![“[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)
DECA club month fundraises for muscular dystrophy relief
Mitchell Granados (12) shoots a basketball at the Hoops and Scoops fundraising event Nov. 27. The event was hosted to fundraise for MDA.
December 4, 2018
The upper school’s DECA chapter hosted various events and fundraisers during the annual DECA month of November to promote their chapter and to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or MDA.
DECA month began with an ice cream social outside Manzanita on Nov. 2, and continued with an alumni panel and DECA merchandise yard sale after school on Nov. 9.
The club also held a mock conference for chapter members to improve their role-play performances and practice their written events and tests on Nov. 11, which are some of the competitions that members of DECA can participate in during the business conferences they attend. These competitions focus on various aspects of the business world, including finance, hospitality, marketing, entrepreneurship and business management.
DECA officers sold boba tea outside Manzanita during lunch and after school during their assigned club week, between Nov. 26 and Nov. 30.
Spirit and DECA also teamed up to host a students vs. faculty knockout basketball game on Tuesday of their club week in the athletic center during lunch, dubbed “Hoops and Scoops”. The seniors won the game, the freshmen placed second, the sophomores placed third and the juniors were last. Spectators also had the option to purchase ice-cream.
Chapter members compete in the Silicon Valley Career Development Conference, or SVCDC, on Jan. 4 to Jan. 6.
