a hobby, and a way to connect with others.
“There’s that atmosphere you get when people are working together on this one problem,” he said. “Part of why I enjoy computer science is because of those moments where I go, ‘Oh man, I figured out the answer!’ whenever I solve whatever problem I’ve been trying to solve. There’s that little epiphany I get, and I think that’s the best feeling.”
James first began to develop an interest in computer science when he took several computer science electives in middle school.
“I think the Harker faculty as a whole does a really good job of helping and teaching students,” he said. “That’s sort of what encouraged me to continue with computer science.
In his sophomore year, James took Computer Architecture, a course he still considers one of his favorites.
“In the last lab, we had to basically build a tiny computer. I had some trouble trying to figure out what goes where and if I was missing any pieces, but I eventually worked it out,” he said. “That was pretty memorable for me, and that course was just a cool experience in general.”
James is an active member of the Robotics Club, in which he works in the operations side and participates in many of the competitions.
“The first time I went on a robotics trip, I honestly didn’t expect it to be as fun as it was. I thought, ‘Oh, we’re just going to work on a robot all day and get no sleep,’ but it turned out to be a great experience,” James said. “I never thought I’d enjoy robotics as much as I do, but once I joined, I realized it was actually a lot of fun.”
James’s close friends are also major influences on his participation in robotics and exploration of computer science.
“One of my friends joined the Robotics Club, and I just followed suit,” he said. “Now, I think robotics has become important to me, and I spend most of my free time either in Dr. Nelson’s room, or in Manzanita with my friends who are also in robotics.”
James will continue working in computer science and plans to major in it in college.
“Using programming, I can tell [computers] what to do with their ridiculous brain power. Computer science is something that’s very useful, and that I enjoy a lot,” James said.
