![“[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)
The varsity girls soccer team conquered Priory 3-1 during their senior night game on Feb. 8.
Prior to the game, the team along with friends and family gathered to honor seniors Dina Ande, Anya Chauhan, Heidi Lu and Cynthia Wang. Head coach Joel Mthombeni introduced each senior and described their unique contributions to the team. He concluded his speech by addressing the seniors as a whole and praising their dedication to the team.
“For me as your coach, it’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with you,” Mthombeni said in his speech. “I hope that I’ll be able to introduce to you and teach you something that you can use later on in life. This program would not be as successful as it is without all your sacrifices and commitment throughout the years.”
Varsity team members gifted the seniors flowers and tiaras and draped soccer capes over them. The seniors took photos with their friends and family while holding handmade supportive signs with phrases like “Dina is the Queen-A” and “Cynthia Wang goes out with a bang.”
The first half kicked off with forward Heidi taking possession of the ball to lead the offensive. Forward and co-captain Claire Anderson (11) attempted a goal just two minutes in. Despite having possession, Harker struggled to score for the first 35 minutes. Midfielder Eva Cheng (10), co-captain and midfielder Anya and forward MacEnzie Blue (10) each aimed for the goal throughout the first half but were blocked by Priory’s goalkeeper. In the last two minutes of the first half, Anya successfully made a goal, bringing the score to 1-0.
(Mendy Mao)
Claire and goalkeeper Kylie Anderson’s (11) grandfather Bob Anderson commended the team for their improvement in maintaining possession throughout the season.
“They’ve been much better at controlling the ball and making better passes,” Anderson said. “Defense has saved our goalie from any kind of interaction with the ball. I haven’t seen a lot of weaknesses other than finishing.”
Anya scored her second goal of the game in the first five minutes of the second half. MacEnzie followed suit and scored with 24 minutes remaining on the clock after a series of plays by both the Eagles and the Panthers. Priory tried scoring but Kylie blocked their efforts. In the last few minutes of the game, the Panthers managed to put themselves on the scoreboard, leading to a final score of 3-1 in Harker’s favor.
Anya praised her teammates’ energy during the game. She reflects on her journey playing soccer in the past few years alongside the other seniors.
“It was a really special game,” Anya said. “The team did a really good job making it a really memorable senior night. The other seniors, we’ve just gone through it all together, from the first team bonding when we were just little freshmen. We’ve made amazing friendships and I’m really grateful for it all.”
The varsity girls soccer team holds a season record of 9-8-2 and played their final game against Crystal Springs Uplands on Feb. 14, losing 1-2.
