![“[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)
Girls golf makes history at state championships
Provided by Ie-Chen Cheng
Golfers Natalie Vo (11) and Claire Chen (9) pose together during the state championships on Nov. 19. Claire tied for third place in the tournament, earning a final score of 73, two strokes over par.
Varsity girls golfers Claire Chen (9) and Natalie Vo (11) made school history at the 2019 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Golf Championships on Tuesday, Nov. 19, marking an impressive end to their season. The two qualified as individuals to the tournament, having placed in the top nine at the NorCal Regional Championships.
Claire tied for third place, earning a final score of 73, two strokes over par. She is not only the youngest but also the first Harker golfer to place this high at the state level. Additionally, Natalie, who placed 46th with 11 over par, is the first to go to back-to-back state championships as an individual qualifier.
“It feels really good. It’s nice to have a reward for all the hard work,” Claire said afterwards. “I didn’t really have expectations [going into States], but I tried to set goals to reach, and it felt really nice to have a team that had my back.”
This has been another successful year for girls golf, as their season officially concluded following this championship match. In addition to beating rivals Valley Christian and Palo Alto, who went on to take first in the team category, the Eagles were league champions, undefeated for the second consecutive year. More than these accomplishments, the girls cherish the memories they were able to create together during this journey.
“We had a fabulous season,” head coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “The team chemistry [was] amazing, and the bond we had was quite special. [We] learned so much about each other and had many memorable moments none of us will forget.”
Anna Vazhaeparambil (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila. This is her fourth year on staff, and she hopes to grow as a reporter and photographer....