![“[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)
The History of Manzanita: Commemorating 125 years of Harker
Provided by the Office of Communiations
1893: Manzanita Hall is established by Frank Cramer as a preparatory school for boys in Palo Alto.
March 31, 2018
1932: 13 years after Manzanita Hall became Palo Alto Military Academy, cadets pose outside of the building.
1952: Mother Butler Catholic high school educates girls on the Saratoga property until 1972.
1960: PAMA cadets stand by the 12 doorway to the original Manzanita building in Palo Alto.
1972: PAMA and Harker Day School merge and move to the Mother Butler property in Saratoga.
1983: Students play ping-pong outside Manzanita. Harker accepted boarders from 1972 until the ‘90s.
1987: Crowding around a foosball table in Manzanita, students watch their peers play intently.
1989: Two classmates chat next to a rotisserie cookout outside Manzanita as friends play table tennis.
1993: Manzanita hall receives an artistic makeover as its terrace side is painted in a rustic fashion.
2018: Ashna Reddy (10) and Nathan Sudeep (10) eat lunch in Manzanita, where students can relax.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 30, 2018.
