![“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)
View the full transcript here:
I think I first got into dance when my dad introduced it to me. He used to dance when he was my age now, but I started much younger. So I grew up in a household that was involved in dance. My first show was actually with him, in the routine. So that was a pretty special moment for me.
I mean, you can communicate how you’re feeling, without even talking. There’s also different styles that are within different styles. In terms of hip hop, you can either hit something really hard or smooth with grooves and things like that. So it can depend on the vibe of the whole situation.
I think the first Kinetic Krew show I’ve ever done, I do remember that and I was in freshman year and there was no audience really, but it was still a really special moment just because that was the first time I danced with my full high school team in person, right. So I think that was off the top of my head anyways, that’s one that really speaks out to me. That’s the whole point of dance – to perform and show you know what you’re doing to other people, whether that’s just a small group or a full house.
I definitely feed off the energy that the crowd gives back. That’s a big part of the dance really. Being up on stage for so many years, you learn how to stay poised in a very nerve-wracking environment.
My first time I was choreographing things was definitely a new experience because I never actually took the choreographing class here or anything like that. So I had no prior experience with things like that. So I can make movement but to translate it into other people and for it to look good and read well, whether that’s with formations and things like that or just actual choreography, I would say that’s definitely a challenge.
The other one is I do a little bit better with this now, but initially, I would say freestyling was difficult just because I was so used to, how I was taught was you learn the movement and then do it again. And then, rather than coming up with movement, on the spot too, it was definitely a challenge at first.
Whether that’s an individual or a duet group or just a full 60 person dance squad, I would say, that’s the biggest inspiration, just other people and seeing what they do with their music. Especially if it’s a song I’ve already danced to before, but I’ve already seen or I’ve seen another group do a different iteration of it or a different remix or something like that. That inspires me to create more.
I want to create a positive and supportive environment and then I’m always willing to help my teammates, whether that’s get better or just answer their questions, things like that. I want to have made an impact whether it’s on the school or just other people. I want to be known as someone who was approachable and you could always count on for support and things like that. I want to be memorable in the sense that people remember me for a positive reason, whatever that may be.
