![“[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 basketball team crushed Mercy 60-29 during their senior night game on Feb. 13.
Before the match, the team held a ceremony to honor their three seniors: guard Isha Kotalwar, co-captain and guard Claire Miao and team manager Masha Velikhovskaya. Head coach Daniza Rodriguez gave a speech and the seniors took photos with their families. Members of the audience wrote notes commemorating the seniors’ basketball careers.
“I feel like this is a celebration not just for me, but also the whole team,” Masha said. “I’m very thankful they put in so much work this year, and that we were able to all celebrate together. It’s very full circle to go from the giving end to the receiving end.”
Harker won the tipoff, taking an early lead with co-captain and guard Isabella Lo (11) and Claire M. making layups. The Eagles continued to control the game, and with a minute left on the clock, co-captain and center Emily Mitnick (11) scored a layup to bring the score to 25-4. The quarter ended with Harker leading 28-10.
“I had a pretty nice quarter,” Claire M. said. “One thing I always tell my teammates is that though the other team can come back, the most important thing is having that hot start and bringing that energy at the beginning of the game. It was something that came to fruition on our senior night.”
The Eagles continued to dominate in the second quarter, with Claire Yu’s (10) 3-pointer bringing the Eagles’ lead to 34-10. Forward Selena Chen (9) brought the score to 42-13 with another 3-pointer. With 19 seconds left on the clock, Isabella landed one more 3-pointer, ending the quarter 45-15 to Harker.
“It felt really surreal to play in the senior night game especially because it’s one of our last ones, and basketball has been a really big part of my life for the past three years,” Isha said.
The third quarter began with Claire M.’s pass to center Sanika Das (9), who made a layup to bring the score to 47-15. Mercy scored a 3-pointer in return, and the quarter ended to Harker’s advantage at 52-18. The Eagles began the fourth quarter with a few, with Mercy gaining a foothold in the last few minutes, scoring four consecutive layups. The final score was 60-29 in Harker’s favor.
“I’ve been thinking about my legacy this season,” Claire M. said. “I want underclassmen to really look up to me, not just what I can do on the court but also as a person. I hope they can see me as what they try to be when they’re a captain, and when they’re a senior.”
With a 17-5 season record, Harker earned a first-round bye into the CCS quarterfinals. The team faced King’s Academy at home on Tuesday.
