![“[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)
Physics teacher Mark Brada discussed his academic journey and engineering career in an Astronomy Club event as part of the A Space for Space speaker series on Jan. 24.
Astronomy Club president Eric Dong (11) began by introducing Brada and asking him about his passion for the sciences as a high school student. Brada explained he developed a interest for fixing and tinkering with cars at a young age, which led him to pursuing engineering physics and materials science in college.
“It’s an interesting idea for students to have a wider perspective on who their teachers are and what they’ve done career-wise,” Dr. Brada said. “It’s easy for students to get in a bubble and not really see the forest for the trees. I hope they realize that you shouldn’t put so much stock in admission to a certain college. No matter what, you’re going to be okay.”
Brada described his experiences conducting research for his PhD at University of California Santa Barbara, balancing academic and personal life and the academic pressure of difficult classes and high expectations. Discussing his career after college, he expressed no regrets transitioning from materials science to a fulfilling teaching career at Harker.
“It was great to hear about careers and life after high school from a teacher who a lot of people here look up to,” attendee Wanke Li (11) said. “It’s important to know that high school won’t be the be-all and end-all of what you do in the future, because there’s so many opportunities for research and in college.”
The international student-led organization A Space for Space hosts speaker sessions with professors and teachers to help students learn about potential careers in astrophysics and physics. Astronomy Club, in collaboration with A Space for Space, will also speak with computer science department chair Eric Nelson at a future event.
“There’s obviously a need for academic achievement here at Harker,” Eric said. “A lot of what he said was that at any four-year accredited university, one can a great education, depending on how they approach it. If one truly puts in the effort even at a state school, they can get super far into their career.”
