![“[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)
Humans of Harker: Drive forward
Jason Kwok strives for success through exploration of the world
“Elon Musk said, ‘If you need inspiring words, don’t do it.’ I don’t like doing things that I don’t want to do because you’re not going to have the drive to actually complete it to the very end. I feel like a lot of people don’t have enough passion or interest in things; they’re doing it because other people are doing it or because you’re told to. If you want to do it personally, then you’re going to do it a lot better than if you’re told to,” Jason Kwok (12) said.
Eyes focused on the interior of his red Subaru and hands perched on the sides of the shiny hood, Jason Kwok (12) peers into the interior of his modded car, inspecting the individual parts and checking how they interact with each other. After buying his own car, Jason began to modify it as his interest in how they work grew, leading him to join the Car Club at the high school and spend time with “like-minded individuals” to discuss various facets of cars.
“Cars are a moving box of engineering in my opinion. It’s really fascinating to see how everything works to get you moving,” Jason said.
That passion for cars ties into his belief in everything he does in life: pursuing the topics he enjoys to make the most out of his experiences.
“Elon Musk said, ‘If you need inspiring words, don’t do it.’ I don’t like doing things that I don’t want to do because you’re not going to have the drive to actually complete it to the very end,” Jason said. “I feel like a lot of people don’t have enough passion or interest in things; they’re doing it because other people are doing it or because you’re told to. If you want to do it personally, then you’re going to do it a lot better than if you’re told to.”
Through everything Jason pursues, he connects to the community around him. This includes building relationships through swimming, a sport he has found great success in. Although swimming is an individual sport, he points to the impact that the team aspect has had in shaping him.
“I enjoy the team and social aspect of [swimming] even though it is an individual sport. The moral support you get during swim meets and races is really nice,” Jason said. “I’ve met a lot of people through swimming that I don’t think I would have if I didn’t do swimming. That’s the biggest thing I enjoy about it.”
As a person, he pushes himself to do what he enjoys, whether it’s modding cars or exploring the world of finance, a topic he has become interested in with his friends as they enjoyed investing into the stock market. That mentality of growth and understanding has also translated into the classroom. In his junior year, when he took AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics with upper school economics teacher Sam Lepler, his exploration and passion for finance continued to grow.
“He brings a real element of energy that I appreciate and is not afraid to ask those questions or take a stand on an issue that might not always be what everyone else seems to agree upon,” Lepler said. “He doesn’t mind stirring the pot or standing for what he believes in.”
His personality and drive also shines through around his friends, whether it’s helping them out with the little things in their daily lives or giving his opinion on a topic they are discussing.
“He’s a very independent thinker. He’s never really persuaded by other people’s opinions, and he’s very disciplined and organized,” Ray Wang (12), friend since lower school, said. “He’s not going to be someone who acts on impulse. He’ll always develop a plan and a routine. He’s very passionate about what he does, and in whatever interest he has, he delves deep into it.”
His honesty also shines through around his friends as someone who they can lean on for support or guidance as they know he is someone they can depend on for the truth.
“The thing about Jason that stands out the most is his honesty and how real he is with everything and everyone,” close friend Helen Li (12) said. “Whenever we’re talking about an event that happened or a situation, he’s willing to be really direct about it and share his perspectives very directly. It’s something that vibes really well with me because I know for sure that I can trust every word that he says.”
In everything he does, Jason takes a clear and calculated approach to his decisions, improving himself and setting himself up for success in the future through the decision-making and questions he asks himself in the present day.
“Whenever I do something, I always think about how this is going to affect me in the future. I usually ask myself, ‘How is this going to benefit me in the future?’ and I do a benefit cost analysis, and if it can make my future better, I think that’s meaningful,” Jason said.
Mark Hu (12) is the managing editor of The Winged Post. This is his fourth year on staff, and he previously served as the STEM editor and a staff reporter....
Nicholas Wei (11) is the managing editor of Humans of Harker. During his third year on staff, Nicholas looks forward to bonding and working with the cubs...