![“[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)
Seniors attend first college counseling class of the year
As the second week of school draws to a close, seniors have begun preparing for college applications, including writing essays and studying for standardized tests. The first senior college counseling class of this year was held on Tuesday, September 4.
Tuesday, September 4, marked the first senior college counseling session of the year.
The senior class is divided among four college counselors, Martin Walsh, Sandy Padgett, Kevin Lum Lung, and Nicole Burrell, who serve as their mentors for the rest of the year.
Before the meeting, seniors split up based on their counselors and went to their respective meeting places, such as the Bistro, the College Counseling office, and Nichols Auditorium.
“We did a little bit of everything; we talked about a lot of stuff like scheduling,” Nicholas Chuang (12) said. “It was kind of erratic the way we went through what we had to go through.”
After giving announcements at the beginning of the meeting, the counselors reminded seniors of where they should be in the application process and what they should have ready before next week’s meeting.
“There was a lot of information that we had to absorb. […] It just made you realize how much you have to still do,” Amy Gendotti (12) said. “You only have a limited amount of time to get it done so you just kind of need to get started.”
The meeting’s agenda also included what to expect from the college process, including applications and admissions, as well as tips on time management and independent work.
“All the students seem to be handling it very well, and I’ve been really impressed with how organized and ready the seniors are to start this process,” College Counselor Kevin Lum Lung said.
Lum Lung identified some future meeting topics to be college interviews, UC admissions, and the early action application process. The next college counseling session will be held on Tuesday, September 11.
Juhi Gupta is the Multimedia Editor for Harker Aquila. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her position...