![“[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)
Photo Slideshow Jan. 11
February 9, 2023
About the Writers
Arjun Barrett, Aquila and Winged Post Managing Editor
Arjun Barrett (12) is the managing editor of Harker Aquila and the Winged Post. In his third year on staff, he plans to dive deep into various topics and...
Aryana Bharali, Humans of Harker Managing Editor
Aryana Bharali (12) is a Managing editor for Humans of Harker, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, she looks forward to sharing the stories...
Margaret Cartee, Aquila Co-Managing Editor
Margaret Cartee 12) is a co-managing editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Margaret wants to do more illustrations...
Vivian Chen, TALON Co-Student Life Editor
Vivian Chen (12) is the co-student life editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Vivian hopes to meet new people...
Mirabelle Feng, TALON Student Life Editor
Mirabelle Feng (12) is a Student Life editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, she looks forward to creating unique...
Charlie Folk, TALON Organizations Editor
Charlie Folk (11) is the co-organizations editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is his third year on staff. This year, Charlie hopes to improve on his...
Emma Gao, Aquila Co-Managing Editor
Emma Gao (12) is a co-managing editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, she hopes to explore writing a variety of articles...
Vika Gautham, Co-Features Editor
Vika Gautham (11) is the co-features editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Vika wishes to provide...
Ariana Goetting, Winged Post Co-Editor-in-Chief
Ariana Goetting (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of the Winged Post, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Ariana looks forward to designing creative...
Edward Huang, Winged Post Co-Managing Editor
Edward Huang (12) is a co-managing editor for the Winged Post, and this is his fourth year on staff. This year, Edward wants to continue creating unique...
Yifan Li, TALON Editor-in-Chief
Yifan Li (12) is an Editor-in-Chief of the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, she hopes to further explore creative and unique...
Isha Moorjani, Aquila Co-Editor-in-Chief
Isha Moorjani (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Isha is excited to manage Aquila's coverage...
Katie Reed, TALON Business, PDA & Index Manager
Katie Reed (12) is the business, PDA & index manager for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Katie hopes to hone in...
Jessica Tang, Photo Editor
Jessica Tang (12) is the photo editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Jessica looks forward to using new equipment to...
Lindsey Tuckey, TALON Conservatory Editor
-Lindsey Tuckey (11) is the co-conservatory editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her third year on staff. This year, she hopes to explore people's...
Katie Wang, TALON Photo Editor
Katie Wang (12) is the photo editor of the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Katie looks forward to photographing with new...
