![“[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: Nina Levy gives back to her community
“It’s very cheesy, but I love the quote ‘live, laugh, love’ because it’s very in the moment. I love to laugh because it makes me feel better and I love to make other people laugh. I definitely think things should be positive and spirited rather than negative and stressful. I try to surround myself with people that have the same positive outlook as me, who make me laugh and make sure that when I’m down, I still have the same spirit and positive emotions that I want to bring to other people,” Nina Levy (12) said.
April 22, 2017
At school, one can find senior Nina Levy dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans with her sleek brown hair tied in a half-up half-down style. She is surrounded by friends most times, and they discuss their lives and giggle about random things. Outside of school, Nina can be found volunteering at the PetSmart in San Jose, helping Bay Area residents bring home their dream dog.
After rescuing her own dog from the Almaden PetSmart, Nina fell in love with PetSmart and jumped at the opportunity to apply to volunteer.
“I ended up [rescuing] a dog who’s very shy and timid, because the dog [that I already had] is really loud and crazy, so I thought that the two could go together,” she said. “His name is Astro. After that, I applied to volunteer, and it’s been very worthwhile.”
Nina’s favorite part of volunteering is the feeling of satisfaction of finding a home for the deserving dogs.
“Working with dogs for me was very ‘in the moment,’” Nina said. “Just the fact that I get to be a part of bringing people happiness through dogs and puppies is amazing. I especially love giving these dogs a home which they deserve.”
In addition to her love for volunteering, Nina’s love for laughter and positive vibes are what makes her stand out. Nina’s loud and vivacious personality took some courage to create.
“It was my best friend that really helped me break out of my quiet shell,” Nina said. “Now I’m really loud. Like, obnoxiously loud. I’ll say something, and it’ll be really awkward, but I’ll just keep on talking. I also love to laugh because it makes me feel better, and I love to make other people laugh. I definitely think things should be positive and spirited rather than negative and stressful.”
Friends are extremely important to Nina. Her closest friends share similar values and aspects of Nina’s personality, allowing them to create great memories with each other. Nina’s friends rely on her for a big laugh and a burst of life and excitement.
“I try to surround myself with people that have the same positive outlook as me, who make me laugh and make sure that when I’m down, I still have the same spirit and positive emotions that I want to bring to other people,”she said.
Nina tries to bring the quote “live, laugh, love” to her own life every day.
“I love the quote ‘live, laugh, love’ because it’s very in the moment. I love binge watching my favorite TV shows and doing what makes me happy. I chat my friends and talk to them about life. I do what I can to stay positive and happy at all times,” she said.
