![“[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: Sharon Yan spends senior year behind the wheel
“I’m someone who really tends to think about the past and dream about the future, and so this year I’ve really tried to live more in the moment because I’m surrounded by all these people and things that make me so happy,” Sharon Yan (12) said. “Something I’ve been trying to do is just to stop thinking so much about the past and the future and all the what ifs and just live in the moment.”
January 25, 2018
Boba Guys. Vitality Bowl. Pekoe. Pielogy. Pressed Juicery. Honeycomb. Caviar. Philz. Class 302. Silkworms.
These are some of the foods and restaurants on Sharon Yan’s senior year bucket list. While not far from home, each step towards completing her checklist serves as a step outside of her boundaries.
“Since getting my license, I’ve really been able to go out more and experience new things because I have the freedom to drive wherever I want, whenever I want and just try new things with new people,” she said. “Just exploring the cities around me and driving to further places to hang out with people has really allowed me to step out of my comfort zone.”
Sharon aims to drive herself to every pit stop along the way of her quest for unknown foods. One Friday afternoon, she drove herself and a friend, Danya Zhang (12), on the highway for the first time to travel to Pekoe.
“I’m actually the first person she drove on the highway, so when she was taking me on the highway, I felt really honored but also scared at the same time,” Danya said. “Overall, it was a good experience, and we had a great time at Pekoe’s. Senior year has been big changes and a great year for Sharon. I definitely think she’s been getting out of her shell, especially with the fact that she’s able to drive now.”
For Christmas this year, Sharon and her friends conducted a gift exchange, and they bought gifts for her purely based on how well they knew her.
“It was really nice to know that they put in so much effort into picking out my gifts, and they really took the time to contemplate what they think I would like the most,” Sharon said. “I still think I’m definitely on the more introverted side but being around people who support me so much and show so much generosity towards me has really let me open up more because I feel so comfortable every day. That really allows me to be my best self and voice my true opinions without letting other people’s opinions shy away my thoughts.”
Her friend Marcus Chen (12) also noticed the change that senior year has brought to her.
“Generally, she’s a pretty shy person, but when she gets comfortable in her surroundings, she starts to open up, and she should do that more because she’s a really amazing person,” Marcus said. “You’ll find her coming out [of her shell] when you least expect it. This year, she’s trying more things and has been more open in general like she wants to try new foods and go to new places all the time.”
From driving to Almaden at 1 a.m. to circling around her city to clear her mind to visiting Pekoe, Sharon hasn’t traveled physically far away, but to her, these small steps are each an adventure.
“I’m someone who really tends to think about the past and dream about the future, and so this year I’ve really tried to live more in the moment because I’m surrounded by all these people and things that make me so happy,” she said. “Something I’ve been trying to do is just to stop thinking so much about the past and the future and all the what ifs and just live in the moment.”
