![“[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: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
June 20, 2018
Like many seniors, Sparsh Chauhan (12) got his license sophomore year. But unlike many seniors, he views cars as more than a mode of transportation.
“I strongly believe that when people drive, it represents them in a way,” Sparsh said. “I feel like my car is a big part of me.”
Through hours of tinkering and tweaking, he has effectively upgraded his limited edition black BMW sedan into an enhanced vehicle, complete with a repainted exterior and LED interior lights. At night, the cabin lights up in a rainbow of colors.
“[The lights] took like six hours to install,” Sparsh said. “They dance to the music, and they are fun. Some things that people find trivial is actually really important to me. To me, the small details matter.”
His drive to school is sacred — a time to relax and contemplate his day on a familiar route.
“First, I start at my house,” he said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
One day, Sparsh’s friend Vijay Bharadwaj (12) experienced one of these drives.
“He suggested to his close friends one day to take a drive to watch the sunrise one morning,” Vijay says. “Nobody would ever suggest going watching the sunrise because waking up at 5:00 am seems like a terrible idea. But it was so worth it, just bonding with Sparsh and our best friends.”
Sharad Chandra (12) noted Sparsh’s pride, both in his car and on the soccer field. He said that Sparsh always took it upon himself to stand up for his teammates, defending them from the taunts of the other teams or fans.
“Everybody looked to him to score the game-winning goal or take us to the next round, Sharad said. “He took a lot of that on his shoulders… He was the focal point, and someone everybody relied on.”
Just like he fine-tunes his car and his soccer game, Sparsh also puts in the grueling work to maintain his fitness level. To him, working out is a way to fulfill personal goals, rather than a shortsighted pursuit of a superficial aesthetic.
“My intention is to be as fit as possible, not as big as possible,” Sparsh said. “I’m not going to be the person to wear things like sleeveless hoodies […] I came up with a specific workout, and it took me two years bring down my body fat.”
Sparsh finds satisfaction in accomplishing goals, no matter what the activity. He thinks about them as he moves rapidly forward, his journey illuminated by the flickering of rainbow LEDs.
Additional reporting by Winged Post news editor Vijay Bharadwaj.
