![“[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: Kendall Ka expresses herself through film
![“[My dad] says life is a dot. Everyone is a small speck on the earth, so you have to make your dot as prominent as possible. You have to do everything you can to impact others and yourself while you live," Kendall Ka (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/kendallka-900x593.jpg)
“[My dad] says life is a dot. Everyone is a small speck on the earth, so you have to make your dot as prominent as possible. You have to do everything you can to impact others and yourself while you live,” Kendall Ka (12) said.
January 16, 2017
As a filmmaker and a storyteller, Kendall Ka (12) finds herself constantly looking into the future.
“I can envision where I want to be in five years,” Kendall said. “I picture myself winning awards or directing huge celebrities, and that motivates me to work really hard. I know other people work really hard in film, and there are so many talented artists, but I know that if I work really hard, I can eventually be where I see myself now.”
Kendall recently started considering pursuing film after talking to Melina Nakos (‘16), who helped her envision filmmaking as a career path. Last year, she made two short films, including one called “It’s Okay.”
“It’s about a college-bound high school couple, and they’re about to go to the same college, and that’s their dream,” Kendall said. “But then, at the last minute, the guy is accepted to his dream school, which is all the way across the country, and they kind of have to decide if they want to stay together or follow their own dreams. The ending is kind of ambiguous as to which they pick.”
Kendall often starts the filmmaking process by finding inspiration through different books. She then casts her friends as actors and eventually shoots the films with equipment she buys herself.
“I kind of use really vague ideas that I get from coming-of-age books, and I write screenplays, and then I have to convince my friends to act in them,” Kendall said. “I saved up money and bought a camera and editing equipment. We spend days just filming and stuff, and then I edit by myself.”
Despite Kendall’s passion for filmmaking, she has encountered challenges throughout the process.
“There was a huge catastrophe, and all of my footage got erased,” Kendall said. “I refilmed, and that was the moment where I was like, ‘Okay, when people say that it’s not an easy path, they’re not even kidding.’”
Kendall uses film to both express herself and impact others. Ever since she was little, her dad has told her to “go big or go home.”
“[My dad] says life is a dot,” Kendall said. “Everyone is a small speck on the earth, so you have to make your dot as prominent as possible. You have to do everything you can to impact others and yourself while you live.”
Following her father’s advice, Kendall pursues film because it strengthens her impact on others.
“I think I’m a really empathetic person, so whatever my friends or family are feeling, I feel too,” Kendall said. “I want to project that onto the screen in the form of storytelling, so when people watch my films now and even in the future, I want them to really feel what I’m trying to portray on the screen.”
