![“[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)
Graduates across decades reunited during the Friday to Sunday Alumni Weekend.
The Classes of 2014 and 2019 held their respective five and 10 year reunions at Maggiano’s Little Italy on Friday, while the Class of 2004 met at the Hotel Valencia on Saturday. All classes were welcomed to the Alumni Barbecue on Saturday’s Harker Day.
Alumna Nastia Sushkova (‘19) appreciated the effort Harker’s alumni relations team put into facilitating a relaxed environment for conversations during the reunion dinner, as well as the opportunity to be back on campus again.
“When I was a student, I was just focused on getting through the week,” Sushkova said. “Now being back here, I’m so grateful for the experience and have more of an appreciation for it. Some of the best friends I’ve made for life are from Harker because of what we went through together.”
This Harker Day was alumna Ann Lucena (‘04)’s first time back since graduating. As someone who was heavily involved in the performing arts, she looked forward to seeing what changes had been made to the program since her time.
“I have a lot of fond memories of my time here,” Lucena said. “It was wonderful to see some of my old teachers who are still teaching here as well as catching up with my friends, in some cases after 24 years. It feels like a lot of time has passed, but at the same time it’s gone by really quickly.”
Middle school English teacher Mark Gelineau (‘90), who attended Harker Day, appreciated how the event united former and current students. One of his treasured Alumni Barbecue memories from several years ago is leading his fellow alumni through what was previously their middle school campus, from the constants of Main Hall and Manzanita Hall to the new additions of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center and the Athletic Center.
“Taking them through those doors and watching that memory hit all of them was a perfect mix of new and change,” Gelineau said. “I’ve seen so many variations of Harker Day, back when it was the Family and Alumni Picnic to the Picnic and Carnival to its current incarnation. With all the changes in evolution the school has gone through, to have this one unbroken line of tradition is really special.”
