![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
All sophomore conservatory certificate students were required to participate in sophomore juries on September 19 and 20 to showcase their abilities in the artistic discipline of their choice.
Each sophomore conservatory student who wishes to continue onto the Certificate Program performed a piece in front of all the performing arts mentors. For example, while those pursuing dance choreographed a minute-long routine, musical theater students presented a monologue and sang a song.
The sophomore juries not only provide the students with a chance to receive feedback on their work, but also give an opportunity to the performing arts mentors to check in on the progress of their students.
“Sophomore jury gives both the student and the certificate advisors a chance to assess where the students skill sets are relative to their peers,” Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Lang-Ree said. “Are their skills where they need to be for a 10th grader in that discipline? […] Will the student, from this point on, naturally grow at a pace that is healthy for them, not too overwhelming, while being intensely creative?”
Many students were very excited for juries, as they believe that the chance to perform in front of an audience is both beneficial and exciting.
“I think [the juries] allow certificate candidates to get a critique of how well they’re doing and what they need to improve on,” said Simran Singh, a sophomore who presented her jury in musical theatre.
The experience has been helpful throughout the high school careers of veteran participants of sophomore juries, according to Apurva Tandon (12).
“The juries give a really good chance to go out there and […] show [the mentors] what you can do,” Apurva said. “It is definitely a very good aspect of the performing arts program. I remember it being very fun to just get a chance to perform and […] put yourself out there. It was great to get feedback from such supportive teachers, and it truly helped me as a performer.”
The mentors, who include Jeff Draper, Laura Lang-Ree, Karl Keuhn, Amalia De La Rosa, Christopher Florio, Jennifer Sandusky, Susan Nace, and Catherine Snider, plan to return their feedback to each of the sophomore certificate candidates in the weeks to come.
