![“[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)
Hands-on, ready for robots: New robotics members start preparing for build season
Aditi Vinod (11) shows Rohan Rashingkar (10) how to design a robot piece.
November 18, 2019
A group of young engineers gather around a table on a Thursday afternoon in early November, wearing clear goggles and curious looks. They observe closely as Chloe Affaki (11), Machining Director of Harker Robotics, drills one centimeter holes into a metal plate, carefully showing the precise movements.
Every week, high school students involved in Harker Robotics meet in Nichols Hall Starting from August and continuing through January, the training season is a time for preparation before the build season. Older students refine their skills, and they share their knowledge and talents with the younger members.
“At the beginning of the year, members split into different sub-teams. Once you pick a sub-team, the respective directors have training projects planned for the training season, and these projects can be a variety of things,” said Hari Bhimaraju
(11), Operations President, who’s been in robotics since her freshman year. “Right now, for example, we’re working on an off-season robot.”
These sub-teams include design, mechanical, software, machining and electrical, and the new students choose the section that interests them the most, where they will further cultivate more specific
skills.
“They’ll show you how to do it, and then you’ll do it, and if you mess up, they’ll just show you how to do it correctly,” Emma Biswas (9), a new participant of the robotics program, said. “So it’s very hands-on, and you’re not just sitting there and watching.”
Most of the time, the trainees work independently, in pairs, or at most, groups of three. This gives them personalized mentors and different learning experiences.
“In the process of doing a project, the [younger students] are able to ask specific questions about the task at hand, and they are becoming more confident as the training season progresses. You see them doing more [activities] by themselves, and they also become more comfortable with asking questions,” Hari said.
