![“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)
Seniors, sophomores and frosh attended Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) sessions while juniors spent time with their Eagle Buddies at the upper school campus on Nov. 2.
Upper school Psychology teacher Julie Turchin discussed how to have difficult conversations at the seniors’ LIFE meeting in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. In preparation for the workshop, students submitted their topics of greatest concern to a survey released Oct. 16, like keeping situations from escalating and framing arguments. During the meeting, students had the option of filling out a worksheet with a chart guiding them through various mental exercises to consider for a potential future difficult conversation.
“I went in expecting something about college but definitely got more out of it,” Anaya Mandal (12) said. “It was how to talk about problems in relationships, but really could be applied anywhere. Even though you can’t always compromise your values or someone else’s, it’s important to find common ground.”
The sophomores attended a presentation by California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Miceli in the Nichols Auditorium on the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings. Anika Akkiraju (10) reflected on both her takeaways from the event and the topic’s importance for students her age.
“The number one cause for death in teenagers are car accidents,” Anika said. “People should be aware of our surroundings: we all need to take into account the decisions we’re making in order to drive safely and prevent these deaths.”
The frosh class attended a LIFE session in the Auxiliary Gym led by Assistant Upper School Division Head Kelly Horan, who discussed how to approach class scheduling in a way that allows students to pursue their interests during their time at the Upper School. Horan informed students about options for summer courses, the requirements for taking them and the attendance policy for those who were interested. Prior to the meeting, students were required to create a first draft of an academic plan for high school. Finley Ho (9) recounts their experience learning about what classes to take and the requirements for their graduation.
“They emphasized taking classes that you are genuinely excited about, not classes because you’ve been pressured into taking them or just for having more APs,” Finley said. “It helped me see the bigger picture of what I wanted to do through high school and helped me know how to allocate my time and really focus on what I want to do and get better at.”
The juniors spent time with their fourth-grade Eagle Buddies in activities scattered throughout Davis Field, the Athletic Center and the RPAC like friendship bracelet making, karaoke and board games. Abigail Samuel (11) expressed her delight at being able to form a connection with the younger students.
“My Eagle Buddies are teaching me about what it’s like to be in elementary school,” Abigail said. “I’m trying to reflect on my Harker Lower School years to better connect to them. They really remind me of my cousins who are younger. They’re just really excited and genuine and just happy to be here.”
