![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
WiSTEM holds club week to raise money and awareness for Kenyan non-profit
Suman Mohanty (10) holds up a “STEM saves the world”t-shirt at the WiSTEM club week booth outside Manzanita. WiSTEM had speakers, a movie screening, and fundraisers for education for girls in Kenya during its club week.
November 13, 2018
Stacks of black shirts emblazoned with the words “STEM saves the world” surround boxes of cookies and boba tea at the WiSTEM club week table as several students crowd the array of goods, searching for something to enjoy after school.
Harker’s Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology club held its annual club week last week to support WISER International, a non-profit organization that provides healthcare and education to girls in rural Kenya.
For the past two years, WiSTEM has sponsored a girl named Hilary from Muhuru Bay, Kenya, and is paying for her tuition for all four years of high school.
“I think WISER is a really amazing cause that we are helping support since we are making tangible impacts in Hilary’s life. I think we do have a major gender gap problem in Silicon Valley, but when you look at some other countries, it’s even worse,” WiSTEM club member Suman Mohanty (10) said. “Some of these girls aren’t even able to go to school, and by selling these items, we’re trying to help some of them gain a solid education.”
Some of these girls aren’t even able to go to school, and by selling these items, we’re trying to help some of them gain a solid education.
— Suman Mohanty
Through the sponsorship of Hilary, WiSTEM’s members regularly send letters and have Skype sessions with the school in Kenya to check in on its students.
As a part of the club week, club advisor and upper school science department chair Anita Chetty invited plastic surgeon Dr. Prasad Kilaru to talk to interested students on Tuesday regarding his work in reconstructive surgery and medicine. On Wednesday after school, the club also held a movie screening of filmmaker Robin Hauser Reynolds’ “CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap”, an in-depth documentary on the stories of women facing discrimination in the tech industry.
On Friday, WiSTEM members went to the Harker preschool to participate in Stem Buddies.
“Stem Buddies is basically where upper school high students go mentor younger ones in different science projects, from chemistry to biology to physiology,” said club president Aarzu Gupta (11). “It really creates a bond with our members and the younger students who are interested in science.
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Next Wednesday during lunch, WiSTEM will be partnering with Harker Horizon to hold a panel for students. The panel will feature three female Harker alumni, one who is a freshman at Stanford and two who currently work at Google. They will be talking about their journey in navigating the workplace and will also answer any questions from the audience.
WiSTEM meets in Chetty’s room every other B day from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. In its meetings, club officers discuss articles and videos relating to gender issues in STEM and also hold occasional presentations and Q&As by WiSTEM members who are involved in science research outside of school.
“WiSTEM’s main goal is to increase diversity within STEM, particularly making sure that women have an equal advantage as men in all these areas,” Aarzu said. “Many people think, ‘Girls can’t do this, but guys can do this so much better’ or in classes, ‘Guys are more confident to participate,’ and I think it’s important for people to know that everyone has an equal intellect, and girls can do so much.”
Upcoming events for WiSTEM include the annual Harker Symposium next April and another Stem Buddies at the lower school next semester.
