![“[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: Maya Valluru learns of the importance of friendship
“Times in high school feel difficult now, and you feel like you’ll remember all the highest points and lowest points of your experience, but in reality, the most mundane ones, or seemingly mundane ones will stand out to you most in the future, and those moments aren’t made up of your biggest failures or your highest grade you got in the toughest class. It’s really about who you surround yourself with, and the experiences you chose to have,” Maya Valluru (12) said.
March 7, 2017
Ever since Maya Valluru (12) reached for the same name tag as Maya Rai (12) during freshman orientation, they became the best of friends.
Maya Valluru met Illana Goldberg (12) in fourth grade at Challenger Almaden, where they first became friends. When Illana transferred to Harker for the last two years of her high school career, Maya and Illana reconnected, and Maya Rai instantly clicked with her.
“I feel like as of senior year, my friends help me stay weird, and I don’t feel the need to hinder anything that I want to say or do or decide upon,” Maya said. “Having a good friend system has led me to not only have a better time in high school, but have a great time in high school this last year, even though things got pretty difficult with college and grades. They’ve always been there to make me happy.”
During stressful times and while handling some tough classes during high school, Maya’s friends have helped her stay calm through the whole process.
“I’m not super great with handling stress, so when it comes to just a regular school day, just hanging out with them during my free time during extra help is a good way to get my mind off things that [are] giving me a tough time and buzzing in my head,” she said.
College applications were especially a challenge; juggling school work with early applications to regular ones was tough, but Maya’s friends were always there for her.
“Times in high school feel difficult now, and you feel like you’ll remember all the highest points and lowest points of your experience, but in reality, the most mundane ones, or seemingly mundane ones will stand out to you most in the future, and those moments aren’t made up of your biggest failures or your highest grade you got in the toughest class,” she said. “It’s really about who you surround yourself with, and the experiences you chose to have.”
