![“[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: Kevin Tzeng finds escape in other worlds
![“I would describe myself to be pretty laid back, but also pretty introverted in a way,” Kevin Tzeng (12) said. “I don’t really like going out of my comfort zones at times, and making new friends is something that I really struggled with. If I get to know you better, then I get a lot more comfortable with you, but at the same time, in the initial stages I really don’t want to get to know other people. My first friend [at Harker] was Vinke [Kevin Xu (12)], because I met him in 6th grade. Having that first friend there enabled me to get to know other people because I was more relaxed around Vinke, so others would get to know me better.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/KevinTzeng-MK-e1508476168142-601x900.jpg)
“I would describe myself to be pretty laid back, but also pretty introverted in a way,” Kevin Tzeng (12) said. “I don’t really like going out of my comfort zones at times, and making new friends is something that I really struggled with. If I get to know you better, then I get a lot more comfortable with you, but at the same time, in the initial stages I really don’t want to get to know other people. My first friend [at Harker] was Vinke [Kevin Xu (12)], because I met him in 6th grade. Having that first friend there enabled me to get to know other people because I was more relaxed around Vinke, so others would get to know me better.”
October 19, 2017
Kevin Tzeng (12) has one blue earbud in as he listens to music, the other one dangling loose as he tunes into the world around him. What’s on his playlist? Most likely Day6, his current favorite K-Pop group.
“I got into K-pop the same way I got into anime,” Kevin said. “My sister just showed me a video of them singing and dancing and I thought it was good music. It wasn’t until later when I actually tried to analyze it and learn some of the dance moves.”
While Kevin does not consider himself a dancer, he has mastered some K-pop moves, including select ones pioneered by the girl group Twice. He discusses Asian culture in all its forms, ranging from K-pop to anime to manga, with his friend Neil Bai.
“Kevin, or Tzeng as he is better known as, is and has been very passionate about Asian culture for as long as I’ve known him,” Neil said. “He has delved deeply into many different areas such as Japanese animation and Korean pop music, and continues to search for new and interesting topics to indulge in.”
Besides his nondescript black outfit, Kevin sports a faded goggle tan from the months of summer spent in the pool. He immerses himself in both Asian culture and swimming, as a way to take his mind off the stresses of everyday life.
“Finding something to lean on in times of struggle is something that really fascinates me,” Kevin said. “Everybody has unique methods of relief for different reasons, and that’s something to take pride in.”
Ultimately, swimming and Asian culture serve a similar purpose—a break from reality.
“Sure, I may not be an Olympic-level athlete, but the water allows me to reach that something that is so far away,” Kevin said. “People wonder how swimmers can stand such a boring sport that consists of repetitive action back and forth from wall to wall. As much as I understand them, to me, swimming is so much more.”
When Kevin enters the swimming pool, he feels as if he’s entered another dimension.
“If I ever feel lonely, swimming is a good way to fix that,” he said. “In the beginning of freshman year, I was a person who basically had no friends because I was new. I felt like swimming was definitely a way to relieve that.”
The friends Kevin made through swimming helped him have a more relaxed outlook on life.
“They’re normal friendships, but when I talk to [my swimming friends], it’s much more lighthearted than talking to some of my academic friends at school, where they all have that same problem of Harker competitiveness,” he said.
Kevin considers himself a relatively quiet person, so he tended to make friends through people with common interests.
“I would describe myself to be pretty laid back, but also pretty introverted in a way,” he said. “I don’t really like going out of my comfort zones at times, and making new friends is something that I really struggled with. If I get to know you better, then I get a lot more comfortable with you, but at the same time, in the initial stages I really don’t want to get to know other people. My first friend [at Harker] was Vinke [Kevin Xu (12)], because I met him in 6th grade. Having that first friend there enabled me to get to know other people because I was more relaxed around Vinke, so others would get to know me better.”
