![“[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)
Harker alumnus swings into PGA tour
provided by Maverick McNealy
Last week, McNealy qualified for the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) tour, in which he will start in three weeks, by finishing in the top 25.
August 28, 2019
Clad in a bright white cap, striped navy polo and slate gray pants, Harker alumnus Maverick McNealy (‘13) finishes his stroke with a determined expression, eyes cast into the distance. From the time that McNealy could walk, his father taught him how to play golf. Although he played a wide variety of sports growing up, including soccer, hockey and basketball, golf was the one that stuck.
“The team sports prepared me for my career at Stanford,” he said. “I played four years on the golf team, and I think that was a huge part of my development from being an amateur player to being able to make the jump to professional.”
Last week, McNealy qualified for the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) tour, in which he will start in three weeks, by finishing in the top 25. Yet, the journey leading up to his greatest accomplishment has not always been easy.
“Last year was the most challenging year I’ve had in golf,” McNealy said. “I was not playing very well and was really struggling with it, and that’s where I realized I needed to have a good reason for why I was playing professional golf.”
McNealy’s motivation to play golf stems from its innate rigor and difficulty.
“Golf tests you in a lot of ways that make you better. You have to control the way you think, you have to treat your body the right way,” he said. “Golf tests a lot of different aspects of you and your life, and I like the challenges that the sport brings me each day.”
Despite some setbacks and adversities, McNealy ultimately prevailed and transformed his weaknesses into his strengths. He decided that he needed to prioritize his health, especially during difficult seasons.
“I’ve done a lot of things better because of my struggles last year,” he said. “This season I was a lot more conscientious about my rest and made sure that I wasn’t overdoing it, especially when I got to the middle of the season, where I’m playing four out of five weeks.”
When he is not on the golf course, McNealy prefers to stay in shape by skating instead of a traditional work out. To combat damage on the body from his frequent traveling, he carries along a foam roller, lacrosse ball and a softball to massage soft tissue. One way that McNealy both takes care of his body and preserves his energy is by managing and monitoring his nutrition.
“When I’m home, one of my hobbies is cooking and making food,” he said. “I love being cognizant about what I put into my body, so that’s one of the things I like to do to get away from golf.”
With obstacles overcome in the past, success in the present and an exciting journey in the future, McNealy reflected on his growth as a golfer.
“I’m pretty happy with the way things worked out, and I’m pretty proud of the way I’ve gone about things,” he said. “I would just tell myself ‘do what you have to have done,’ which is just work really, really hard at it and try to learn as much as I can from everybody else around me. I think that’s what I did really well in high school and throughout college.”
