![“[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: Meena Gudapati finds the fun in life
“I just have a different outlook on the world,” Meena Gudapati (12) said. “I’m probably not the only one who thinks this way, but I don’t really think anything is a big deal. Tests aren’t a big deal; the ACT isn’t a big deal; college isn’t a big deal. It’s all fine. The world is so big. Nothing matters. It’s all for fun, you know? I don’t really get worried about those things. They’re all just little bits and pieces, and they don’t actually ruin the world or anything.”
October 13, 2017
Meena Gudapati (12) moves with a rather distinctive gait—toes and feet angled inwards in what’s commonly referred to as the “pigeon-toed” condition. She also speaks with an accent quite unusual for a born-and-raised Californian, given that it doesn’t sound particularly American.
“I really don’t try. I don’t do it on purpose,” she said. “I talk like this and people talk like me, and it makes me feel like such an influential person. I just like to enunciate certain words, and it feels like overall a success. It’s memorable.”
Meena wants to be remembered for more than just her walk and talk, however. She values sharing her fun with others just as much as experiencing it herself.
“I just want to be remembered by the word ‘legend,’” she said, pausing to laugh. “I like it when people laugh at a joke, and I like it when people say ‘Meena, you’re such a legend.’”
Abha Patkar (12) notes that when Meena walks down a hallway, people call out to her.
“Everybody knows Meena,” Abha said. “I think she’s one of the most loved people in this entire school. Everybody knows her. She’s such a down-to-earth personality, and she’s the most amazing person in every single one of our lives. Everyone needs a Meena. She’s hilarious; she can make anyone laugh. Once you get to know her, you’ll find she has the biggest heart you’ll ever meet.”
Just as much as her friends value having Meena in their lives, she appreciates having experienced her most memorable days of high school with them.
“[In the car, my friends and I] blast music and just sing along in the night,” Meena said. “It’s a lot of fun, and we try to make eye contact with people in the cars to our left or right, and they usually smile and dance along. That’s the fun bit—just spreading happiness, I guess, and having fun while we’re doing it.”
Meena believes her life philosophy of having fun and encouraging others to do the same has thrived at Harker even as she’s pursued competitive academics.
“You can either take the competitiveness in a bad way, like it holds you down, which in some ways I’m sure everyone has been held down by it [and] it’s had a negative impact in some ways, but I think for me, it’s mostly been positive, because it’s honestly just motivated me,” she said. “I don’t get very stressed about things, because I don’t really get that caught up in it, so I think people think of me as pretty chill.”
Despite her “chill,” Meena has gotten involved with Harker Red Cross, serves as the editor-in-chief of this publication and runs a podcast–– “Get Skool’d”–– with her friend Jenna Sadhu (12), this publication’s multimedia editor.
“She’s just a really, really fun person to be around, and she uplifts you,” Jenna said. “She always makes these really nerdy jokes about math which nobody really understands except her. “She’s very technical. She handles all the microphones and the computer and stuff like that. She’s very on it.”
Her favorite advice embodies that worldview: she cites her favorite quote as being Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t worry; be happy.” Worrying is antithetical to how Meena lives her life.
“Sometimes I think about if I go back in time and change one thing, how would that change where I am now?” she said. “I wouldn’t want to change anything. I came to that conclusion. Everything happens for a reason, I’m a big believer in that, so if everything didn’t happen, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Who knows, we could be somewhere better, but I just think everything impacts everything. Everything happens for a reason.”
