![“[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: Colt McNealy finds a passion for golf
![“[I care about] diversity of opinion. Some people think you have to care about one thing only, and you cant care about other things, but I just like Harker because everyone has different perspectives and different ideas. If everyone cared about for example saving the environment or being really good at one sport, then the world wouldn't function," Colt McNealy (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-13-at-8.55.53-AM.png)
“[I care about] diversity of opinion. Some people think you have to care about one thing only, and you cant care about other things, but I just like Harker because everyone has different perspectives and different ideas. If everyone cared about for example saving the environment or being really good at one sport, then the world wouldn’t function,” Colt McNealy (12) said.
May 13, 2017
When Colt McNealy (12) has a free day, you can probably find him at the golf course, where he spent upwards of nine hours daily during winter break. Even during hockey season, no matter how busy he is, Colt still finds time to golf. Golf isn’t just a sport for him: it’s a way to bond with his family and friends.
He began playing golf along with his three brothers because his father enjoyed watching the sport. One of his favorite family traditions involves playing golf with his family in Palm Springs and competing with his brothers.
“Its pretty cool to have three brothers like that and to have such a tight relationship, and that’s just kind of who I am,” he said. “I think family is first, and that was the highlight of my summer.”
Colt has made some of his best friends during his past four years on the golf team, and they often meet on weekends to play golf.
“It turns out that before I knew they played golf, most of the people on the team had become my closest friends and then I even met a few people on the team,” he said. “We really know each other well, and that’s the only reason why I play, just because of the people on the team.”
In addition to golf, Colt plays hockey. The two sports are complementary, as hockey is a winter sport, while golf is a summer one.
Although athletics takes up most of Colt’s time now, when he injured his hip in freshman year, he took it as an opportunity to explore new interests. He discovered his passion for computer science, which he plans to study in college.
“I couldn’t play sports for a whole year, and I had a lot time after school, so I started playing piano. Then I started learning how to program computers, so I could take AP Computer Science the next year, and I just loved the class,” he said.
Colt has a tendency to stress about schoolwork and activities, but he recently adopted a new way of thinking.
“I’m always just thinking about here and now. I haven’t even been thinking of college that much because I feel like if if I look forward to college then i’ll just be trying to get there and I won’t be enjoying the time right now,” he said. “I was worrying a bit too much about college and golf and grades, and it would have been nice to know that everything works out.”
