![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
Staying Healthy with Saloni: Return to social interaction
Whether it be our teachers or our friends or our parents, we all need to make the readjustment back to constant social interaction.
April 29, 2021
“Hey Saloni!” “Hi Saloni, how are you?” “Saloni! Happy belated birthday!”
On April 19, 2021, I stepped foot on campus for the first time in over a year. Immediately, I was engulfed in an atmosphere of ebullient enthusiasm.
Let me backtrack. Over a year ago, I left campus on a sunny Thursday afternoon, not realizing that it would be the end of my senior year by the time I returned. As the months passed by and various vaccines made progress, I slowly regained hope that I would interact with my peers one last time before we go our separate ways to a myriad of colleges.
However, once the plan was formalized, the idea of returning to campus suddenly felt daunting. With each email from the administration regarding the process of returning to normalcy, I grew more and more anxious, and the idea of returning to campus suddenly felt daunting.
Having barely left my house for the past year, I grew anxious about seeing 200 of my classmates. What if I forgot how to initiate small talk? What if my classmates don’t remember me? What if I say something awkward or stupid?
In all of this worrying, I forgot one main point: everyone feels the same. It’s not just me who has been through the ups and downs and uncertainty of COVID-19—it’s all of us. Whether it be our teachers or our friends or our parents, we all need to make the readjustment back to constant social interaction.
“Okay, thanks Saloni, but this column is titled ‘Staying Healthy with Saloni.’ Where’s my health advice?” Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
The main tip I have regarding staying healthy in the transition back to normal life is to be understanding. While this may seem like fluff, listening to and reflecting upon others’ thoughts and reservations has been one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in high school.
Be understanding that your friends may not want to participate in every single event. Be understanding that you may have less capacity for social interaction, and that’s totally okay. Be understanding that your teachers also need time to reacclimate themselves to the classroom. And be understanding that everyone adjusts on their own time.
Make sure to also utilize the resources available to you, whether that be our counselors or even your parents!
And last but not least, don’t forget to leave time for yourself. We’ve been alone for so long that we feel we must do everything in order to gain back the experiences we lost. I’d caution you from overexerting yourself—take the time you need to recuperate, whether it be napping between classes or immersing yourself in your favorite music, so that you can truly enjoy the moments with the ones you love.
