![“[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)
Dusting cookies with sugar and friendship
A plate of Christmas sugar cookies sits decorated with colorful sprinkles sits on a marble table. I baked these treats when I was in Heavenly, spending the winter holiday season with my friends and family.
March 5, 2020
In the photo, a plate of vanilla sugar cookies decorated with Christmas sprinkles sits on a dark, marble table. The golden brown edges contrast with the softer, white centers, and the festive toppings add bright colors to the treats. The horizontal angle of the image captures the side view of the star-shaped cookies and the smooth edge of the porcelain plate. The cream colored walls bring out the darkness in the windows, and some wooden chairs peek out above the counter. A gentle mess of bowls, spoons and boxes fill the unfocused background, and a yellow tint warms the scene.
It’s the midst of the holiday season, in 2017, two years ago. My family and friends rest in an AirBnB in Heavenly, Lake Tahoe, a tradition we’ve followed for 10 years now. After a long, thrilling day skiing the powdery slopes of the Sierra Nevadas, we have finally returned to our home for the week. My friend Sophie’s mom sneaks to the car and comes back with a Christmas surprise: ingredients and supplies for sugar cookies. I jump up and snatch them, sprinting to the unused kitchen with my sisters Sally and Tiffany, my cousin Christina and Sophie. I hear our parents playing an intense game of pool in the adjacent room and my brother, David, talking about his life at college, and I gently smile, grateful that he’s back. I rip open the box mix, and the sound of cabinets closing clash with the sound of metal clinking. Within minutes, our team has preheated the oven, opened materials and measured out ingredients. We add the right amount of eggs, water and oil, and we dig our hands into the crumbly dough. Each of us grabs a chunk, kneading it until a smooth shine appears. We find cookie cutters, and soon, trays of festive cookies are in the oven. After hearing a ding and smelling the vanilla aroma, we put the treats on a porcelain plate with big smiles on our faces.
I look forward to this tradition every year: it symbolizes the beginning of winter break, the festive holiday season and snowy adventures. I love spending time with friends that I haven’t seen in months, and I especially enjoy reuniting with my older brother. Christmas is one of the only times spent with my entire family, and it just makes all the activities we do so much more fun. When I’m not worrying about school and grades and I’m surrounded by loved ones, spending a week at a winter wonderland is truly incredible.
