![“[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)
Joelle Anderson (‘17) selected 26th overall by the Houston Dash in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League draft
Provided By Mark Kocina
Joelle Anderson (’17) was drafted 26th overall by the Houston Dash in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft. Joelle played Division 1 soccer at Pepperdine University after racking up numerous accolades during her Harker soccer career.
January 25, 2021
Joelle Anderson (‘17) was drafted 26th overall by the Houston Dash in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft. After scoring 101 goals during her Harker soccer career, Joelle went on to play Division 1 soccer at Pepperdine University, where she started as a midfielder/forward for the Waves for three years.
Before attending Pepperdine, Joelle played on the varsity girls soccer team for three years, accumulating the second-most career goals in Harker history. After committing to Pepperdine at the beginning of her sophomore year, Joelle went on to become the team MVP and was named the WBAL forward of the year twice. She also played for the De Anza Force soccer club, helping her team win seven NorCal State Cup Championships.
“I will always be grateful for getting the opportunity to play soccer during my time at Harker because it allowed me to grow as an athlete,” Anderson said. “Harker offers its students tremendous athletic programs, and I was fortunate enough to have amazing experiences on both the soccer and basketball teams.”
Upper school athletics director Dan Molin praises Anderson for her humble nature and her ability to inspire and bring out the best in her teammates.
“[Anderson] was always clearly the best player on the team from her freshman year forward, but she carried herself with humility as she truly enjoyed playing for her school. Many club players chose to only play for their club, but Joelle played for her school with pride in addition to club,” Molin said. “She made others around her better, and her teammates appreciated her talents and worked harder as a result.”
During her time at Pepperdine, Anderson scored 21 goals and racked up 13 assists, making the All West Coast Conference (WCC) as a junior and All-WCC second team in both her freshman and sophomore years. She is the seventh player all time from Pepperdine to be selected by the NWSL, which was founded in Nov. 2012. Currently ninth in the Pepperdine career scoring list, Anderson will look to continue her outstanding play once her senior season starts in early February, after being delayed due to COVID-19.
“The journey from club and high school soccer to playing in the NWSL has been a wild ride. It has always been my dream to play soccer at the professional level, and I kept working towards my dream until it became a reality,” Anderson said. “My journey has had its highs and lows, but I think I learned the most from the obstacles I experienced. Personally, it is truly rewarding to see all of the countless hours of hard work and dedication over the past [ten plus] years pay off in the end.”
