![“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)
Amidst rows and rows of passionate high-school musicians, all eyes turned to the Harker Jazz Band as they took center stage at the Essentially Ellington Festival held at the Phillips Center of Performing Arts in Florida. The hall buzzed with excitement as talented students converged for an opportunity to showcase their talents on a national stage and immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of jazz history. Harker performed a song from the Ellington repertoire, attended several collaborative jam sessions and received valuable feedback from renowned Lincoln Center clinicians.
Juniors Elena Wang and Miki Mitarai won Outstanding Pianist and Outstanding Vocalist, respectively. Elena enjoyed watching performances and getting exposure to other schools’ jazz programs.
“We watched the top schools in Florida and it was inspiring to hear them play at such a high level,” Elena said. “They were just so passionate about the music and I think everyone in our band felt inspired by that. I enjoyed talking with people from other schools and being able to meet people my age.”
Senior Isha Kotwalar, who has been part of Jazz Band throughout her high school career, echoes these sentiments. She found the trip to be an educational and fun bonding experience with her fellow band members.
“The trip was really significant for me because I’ve been part of Jazz Band for so long so it felt full circle,” Isha said. “It was great to hear other kids play and listen to the panelists. I was able to really form connections with my bandmates after spending the entire day together at the jazz festival. The experience helped us feel much more unified as a band.”
Beyond performances, students were able to attend masterclasses tailored to their instruments, such as the drumming session led by Jason Marsali and Steve Fidyk. Elena admired their unique way of conducting the class.
“The class was taught by Jason Marsali, who is the brother of a really famous trumpet player,” Elena said. “Our music teacher went and he came back really happy about how Jason took the participants on a journey through the history of drums.”
To end the trip, the band went to NASA Kennedy Space Center and visited Disney World. Dr. Dave Hart, co-director of Jazz Band, considers the trip a milestone moment that demonstrates the growth of the program during his time at Harker.
“This is the first time the jazz band has traveled in this capacity and it’s really special,” Hart said. “When I first started, we had a budding jazz program that seemed to be on the cusp of doing some new things. This is the first group of students who have been invited to travel outside of the state of California to participate in a festival. It highlights the progress we’ve made as a program over the last 13-plus years.”
