![“[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: Priyanka Chilukuri follows her passion for performing arts
“One of the reasons I decided to teach was to give back and share my excitement and passion, and hopefully they will also get excited and grow as dancers, and I hope to share my knowledge and my enthusiasm,” Priyanka Chilukuri (12) said.
March 2, 2017
Priyanka Chilukuri (12) first stepped into the dance studio when she was four years old, earlier than most of her peers.
“I’ve always had a passion for performing and dancing,” she said. “I just love being on stage.”
Passionate about Indian classical dance, Priyanka completed her arangetram, a two and a half hour solo debut performance that marks the graduation of a dancer, in the summer after her sophomore year.
“Dance is mostly gestures, so it’s pretty easy to understand and follow. I’d like to think that I entrance my audience with my animated face,” Priyanka said. “Genuine expression can cause other people to also feel it. If you fake it, it’s not going to work. People can tell after a while.”
Dance has taught Priyanka valuable life skills, including persistence and determination.
“A quote from my dance teacher is ‘Dance is 10 percent physical work and 90 percent mind,’” Priyanka said. “Doing the act of dancing is only a little bit of it, the physical part, 90 percent is having willpower, maintaining your commitment to the dance, working hard and actively thinking while you’re dancing.”
After spending years polishing and completing her own arangetram, Priyanka hopes to share her passion with other young girls.
“Now, I teach children,” she said. “I hope to share my passion with them. Maybe, hopefully, have them continue dance and share this beautiful art form with them.”
Not only does Priyanka like to bring enthusiasm to the stage, she also hopes to spread positivity wherever she goes. One of longtime close friends, Chetana Kalidindi (12), spoke to her animated personality.
“I have known Priyanka for ten years now, and she’s not even my best friend anymore–she’s really become my sister,” she said. “Every single day, without fail, even if I am in the worst of moods, five minutes with Priyanka can make me start crying from laughter. She’s so bubbly and she’s so funny and she really, really cares about people.”
Priyanka hopes to spread her positive energy to those around her.
“I like to encourage other people to be in my jovial mood,” she said. “I’m hoping that my charisma helps others, especially in this stressful environment.”
