![“[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)
Seniors and sophomores attend first Eagle Buddies event of the school year
Seniors and their Eagle Buddies enjoy lunch on Davis Field. Students were allowed to eat on the turf and on the bleachers facing Shah.
October 4, 2017
Seniors gathered with their Eagle Buddies at the upper school while the sophomores traveled to the lower school campus for their first Eagle Buddies session of the school year today.
Both classes spent time with their buddies for two hours. Students wrote individual cards to their buddies during advisory three weeks ago, greeting them and introducing themselves.
The Eagle Buddies program is run by upper school math teacher Jane Keller. She has been the coordinator for three years and works closely with Mary Holaday, the dean of students at the lower school, to ensure that each event runs smoothly.
“I like to watch when the Eagle Buddies are up here at Davis Field,” Keller said. “It’s particularly fun to watch the seniors start acting like little kids again.”
The seniors gave their fifth grade buddies a tour of the new athletic center and later went to Davis Field for lunch and games.
“I liked the free time on the field because it gave me a chance to play Sneaky Statues with a bunch of kids,” Mallory Millard (12) said. “It’s really sad; I feel like I just met her and I still feel like I have a lot more to get to know about her, but we only see them a few times a year. It’s really interesting seeing her grow up—she’s getting to be almost taller than me, and that’s ridiculous.”
While the seniors stayed at the upper school campus, the sophomores went to the Bucknall campus to see their buddies and took part in several activities, including friendship bracelet making, kickball, foosball and tag.
“It was my first time meeting him, so that was pretty cool,” Sahil Gosain (10) said. “Getting to know him was also pretty fun.”
Sophomore class dean Kelly Horan spoke about the importance of the Eagle Buddies program and how it enriches students’ education in an unconventional way.
“I don’t know that it’s about learning anything; I think it’s more just about interacting and having fun, creating new relationships and being in a different situation where they are the ones that are looked up to. That’s really beneficial for them,” she said.
Both the seniors and sophomores will attend more Eagle Buddies sessions later this year.
