![“[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)
Women in STEM club introduces initiatives with first meeting
Amiya Chokawala (12) interacts with new members of the Women in STEM (WiSTEM) club at their kickoff meeting on Thursday. The officers delved into the purpose of their club and their main initiatives with a presentation.
October 16, 2022
The Women in STEM (WiSTEM) club held their first meeting during long lunch on Thursday to introduce the club’s officers and initiatives.
Garnering a large turnout from students across all classes, the officers delved into the purpose of their club and their main initiatives.
“We really try to foster an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone is encouraged to pursue their interests in STEM, regardless of their gender,” WiSTEM Co-President Ella Yee (11) said during the meeting. “More specifically, through our initiatives, we help to overcome some of the barriers that people that identify as women face in STEM.”
Discussed during the meeting, the club’s partnership with the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research (WISER) in Kenya, one of their biggest external projects, gives the chance for the club to sponsor the education of girls abroad through club fundraisers and events.
“WISER helps provide education to girls for free [abroad], and this is one of our really big main external initiatives,” Co-President Eileen Ma (12) said at the meeting. “It’s what we fundraise for at events such as Symposium and Harker Day.”
The club also introduced their Wister program, which connects upperclassmen and underclassmen, allowing opportunities for them to work together within school and also exchange advice about extracurricular activities, such as applications for outside research programs and course advice.
“It’s really just a way to have someone who’s been through the process to help you figure out school, and it’s just nice having another person there for you,” Communications Officer Ananya Das (10) said.
Before the meeting ended, officers spent time interacting with the members of the club and answering questions.
“I joined this club because I want to help make a difference in my community to motivate and support girls who are interested in STEM, and WiSTEM gives me the opportunity to make a difference in that way,” Vice President Riya Gupta (12) said.
