![“[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)
Seniors named finalists in Regeneron Science Talent Search
The three Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists from Harker, all seniors. From left to right: Manan Shah, Evani Radiya-Dixit, and Arjun Subramaniam.
January 31, 2017
Seniors Evani Radiya-Dixit, Manan Shah and Arjun Subramaniam were recognized as three of 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search this past Tuesday, representing the most number of finalists from any one school in the country.
The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. in mid-March with 37 other finalists from across the nation. During the competition, students will compete for first, second and third place awards as part of the 75th anniversary of the Intel Science Talent Search event.
“It’s not as much about where it is, but it’s about meeting the other finalists, seeing the research that they’ve conducted and the insights that they have,” Arjun said. “I think it’s a diverse group of people that I can learn from.”
The Society for Science & the Public, which first named 300 students as scholars, selected the finalists based on the potential and innovation of their individual research ventures. Participants undertook various types of STEM-related projects, ranging from machine learning to DNA analysis.
“I was extremely thrilled to hear the announcement,” Manan said. “I’ve learned how to apply the skills I’ve learned in school to numerous different areas with the hope of actually resulting in a promising solution for the future—a lot of that really gains a lot more meaning when you apply it to a real world problem.”
All three finalists began to gain interest in research in middle school, including Arjun, who conducted a project that involved designing antibody therapy.
“My interest in research started in middle school. A lot of it was sparked by my grandfather and seeing him struggle with disease and lose the ability to walk or speak—that started me to get involved in research,” Arjun said. “Today, applying computer science to problems in health and medicine to impact people and truly touch their lives is what drives my interest in this project.”
The students worked with experienced mentors at universities and health centers to develop their projects.
“I interacted with an expert in epigenetics, and I was able to communicate with him and ask him so many questions and even have him review my paper. That experience was incredible to have—just through email interaction I was able to form a connection with an expert,” Evani, whose research revolved around DNA analysis and the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets, said ”For this project, I learned more about the online scientific community in the US and across the globe.”
Along with participating in the competition, students will have the opportunity to meet with scientific and governmental leaders and also to publicly exhibit their projects at the National Geographic Society.
“It’s an exciting schedule they have planned out,” Manan said. “Everything sounds remarkable- the entire competition, all the different facets of it. And touring D.C. will be an amazing experience.”
