![“[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: Rohit Shah finds his place on the soccer field
“I like to be a very relaxed guy, and I don’t let stress get to the better of me,” Rohit Shah (12) said. “Soccer is just there for me to kind of relieve tension and make me happy again. Soccer feels like somewhere where I can just be who I am and not worry about what other people think of me.”
June 3, 2018
Rohit Shah (12) vigorously dribbles the soccer ball through the sea of players, racing to his opponent’s goal. He takes a final kick, and the soccer ball shoots through the goalie and swiftly into the net. The crowd cheers him on, and he stands proudly with his teammates with a smile plastered across his face.
“For me, soccer’s just such a beautiful game to watch and play, and I wish people would recognize that a little more and appreciate the game for itself,” Rohit said.
Starting with recreational soccer leagues, Rohit first started playing soccer at the age of five. He then moved on to play with a competitive team, and is now the captain for the Varsity Boys Soccer team.
“I started playing rec, really enjoyed it, and my dad took me to try out for competitive. Since then, my passion for this sport has grown immensely and I’ve just been really enjoying the last thirteen years,” Rohit said.
Not only has soccer shaped him physically, but the sport also helps him gain mental strength. As a midfielder, he believes that lots of strength, both mentally and physically, are required to carry out a successful game.
“Mentally, you need to be very determined, because you have to run up and down the field box to box so it takes a lot of determination and stamina. You need to be able to pass, read the game well, create opportunities, and also know how to defend in certain one to one situations,” Rohit said. “Soccer is so much of a mental game and you just have to prepare yourself the right way before, during and after the game.”
Rohit practices constantly, as he believes that hard work and passion is the key to success.
“[Showing passion is] giving it 100 percent, everything that you have every game, just playing with your heart,” Rohit said. “I do what I can so I just stay passionate.”
As the captain of the team, soccer has also taught Rohit the importance of teamwork and leadership.
“When it comes to came time, I think Nick and I know when the time to get serious and get the guys going,” he said. “Off the field and during practice, those guys are like my family, my friends.”
