Freshmen and sophomores swarm to Ishaan Chandra (12) during DECA’s Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC). Ranging from “Where’s the bathroom?” to questions about the event, they bombard him with questions. Armed with snacks and information about the event, Ishaan remains an island of calm, answering each one with confidence. By coordinating with his fellow officers and delegating tasks, he arranges for food for all Harker DECA members attending the event. 

Over the past few years, Ishaan has observed a transition in his communication skills, comparing how he used to stutter and feel embarrassed raising his hand in class with the leadership skills he’s developed. Ashna Chandra (‘18), Ishaan’s sister, also noticed his growth in communicating throughout high school.

“He was usually the quiet kid who didn’t really talk much in parties, but something changed in high school,” she said. “He started to find himself and become a leader. He’s definitely become a lot more independent and chose to pursue things he actually cares about.”

Through participating in roleplays and written events for DECA, Ishaan has gained confidence with speaking in front of others for these events, especially focusing on accurately conveying his point.

“Because I started off from, ‘I didn’t know what to say, I couldn’t say anything,’ to, in a roleplay, figuring out what am I going to say, how am I going to say it, that really helped me structure my thinking and my speaking skills where I’m not just droning on,” Ishaan said. “When I start talking, I know what I want to say and the point I want to get across.”

Another one of Ishaan’s interests, computer science, has also become an outlet for his communication skills. Through Kidz Kode, a nonprofit organization that teaches Java programming to kids, he has focused on learning how to simplify concepts to the point that children from early elementary school to middle school can understand such ideas.

“I definitely would not have been able to teach a course or teach anything at the beginning of freshman year,” he said. “[Now, I’m] able to confidently communicate to a person, to put it in a way where other people can understand it, with examples and breaking it down into the extreme basics and really understanding what I’m teaching.”

Teaching others has also helped Ishaan gain a deeper understanding of programming by analyzing different viewpoints.

“I’m able to look at [programming] in another way because there’s no one set solution to one problem,” he said. “That’s also what I love about teaching kids, where they have very unique ways of thinking about stuff, so I constantly learn.”

As co-president of Kidz Kode, Ishaan aims to provide others with the same opportunities he’s had and share his knowledge of coding.

“In Silicon Valley, there’s a lot of kids who have interest [in computer science], and that’s something that sets Silicon Valley apart, just the resources and opportunities that we have,” he said. “That’s what I really valued about like living here all my life; if you really wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that other people don’t have, you can.” 

Across all of the activities he participates in, Ishaan hopes to have a positive influence on those around him. 

“[What made improving my communication skills worth it is] just seeing that change in those people and how I’m making a positive impact and encouraging them because I was able to have a positive attitude. I always like to tell them good work,” Ishaan said. “I always make sure I’m giving a positive vibe so they also feel encouraged to do good work.” 

Phil Han (12), Ishaan’s friend from DECA, appreciated his positivity and kindness, describing Ishaan as a “teddy bear.”

“He’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet on campus,” Phil said. “He’s very soft-spoken, but everything he does speak is extremely nice and powerful, and that’s what makes him special. Every time he speaks, everyone has their eyes on him. That attribute has developed so much over time.”

Susan King, Ishaan’s AP Computer Science teacher last year, agreed, emphasizing how he stays in the moment.

“To this day, when he comes in and talks to me, I truly feel his kindness towards me, his generosity that he gives me time,” she said. “When he talks to me, he has that ability to be present, to act like he really does care about me, but I think the truth of the matter is he cares about people and I happen to be one of them. He’s a very genuine person.”