Coming to a new school is hard enough. Joining a new school as one of only four new kids in her class in her junior year is even tougher. But Illana Goldberg (12) has managed to make her voice heard at Harker despite the fact that she’s only been at the upper school for two years.

“Since it was a new environment, it was pretty terrifying at first. My first class, it scared me a lot since everyone was so intimidating and studious and hardworking, and I wasn’t prepared for that,” Illana said. “It took me a while to get used to it, but I found my circle of friends [in second semester], and from there, it started working out. I began to value the people.”

Not only did Illana find differences in her new academic curriculum and workload, but she also had to adjust to a new dynamic outside at the classroom. At first, coming from a community-focused Jewish high school, she discovered that the social environment at Harker was different, claiming that she wishes she could’ve given her younger self advice about her new situation back then.

“Stop caring. First semester of junior year, I was really worried about what everyone thought, and even second semester I was the same, but this year, I’m cruising through life, doing me, and I don’t care what people think of me anymore,” Illana said. “I used to be really, really obsessed with what everyone thought, and I tried to change myself a lot, and that wasn’t me, and it wasn’t fun. But this year, I made it a goal to not let what other people do define me.”

Part of Illana’s integration into the community involved creating a close circle of friends, some who she met before she came to the upper school and some she bonded with last year, whom she credits as seeing the real her.

“I think a bunch of people have this really weird impression of me, but [my close friends here] get me and know the real me,” Illana said. “I’m the shyest person I know, so it already takes so much for me to carry a conversation with someone. I really want to meet new people, and I know I should, but I won’t, which is why I don’t really talk to that many people. [My friends] actually went out of their way to get to know me.”

Some of Illana’s fondest memories from the last two years involve hanging out or messing around with her friends. Whether it’s going to a concert or relaxing on weekends, she “has the most fun” when she’s with them.

“We went to the Logic concert at the beginning of the summer,” Illana said, recalling one of her favorite memories from the summer. “He noticed us at first [in the audience], and then he waved, and we were like freaking out, and we thought life could not get any better. And then we met him backstage after the show, and he was so nice.”

Even though Illana has spent a short time at Harker, she still aims to accomplish a core goal by the end of her senior year in the next few months: branching out.

“[I want to] talk to more people,” she said. “I don’t really try to put myself out there, but I’ve been trying. I act kind of crazy sometimes in front of my friends, and I don’t really care if people notice me, but when I’m in front of other people, it’s way harder, so I’m going to try and get over that.”