![“[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: Rishabh Nijhawan learns resilience on the field
“I feel like pride is an aspect that drives me in football. Football is just a reminder that when life hits you you get back up and you fight it. I’m pretty resilient as a football player and that ties back to pride because no matter what hits me, I’m going to get back up,” Rishabh Nijhawan (12) said.
January 30, 2017
Moving from Houston, Texas to the Bay Area was a huge shift for Rishabh Nijhawan (12). Behind his Houston house, his brother would often hold him on his shoulders so that he could watch the football games that occurred at the high school. Watching football made him love the game even more, and he wanted to play as soon as he wanted to get too high school.
“One [reason] is pride; there’s a reason why I play football,” Rishabh said. “There are many reasons why I play football. I just feel no matter what I do, I carry myself with pride. On the field, when I get hit really hard, I always get back up because I have this sort of pride when I get knocked down, I have to get back up.”
Rishabh sees football as a metaphor for life: no matter what comes at you in life, you always have to get back up and keep on going. He spends lots of time in the workout room in order to constantly be improving.
“I might be smaller, I might be short, and less athletic than most guys I’m playing against,” he said. “Football is just a reminder that when life hits you, you get back up, and you fight it.”
In conjunction with his passion for football, Rishabh is also heavily invested in his schoolwork. He feels that as a young teenager, he cannot impact the world on a global scale, but excelling in school indirectly helps him become someone that can potentially change the world.
“School is just a stepping stone to being a better person, and I feel that a better school experience [and] a better performance in academics can lead to more success in life. This success can really allow you to make a difference in the world at a much higher level,” he said. “As a high school student, you don’t have much influence mainly because you don’t have much experience or much education under your belt, but if you do well in school, you have much more power and authority to make that impact.”
Rishabh’s teammates and friends view him as a brother and as a comrade. Norman Garcia (12), Rishabh’s close friend and teammate, recalls what he is like on versus off the field.
“Off the field, Rishabh is a very well-mannered, respectful friend. That’s why people are always with him. He is a very sociable, outgoing person,” Norman said. “On the field, Rishabh is a hard worker. He motivates us with his hard work. He takes the time to help out the younger players when they are lost and need assistance. He’s always prepared and knows what he’s doing.”
Rishabh’s experiences in football have translated over to his daily life.
“I feel like pride is an aspect that drives me in football. Football is just a reminder that when life hits you you get back up and you fight it,” he said. “I’m pretty resilient as a football player and that ties back to pride because no matter what hits me, I’m going to get back up.”
