![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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)
Make a Run for It: History teacher Julie Wheeler discusses her love for running
Courtesy of Julie Wheeler
Julie Wheeler runs a marathon in Napa. Wheeler often runs in marathons in various numerous cities across the nation.
February 21, 2017
Her gray and bright coral sneakers strike the asphalt road, pushing her forward with every step. Julie Wheeler, wearing the number 2610 on her yellow t-shirt, runs the 22nd mile of the 2016 Napa marathon.
Wheeler set a goal to complete a marathon before she turned 30. She purchased a book and followed a rigorous training plan to prepare herself for a marathon.
“I got a book of all sorts of different training plans for your first marathon,” Wheeler said. “[For] the first one I was very disciplined in training and went through and with the short and the long runs because your first time you don’t know what’s going to happen, and it’s a pretty intimidating experience.”
After four months of training, in the December before her 30th birthday, Wheeler participated in the Las Vegas marathon.
“I felt awful during the first one, absolutely awful. The last few miles [is what] the runners call “hit the wall”. It’s where the lactic acid in your legs and everything hurts. It hurts to walk, it hurts to run, you don’t know what to do, you just need to finish. But then, half an hour after you’re done, it’s this fabulous sense of fulfillment and accomplishment,” she said.
Over the next 10 years, she participated in 12 more, including the New York City marathon, the Seattle marathon, the Sacramento marathon and the Las Vegas marathon.
“I just kept going because once you did the first one and you’re like ‘Oh, I didn’t die. Wow! That’s nice. I think I can do better,’ so it can suck you in a little bit.”
Wheeler is from Boston and plans on running the Boston marathon sometime in the next few years.
“I hold the Boston marathon in such high esteem, and I will not run it until I’ve earned that spot,” Wheeler said. “It’s one where you need to qualify, and I never really fully went after it. Now I’m older and my qualifying time is decreasing… someday I’ll run it.
Wheeler uses long distance running as a way to relax and clear her mind.
“If something still bothers me after mile 18, then it’s a real problem, but as of now, there is nothing that has been bothering me for me to think about over the fact,” Wheeler said. “I think it helps sort of ground me.”
After a marathon, Wheeler hydrates herself and winds down with some stretching. She treats herself to a cheeseburger, a beer, and a good night’s sleep.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on February 21, 2017.
