![“[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)
Upper school librarian wins 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award for Best Literature Program for Teens
Lauri Vaughan, upper school campus librarian, was awarded the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards (MAE) Award for Best Literature Program for Teens by the The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Vaughan’s program, ReCreate Reading, is a program that promotes reading to all levels of the school, involving students, faculty, administration, staff, and coaches alike.
January 18, 2017
Lauri Vaughan, upper school campus librarian, was awarded the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards (MAE) Award for Best Literature Program for Teens by the The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), part of the American Library Association (ALA), in a press release on Tuesday.
The winner of the MAE Award receives a personal sum of $500 and an additional $500 grant provided by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust to the recipient’s library.
Vaughan’s program, ReCreate Reading, is a program that promotes reading to students by involving all levels of the school, including faculty, administration, and staff members. Students participate by selecting a book that is sponsored by a certain staff member before the end of the academic year. When the students return in the fall, they discuss the book they read over the summer and partake in a literary discussion headed by the advisor of the selected book.
“A program like ReCreate Reading could not happen without annual full-on participation from our faculty and staff. The commitment by the adults in our community sends a powerful, genuinely enthusiastic message about the infectious thrill of reading,” Vaughan told ALA after being informed of her win. “On behalf of Harker’s voracious readers, I am honored to accept this award.”
YALSA has worked for over 50 years in strengthening libraries for the empowerment of teenagers around the country, to learn more visit www.ala.org/yalsa.
