![“[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)
On Friday, September 7, approximately 60 freshmen interested in joining the Conservatory Certificate Program attended their first apprentice workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the program before they commit to “an intensive and extensive group,” according to Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Lang-Ree.
“We want them to have a big understanding of what is involved, and we want them to have a lot of fun,” Lang-Ree said of the workshop. “We hope that it is informative and they get to bond and learn a little bit more about a different area that they didn’t know much about.”
The workshop started with an introduction to eight conservatory advisors: technical theater teacher Brian Larsen, theater teacher Jeffrey Draper, dance teachers Amalia De La Rosa and Karl Kuehn, vocal music teacher Jennifer Sandusky, instrumental music teacher Christopher Florio, vocal music teacher Susan Nace, and musical theater teacher Lang Ree.
The students then gave brief introductions of themselves and also discussed what they would like to focus on specifically in the Certificate Program. Interests ranged from musical theater and technical theater to vocal music and dance.
For the remainder of the workshop, the students and teachers divided into groups of four as they participated in a variety of icebreakers, activities, and games relevant to specific arts.
Cordelia Larsen (9), who is interested in the musical theater program, attended the workshop.
“I have been interested in musical theater all my life, or at least for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I can’t see myself doing anything else in high school or in life, so this apprentice workshop was really my opportunity to solidify my [involvement] and really prove my commitment level.”
Likewise, Gwen Howard (9) attended the workshop for her interest in vocal music.
“I’m interested [in joining the Certificate Program] because I think it is a really great way to challenge myself and grow as an artist and a person in general,” she said.
Gwen looks forward to working with the artistic directors in the Upper School community.
![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
