![“[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: Aadith Srinivasan leads silently
Shreya Srinivasan
“If I could describe water polo in one word, I would say it’s tough,” Aadith Srinivasan (12) said. “From early morning conditioning to summer practices in the blazing heat to chlorine burning my eyes following a long day of games, the sport has taught me that I have to make sacrifices in order to do something I love.”
June 11, 2018
Aadith Srinivasan (12) spends his summer days suited up in his classic Harker Eagles speedo by the Harker or Los Gatos pool, playing water polo.
“If I could describe water polo in one word, I would say it’s tough,” he said. “From early morning conditioning to summer practices in the blazing heat to chlorine burning my eyes following a long day of games, the sport has taught me that I have to make sacrifices in order to do something I love.”
He started the sport in sixth grade, but joined the San Jose Express team freshman year. The club, founded by math teacher and Harker water polo coach Dr. Victor Adler, allowed him to further develop his skills with players around the Bay Area. He has competed in various competitions, ranging from the Kap7 tournament to the annual Junior Olympics.
“The first day I went to the 14 [and under] Junior Olympic qualifications, it was very eye opening for me,” he said. “The guys were huge and it really puts into perspective first of all, how big water polo actually is in California,” he said. “It really puts into perspective how much commitment people are willing to put because those guys have probably been playing far longer than most people have.”
At school, he has played on the varsity water polo team since his sophomore year. Recently, he was named captain and MVP of the water polo team.
“[He] leads by example on the field and always sacrifices his own personal goals in order to help out his teammate succeed,” Aadith’s teammate Timothy Chang (11) said.
Although Aadith is a silent yet fiery leader in the pool, outside of playing water polo, he also sets time aside on weekends and over summer to volunteer to teach younger students various subjects, including math and English.
“I tutor some of the kids in math and English,” Aadith explains. “Tutoring kids is a really different experience from most things, but I really enjoy it because you’re teaching them the fundamentals of these subjects, and you play an important role in their learning experience.”
One of his friends, Gary Tsai (12), has also noticed Aadith’s penchant for teaching others, including his peers.
“He’s always very supportive,” Gary said. “He never hesitates to take some of his own time to help others learn, and that’s what I think makes him genuinely a good friend.”
