![“[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 Class of 2025 attended the annual “Senior Retreat” at the upper school campus on Aug. 14. A variety of panels, faculty-led workshops and bonding activities marked the start of the school year.
Students first attended an alumni panel featuring various speakers from the Class of 2022 and moderated by Director of Alumni Relations Karan Lodha in Patil Theater. Graduates Riya Arora, Dawson Chen, Angela Gao, Nikki Kapadia and Kavita Murthy provided their insights on a variety of topics, from transitioning between high school to college life to navigating the college application process. Attendee Audrey Feng (12) said the panel helped shape her approach to senior year.
“It was very informative, and it made me very excited for senior year,” Audrey said. “I liked hearing from people who have gone through the experience at Harker, because it gave me a better perspective for the future.”
Following the panel, all students attended their first of two workshop sessions. The nine options ranged broadly from life advice, including “Life Worth Living” with Senior Class Dean Christopher Hurshman and “Making and Managing Friendships” with History teacher Chuck Witschorik, to active options, from Math teacher Caren Furtado’s “Bollywood Dance Party” to “Play” hosted by Director of DEI Patricia Burrows. Adam Pawliger (12), who attended Head of Upper School Paul Barsky’s “Breathing with Barsky,” said he enjoyed learning about the meditation techniques.
“It was surprisingly relaxing,” Adam said. “We did box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing, and at the end we did a body scan where almost everyone fell asleep. I learned how relaxing breathing can be if you focus on it.”
In between workshop sessions, Hurshman continued his “happiness” series with “Envisioning a New Tomorrow Today.” At prior Class of 2025 class meetings, Hurshman discussed different steps on the journey to finding “happiness,” encouraging students to not seek it out directly, but live life purposefully and allow it to naturally take shape. “Envisioning” addressed the increasing responsibilities of senior year and approaching these new frontiers while maintaining a sense of self.
“There’s value in you as a person, as an individual, but that value comes out most clearly in the context of community, when you are relating to others and you are acting on your responsibilities and obligations towards them,” Hurshman said. “That’s when you are your best self. That’s when you’re your best individual. You can’t be a flourishing individual on your own, which is a kind of paradox, but it’s true.”
After a second workshop session and dinner, students decompressed with laser tag, video games, board games and a screening of “Shrek.” The showing inaugurated the “25 Films Through 2025” series, an initiative spearheaded by Film Club that will feature one film from each year between 2001 and 2025 in celebration of the senior class. Audrey said that the senior retreat helped reconnect the class after time apart.
“It was nice to be able to see everyone and see my teachers again,” Audrey said. “I had a lot of fun being able to catch up with everyone. It was nice to get to know my classmates and teachers better during the workshops before we start senior year.”
