![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Head girls’ lacrosse coach makes her debut
Junior Anuva Mittal runs with the ball as she tries to get past a Mitty defender during the first lacrosse match of last season. Alyssa Dunlap became head coach of the girls’ team for the upcoming spring season.
February 27, 2017
Alyssa Dunlap became head coach of the upper school girls lacrosse team this spring, replacing Danae Rodriguez. Andrew Newmark and chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine serve as assistant coaches this year.
Dunlap has played lacrosse since fifth grade. She led her high school team to three consecutive Pennsylvania state championships and was a two-time High School All-American. She was a four-year starter and the captain of Vanderbilt University’s lacrosse team.
Before coming to the upper school, Dunlap coached and directed Treelax Lacrosse Club, a national level travel team from Palo Alto, and coached the Stanford University women’s lacrosse program. The upper school’s will be her first high school team.
“What makes a good lacrosse team is teammates and a team that’s playing for one another and playing for a common goal,” she said. “It’s less about the individual play and more about working hard for one another. I think grit—it’s one of my favorite words—has a lot to do with the success of a team overall.”
Dunlap looks forward to not only coaching the lacrosse team but also teaching her athletes technique.
“The thing I look forward to most is teaching—not just coaching but teaching the actual technique and helping kids realize their potential and their potential as athletes but more specifically lacrosse players,” she said. “Be a sponge. Soak it all up. Learn as much as you can, and do your best to practice outside of what we do here if you want to be successful.”
Team tryouts started on Jan. 30 and will continue until Feb. 10.
Their first scrimmage will be held on Feb. 21 at Woodside High School, and their first game will be held on Davis Field on March 1 against Newark High School.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on February 21, 2017.
