![“[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: Lauren Napier stays disciplined
“I wouldn’t say that I ever put on a facade for anyone. I’ve noticed that a lot of people see it as weak to show your emotions, to show that you’re either super happy or super sad, or just need someone to talk to, but I don’t really see that as the case,” Lauren Napier (12) said. “If there’s a problem that I’m having, I’m not afraid to talk to my friends about it or my teachers about it. If I’m really stressed, I’m not afraid to admit that my classes are getting too hard or that the workload is too much. So I guess I’m just not afraid to show the emotions that I have to everyone around me.”
January 2, 2018
For Lauren Napier (12), the question isn’t whether or not to work out — it’s what type of workout. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it’s hot pilates. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s cardio and weight-lifting.
“There are a lot of studies that show working out releases positive hormones, but also it makes me feel accomplished after, and it makes me feel like I’m actually doing something and I’m doing good for my body,” she said.
Her weekday routine begins at 5 a.m.: workout, breakfast, school, basketball practice. By the time she gets home, it’s past 6 p.m. Just as she pushes herself physically, Lauren also pushes herself in other areas of her life by setting high expectations for herself and trying to make the most of every opportunity she has been given.
“One of my goals is not being the best in everything, but just being the best friend that I can to my friends, and treating others the way I would wanted to be treated, so being the best daughter that I can and the best sister that I can because I’m lucky to have those relationships in my life,” Lauren said. “Might as well do my best to help them and be there for them just as they are for me.”
Her mindset transfers to everything from schoolwork, exercise, community service, friendships and lifestyle.
“Just a part of what I said before, how I always try and be the best that I can for every aspect of my life, in school, in sports, with my relationships with my peers and my family. I guess you really only get one chance to get it right, so might as well work for it,” she said.
The catchphrase “YOLO” emphasizes how Lauren lives her life — capitalizing on every experience possible.
“YOLO is kind of an overplayed statement, but honestly if you really think about the truth behind it, is that you truly do only get one life, and you’re here already so might as well live it to the fullest,” she said.
She takes this into consideration when spending time with her friends.
“I love hanging out with friends and doing not dumb things, not even crazy things, but just experiencing new things that we haven’t done before, never doing the same thing twice,” Lauren said.
One memorable instance where this has played out in her life was on her vacation last summer to the Cayman Islands.
“During the summer, I went to the Cayman Islands with my best friend and her family, and we got on a boat,” Lauren said.” It was a stingray cruise, and all of a sudden we were in the middle of the ocean where there was this shelf, so the water wasn’t very deep. It was about three feet deep, so you could stand. They were like, ‘Okay, jump in.’ And we were like, ‘Uh, no.’ They were like, ‘No, no, it’s fine,’ and so all of a sudden a bunch of wild stingrays surrounded us, so that was kind of facing a fear that we all had, but it was very memorable because obviously none of us got hurt. It was just on a whim, and it’s something that I’ll always remember.”
Lauren believes that in order to live life authentically, she has to embrace her emotions.
“I wouldn’t say that I ever put on a facade for anyone,” she said. “I’ve noticed that a lot of people see it as weak to show your emotions, to show that you’re either super happy or super sad, or just need someone to talk to, but I don’t really see that as the case. If there’s a problem that I’m having, I’m not afraid to talk to my friends about it or my teachers about it,” she said. “If I’m really stressed, I’m not afraid to admit that my classes are getting too hard or that the workload is too much. So I guess I’m just not afraid to show the emotions that I have to everyone around me.”
But while Lauren expresses her emotions freely, she keeps her problems in perspective. She and her close friend Isabella Spradlin (12) started the club Amnesty International to help others step back and understand the larger issues beyond their day-to-day concerns.
“So many people are suffering across the globe from things like hunger and lack of water and injustices, and so we were just kind of fed up with hearing like, ‘Oh, this test is impossible’ or ‘I hate this teacher’ or blah blah blah,” Lauren said. “We knew that we wanted to start a club that would teach people that our problems may not seem so large when we think of it in the grand scheme of things.”
Isabella called Lauren the “force” behind the club.
“Lauren is super self-disciplined,” Isabella said, noting her friend’s 5 a.m. gym outings and organizational skills. “She does it for herself. She’s not doing anyone to impress anyone.”
