![“[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 2016 traveled to several different locations today to participate in the annual freshman community service day.
Advisories chose among several destinations, including Elkus Ranch, Resource Area for Teaching(RAFT), The Humane Society, Rose Garden, Eco Magic, Sunrise Village, Family Supportive Housing, and Acterra to help the community. Students were assigned various tasks based on their choice of community service.
“My advisory was working in the kitchen, so we put chips and cookies in bags and then cleaned the kitchen and sorted the cans. We all worked together to clean up the kitchen,” said freshman Anika Mohindra, who volunteered at the Sunrise Village.
Freshman Natasha Santhanam, who went to the Humane Society, thought that community service day was a way to bond for the right reasons.
“Community service is a good thing because it brings us all together for a good cause,” she said.
Freshman advisor Karl Kuehn also found community service day to be a bonding experience, as well as an act of goodwill.
“I think the best part of today was seeing my advisees giving back towards the community and having fun while decorating for Halloween,” he said.
Freshman Karen Qi believed that volunteering enhanced her growth outside the classroom.
“It’s important to [be wealthy] but it’s also important to give back to the community,” she said.
While many students found community service day to be an enjoyable experience, others found some parts of their day unsatisfactory.
Although Tong Wu (9) enjoyed playing with puppies and making toys for rabbits, she discovered her allergy towards cat fur when she was cleaning cat playgrounds and had to sit out on that activity.
At the end of the trip, freshmen were required to fill out a form documenting their experience during community service day. They will bring their completed form to their advisories on Thursday, October 18, for discussion and reflection.
