![“[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: Joyce Li uses softball and art to adjust to her new environment
“It’s a lot about bringing the community together, using visual elements to bring everyone together through art, and just to give everyone the opportunity to see that there is a lot of art in life. It’s something that makes life more interesting and something that makes life more vivid,” Joyce Li (12) said.
January 31, 2017
Three years ago, Joyce Li (12) and her family moved from Taiwan to the United States, leaving her school, friends and her home behind.
She attended freshman and sophomore year at Monta Vista high school before transferring to Harker for her final two years of high school. Moving to the U.S., she began to participate in school sports such as softball and golf.
“I like softball,” Joyce said. “It’s really a lot of mental thinking in the game, a lot of just training with your peers and building a great team.”
As a freshman in Monta Vista, the junior varsity softball coach decided that since the pitcher on the team was unable to play, Joyce would learn the position. Starting from the fundamentals as well as developing the mental aspect, Joyce struggled during practices and games.
“I practiced a lot to get started. At first, I really was bad. My first game was terrible,” Joyce said. “I had just rainbow pitches every single one, balls everywhere, and I barely finished the game, but then I got much better, and now I can pitch strikes in a row.”
Not only in her high school softball career, but in her academic career, she has cherished one piece of advice her father gave her.
“Whatever you want to do, just keep doing it without thinking ‘This is a terrible thing’ or ‘I shouldn’t push through with this career because it won’t make money’ or ‘I shouldn’t pursue this career because I’m not good enough,’” Joyce said. “Instead of thinking all that, just keep doing what you want to do and improve yourself over time, and there will be a place for you in that field.”
Since she was a child, Joyce has always loved art, as both her parents were very interested in art as well. She continued to take art classes as she grew up, and now she is the president of the art club at Harker.
“Art is the way I think of the world and the way I use to express myself,” she said. “It’s like meditation. I just sit in front of my piece for the whole night and enjoy some quiet, quality time. It calms me down and it makes me think of the things I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have this base.”
