![“[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: Uma Rao benefits her community by volunteering
Kevin Huang
“I like to volunteer. It’s fun to spend time with them because their lives are so different but they still have such a positive outlook on life. We see people who are so privileged, but then they get upset about seemingly inconsequential things,” Uma Rao (12) said.
March 18, 2017
Uma Rao (12) has always loved to help people, whether in California or all the way across the world.
“I like to volunteer. It’s fun to spend time with them because their lives are so different but they still have such a positive outlook on life,” Uma said. “We see people who are so privileged, but then they get upset about seemingly inconsequential things.”
In fourth grade, she moved to India, a completely different country she had only ever visited before, yet she managed to make a smooth transition.
“Being able to see new places and people really broadened my perspective on the world and gave me a global understanding of people that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said. “I guess here, we’re in our own little bubble and we don’t realize, but when we travel, we get to see the world.”
Even in India, Uma volunteered and taught English to children at local schools.
“Most of the kids I taught were my age, but they were completely different from me, and we had that language barrier, so I taught them English and they taught me Telugu,” she said. “It was fun hanging out with them because they’re really different from me, and I learned so much from them that I didn’t expect to.”
During the summer before sophomore year, Uma returned to America and became a transfer student at Harker.
“I was really excited to come back, but moving in the middle of high school was a bit challenging and different because I didn’t know anyone,” she said.
Throughout her high school years, Uma continued to do much community service and became a volunteer worker with children suffering from terminal illnesses and brain injuries.
“A lot these kids went through accidents and they couldn’t control it. It’s a really long road to recovery for them. They need help…and it’s fun to spend time with them because their lives are so different, but they still have such a positive outlook on life,” she said.
Aside from volunteering and helping people, she also enjoys studying in several fields.
“I’m really interested in chemistry, neuroscience, and psychology, which is on the more science-y side, but I also really like economics,” Uma said. “But I kind of like a lot of stuff, so who knows? I might just go to college and completely change my mind.”
