![“[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: Will Park redefines success through his life experiences
“J Cole said this during an interview with a radio broadcast host, ‘In life we are always trying to set the expectation or be successful, and we’re always in a place where we have to do better to get this and that seems like the main goal in life.’ I’ve got this dream of becoming a something and I want to be successful and I’m just going to keep going toward that dream, but in reality even though that makes you happy, in the end you gotta realize that there are people in your life… In life, I do have my own dreams and goals of success, but you can only get to those points in your life through family, friends and mentors in your life,” Will Park said.
February 26, 2017
Through his life experiences, Will Park (12) has come to certain realizations and developed his own ideology on how to approach life.
“Leave no regrets,” Will said. “For me, in life for the past couple years I’ve always done things every year, but it doesn’t seem to hold the expectation that I hold it up to, so I always regret not being able to go out enough, spend enough time with family.”
Will places a strong emphasis on family, something that he views a fundamental to success. He explains quote that has had a lot of impact in shaping his views.
“J Cole said this during an interview with a radio broadcast host: ‘In life we are always trying to set the expectation or be successful and we’re always in a place where we have to do better to get this and that seems like the main goal in life.’ I’ve got this dream of becoming a something and I want to be successful and I’m just going to keep going toward that dream, but in reality even though that makes you happy, in the end you gotta realize that there are people in your life. You got a family, and that’s the only thing you should hold on to,” Will said. “I know those words are true because in my life, my family has been through a lot so being able to hear that it really reflected on my life and made me think about the things that are important. In life, I do have my own dreams and goals of success, but you can only get to those points in your life through family, friends and mentors in your life. That’s how I try to focus on my life now, think about the people who have been around me, think about the people that have affected me, and that’s just my life goal. Always remember the people that you’re surrounded by, because it will mean a lot to you in the end.”
Will’s definition of success is also different from many other people’s.
“Success in the end really isn’t all about being the best at something or achieving something, but success is when in life, when you find that purpose you have or hold on to, that’s when you are really successful,” Will said. “Then you really have something to hold onto and keep with you forever, and you’re not only chasing dreams, its already there with you.”
A lot of his perspectives have been shaped through his academic career, specifically one teacher had a significant impact on him.
“My teacher from middle school, she is the one that really pushed me in my education, because in 7th and 8th grade, I wasn’t the best student, and that’s when my life started to take a turn in the road and started to become very bumpy,” Will said. “But every time I went into her class, she was the one that really motivated me to be the best student I could be and the change I want to be.”
One of the biggest forks in the road Will encountered was deciding which school to attend for high school.
“In my mind in 8th grade, I had no idea what private schools were and only had my mind set on Westmont, my local public school,” Will said. “Being able to have the opportunity to come here has been amazing.”
Everyone has down days, and Will’s preferred method of coping would be going to exercise.
“The gym is another one of my happy places, it just makes me happy every time I walk in, because it’s just you and the weights, which are the only things in front of you, Will said. “The main goal is just to lift those weights and I get a sense of motivation.”
Despite all the rush that occurs in life, Will has one goal in how to lead his life.
“Living as a free spirit. That’s a big one,” Will said. “I don’t want to be too worried about everything all the time, and I just want to live life and I don’t want to get caught up in all this drama.“
