![“[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: Vienna Wang discovers golf and a new outlook on life
In golf, when you’re making a shot you can either take a risk and go over an obstacle or you can play it safe and go around it but take an extra stroke. For me, I always risk it. If I have something in my way I’ll go for it. Sometimes the outcome is unexpected, but my life motto is “If there’s a tree, get over it. Just go for it,” Vienna Wang (12) said.
April 23, 2017
The school courtyard during lunch is a frenzy of hungry students and constant chatter. Senior Vienna Wang sits casually on a bench with her legs crossed in the middle of the quad, unfazed by the commotion. She laughs frequently and tells jokes, displaying her lively personality as she explains how playing golf and taking chances have shaped her high school experiences.
“In golf, when you’re making a shot you can either take a risk and go over an obstacle or you can play it safe and go around it but take an extra stroke,” Vienna said. “For me, I always risk it. If I have something in my way I’ll go for it. Sometimes the outcome is unexpected, but my life motto is ‘If there’s a tree, get over it. Just go for it.’”
In eighth grade, she developed hypothyroidism, a condition that made her lethargic and unmotivated most of the time.
“I took medication and everything, but I just felt like I wasn’t really living my life as I wanted to. I felt like I didn’t really have anything special,” Vienna said. “But golf helped. The people I met motivated me to push myself even further and I realized that don’t need to stay in this slump.”
Through golf, Vienna learned how to focus on the positives.
“Golf is not necessarily about how good you score but about how much you improve,” Vienna said. “I feel like from my freshman year until now I’ve definitely improved a lot mentally. Whenever I had a bad shot I used to just slam my clubs down because I’d be really mad at myself and frustrated. I blamed myself for what I did wrong. This year, even my teammates tell me I’m so much more patient now.”
Vienna’s passion for golf has not only helped her grow more patient with herself and others but has also taught her a new mindset. Instead of dwelling on her mistakes, she now looks to the future in what she can improve in herself.
“That’s kind of my philosophy on life now. If I’ve made a mistake, I don’t really look much into it,” Vienna said. “I feel like it’s okay to make mistakes, but you just need to move on. Obviously don’t make that same mistake over and over, but you shouldn’t blame yourself too much for anything.”
