![“[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: Joseph Krackeler immerses himself in his faith
“This one time, this lady turned around, and afterwards, as I was wheeling her away, tears were in her face, and she was saying thank you for something so simple as pushing her down and up a certain pathway. It made me more perceptive to all the privileges that I have that a lot of people don’t have. It just makes me have a more positive outlook towards life, just seeing that I need to appreciate more what I have and not mope around as much as I did before,” Joseph Krackeler (12) said.
May 2, 2017
In freshman year, after years as an altar-server at his church, Joseph Krackeler (12) told his mom that he wanted to quit. He didn’t want to be the oldest one there, and he felt like he had outgrown the role. But counterintuitively, stepping out of the role for a few masses changed his perspective.
“I was seeing this one old guy who did every single one, and when there wasn’t enough people, he would be doing it by himself,” Joseph said. “Before, I was really embarrassed [being the oldest altar-server], but now, if anything, I just help this guy out. He’s so committed, and that inspired me to be more committed to altar-serving and helping the small church committee that we have and that I am a part of.”
Joseph also took on the opportunity to aid the international church community over the summer at Saint Mary’s Basilica in Lourdes, France.
Helping handicapped individuals on and off the trains at the station next to the church to guide them to the weekly international mass, Joseph experienced a similar realization of the purpose of the work he was doing and form a new outlook on life.
After the end of a communion, Joseph recalled, “This one time, this lady turned around, and afterwards, as I was wheeling her away, tears were in her face, and she was saying thank you for something so simple as pushing her down and up a certain pathway,” Joseph said. “It made me more perceptive to all the privileges that I have that a lot of people don’t have. It just makes me have a more positive outlook towards life, just seeing that I need to appreciate more what I have and not mope around as much as I did before.”
In addition to his experience at Lourdes, Joseph draws inspiration from his grandfather to give back to other people and put his family and community first.
“He has a lot of money on hand, yet he doesn’t spend it on himself. He spends it on giant family dinners where 12 of us come together,” Joseph said. “ He volunteers on Thanksgiving every year trying to help out in a homeless shelter in San Francisco and the church organization that he is a part of now focuses on giving money to different charities. He is always putting his own needs last and putting others first. That really influenced on how I act. I am just thinking that if I am emulating what his ideals are, and if I can live up to his standards his well.”
