![“[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)
About the Photographers
Melissa Kwan, TALON Seniors Editor
Melissa Kwan is a junior and the Seniors Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Melissa's third year on staff. In her free time, Melissa plays volleyball for...
Kathy Fang, Editor-in-Chief
Kathy Fang (12) is the editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila. This is her fourth year on staff. From covering local marches and protests to initiating Harker...
Anthony Xu, Reporter
Anthony Xu is a freshman and reporter for TALON Yearbook. This is Anthony's first year on staff. In his free time, Anthony enjoys drawing, playing soccer,...
Jessie Wang, Senior Copy Editor
Jessie Wang (12) is the senior copy editor for the Winged Post and Harker Aquila. This is his fourth and final year on staff, and he hopes to continue...
Tiffany Wong, Executive News Editor
Tiffany Wong (11) is the Executive News Editor for Harker Aquila. She was a reporter her freshman year, a co-copy editor for Harker Aquila the first semester...
Irina Malyugina, Photo Editor
Irina Malyugina (11) is the photo editor of Harker Aquila and the Winged Post. This is her third year on staff. She has a passion for visual storytelling...
Anmol Velagapudi, Reporter
Anmol Velagapudi (12) is a reporter for Harker Aquila. He enjoys journalism because he likes taking photos and being "on the scene." Outside of journalism,...
Arya Maheshwari, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief
Arya Maheshwari (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of the Winged Post. This is his fourth year on staff, and he's looking forward to developing his writing...
Sara Yen, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief
Sara Yen (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of the Winged Post. For her fourth year on staff, she hopes to continue to grow as a journalist and designer....
Julia Amick, TALON Asst. Photo Editor
Julia Amick is a sophomore and Assistant Photo Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Julia's second year on staff. In her free time, Julia enjoys playing...
Meena Gudapati, Editor-in-Chief
Meena Gudapati (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. Her favorite part of journalism is making her humorous podcast "Get Skool'd" and writing interesting...
Cameron Zell, Reporter
Cameron Zell is a sophomore and reporter for TALON Yearbook. This is Cameron's first year on staff. In her free time, Cameron enjoys skiing, playing with...
Helen Yang, Features Columnist
Helen Yang (12) is the Arts & Entertainment Columnist for Harker Aquila and Winged Post. She sees journalism as an opportunity to interact with and...
Gloria Guo, TALON Academics Editor
Gloria Guo is a junior and Academics Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Gloria's third year on staff. In her free time, Gloria enjoys running and listening...
