![“[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)
During long lunch on Wednesday, September 5, Siobhan Stevenson (’07) headed a Life in the Arts conservatory workshop about pursuing performing arts in college and as a profession.
A former conservatory student here at the Upper School, Siobhan graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as a Drama major in 2010 and is currently living in New York City as an actress, singer, and dancer. She was invited by Director of Performing Arts Laura Lang-Ree to speak to conservatory students about her professional acting experiences.
“I had a phenomenal experience at Harker. I jumped at the opportunity to [speak to the students] because I feel like this school gave me so much in terms of guiding me down the path that I am now,” she said. “The conservatory program gave me so much foundation to pursue this life, that I just wanted to do what I could to give back to it and share what little crazy experience I have.”
A total of 13 students attended this forum, and they were given the opportunity to ask the speaker specific questions. The alumna spoke about both the joys and risks of a performing arts career and doled out advice for auditioning for shows.
“I’ve always liked going to these Life in the Arts workshops. It’s a nice reality check because it makes you think of what’s ahead of you,” Anna Kendall (11) said. “It gave me a different perspective on performing outside of high school and rearranged my planning.”
For Cristina Jerney (12), talking and listening to Siobhan “has exposed [her] to a wide range of what to do within the arts apart from my specific focus.” She also laughed along as she heard the actress’s anecdotes from performing with the Bizarre Noir Theater Company in a “hilarious” musical called Miss Robusta Lays a Bomb.
