![“[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)
Harker Programming Club (HPC) hosted the seventh annual Girls Programming League (GPL) Challenge over Zoom on Sept. 21. The event welcomed around 60 female and nonbinary students from around the world and consisted of a two-hour coding contest and a speaker panel of experts in computer science and astronomy.
The top three winners in both divisions earned monetary prizes: first place received $100, second $50 and third $30. Frosh Regina Zhang won first place in the novice division while Azalea Li and Charlotte Li from Hunter College High School, New York, topped the advanced category.
Panelists NASA exoplanet chief scientist Jessie Christiansen, cosmology researcher Maggie Lieu, SpaceX employee Katelyn Sweeney and University of Michigan professor Monica Valluri discussed their technical expertise and exposure to sexism in academia.
“It really sparked my curiosity hearing the speakers share their experiences with working on AI machine learning algorithms for processing astronomical data,” sophomore attendee Elaine Xu said. “It was exciting to hear how things I was learning in school and on my own could be applied to real life or to a career.”
Each panelist highlighted recent technological advancements in their respective fields, including Dr. Lieu’s current work as a research fellow of machine learning and cosmology at the University of Nottingham.
“Machine learning is really a growing field in astronomy because there’s too much data to process in the way that we have traditionally.” Dr. Lieu said. “It’s going to be possible to make new discoveries and find anomalies that humans have missed.”
When reflecting on their high school experiences, the speakers agreed that young students should develop curiosity and open-mindedness.
“I was so focused on ‘what are the boundaries I can push in order to get into a good college?’” Sweeney said. “I wish I had taken a step back and explored. Your job at this stage is to absorb and learn from people around you. Network, open your mind to what the opportunities are and say yes to things that come across your plate, even if they scare you.”
Panelists also shared career-related experiences in facing sexism. Dr. Valluri specializes in theoretical astrophysics, a particularly male-dominted field, and offered her perspective on gender discrimination.
“There’s still a lack of equality in gender representation,” Dr. Valluri said. “Develop a thick skin and find people who will help you feel confident about yourself. Write down your successes and remind yourself of them.”
Students asked questions about the speakers’ work and how to begin developing careers in astronomy or computer science. In particular, the panelists recommended that students learn to code, build study skills and explore their passions.
“Our goal in GPL is to empower people to see themselves in careers in the future,” HPC Co-President Kashish Priyam (12) said. “Being able to see role models that they can look up to and understanding the different trajectories people take to get to such a point can be very motivating but also reassuring for middle school or high school students.”
