![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Students attend 9-day Swiss exchange program
Courtesy of Galina Tchourilova
Harker Swiss trip attendees watch as their buddies complete their assigned math homework. A total of 12 upper school students traveled to Switzerland for nine days in June.
September 6, 2017
Twelve Harker students traveled to Switzerland in June for the second part of the biennial Swiss exchange program after their buddies visited California months ago.
During their nine-day stay, students attended classes with their hosts at the College de Gambach in Fribourg, a secondary school, visited multiple parts of Switzerland and traveled to natural landmarks, such as Lake Blausee, and other sites including CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) and a chocolate factory.
The Harker buddies began their trip in Fribourg, taking classes with their Switzerland hosts and going on a tour of the city. Before their departure to Gruyeres to visit a castle and have some lunch, the buddies visited a chocolate factory, which was considered by many students to be a highlight of the trip. The next stop was Geneva, where students held a lakeside barbecue by Cern Meyrin.
After their return back to Fribourg, the hosts took the Harker students home. The next day, teachers and hosts joined the buddies on a visit to Bern. The second to last day was reserved for a day with the host families, and the last day saw hosts sending buddies off at the airport in the early afternoon.
Students who attended the trip to Switzerland considered it a valuable opportunity to hone their language skills and experience a different culture.
“After taking French for about five to six years, I wanted more of a cultural experience with it, so I felt like going to Switzerland, which has an entirely different culture from what we’ve been learning about so far, would be a really great opportunity,” senior Linus Li said.
The Harker Swiss trip attendees pose for a picture in the airport. The group was chaperoned by
Harker lower school teacher Sejal Mehta and upper school French teacher Galina Tchourilova.
Some Harker students were surprised by the more relaxed lifestyle and view of school in Switzerland.
“Mostly, I feel like we were really into their lifestyle because it was a lot more relaxed than ours,” senior Joanna Lin said. “Overall, they have much less homework than we do. Every day that I went to school with [my buddy], we would end up going somewhere in the afternoon, either to a volunteer place or to meet with some friends. When she came over here, I was like, ‘Sorry, I have to do tons and tons of homework.'”
Along with scheduled educational events, students had time to explore Switzerland on their own accord, taking trains into different towns and visiting their buddies’ friends.
We spent a whole day on the lake by [my buddy’s] house,” sophomore Annabelle Ju said. “During the weekends, everyone took trains and went with their buddies to whatever they had scheduled.”
According to the written responses of students looking back on their experience, these weekend trips that were not scheduled by the schools allowed some students to experience more freedom than usual.
“I think some students explored a different type of life there. They were being independent—with their parties, they could just take a train to go to a different town, so I think for a lot of the younger Harker students, it was quite an interesting experience of being more independent and free,” French teacher Galina Tchourilova said.
Many buddies were sure that they would stay in contact, even after the hugging and tearful goodbyes. Some students also assured each other that they would both be welcome in their homes in the years to come.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on September 6, 2017.
