![“[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)
Sophomores and third-grade Eagle Buddies gathered in pajamas to listen to a story at the lower school campus on Jan. 4.
Upper School Division Head Paul Barsky sat in a rocking chair and read aloud “Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink” by Diane de Groat, a Valentine’s Day story centered around kindness.
Sophomore Ameera Ramzan noted the cozy atmosphere brought by the rainy weather outside and their Eagle Buddies wearing pajamas instead of the school uniform.
“It was really special for [my Eagle Buddies] because they don’t wear pajamas all the time, so a lot of them were pretty excited to be wearing comfy clothes,” Ameera said. “ People brought onesies and my Eagle Buddies were commenting on all the fun onesies. I think somebody was wearing a duck onesie.”
Lower School Dean of Students Walid Fahmy dismissed the students in groups to pick up lunch, which consisted of burgers, salad, cookies, chips, apples and bananas. Students had the opportunity to color bookmarks with their Eagle Buddies.
Sophomore Shaurya Jain noticed that his Eagle Buddies seemed more comfortable than when they met in the fall for the first time, sharing details about their lives and smiling at him.
“It’s really nice to see my Eagle Buddies because they’re really young and they have a lot of energy, so it brightens my day,” Shaurya said. “One of my Eagle Buddies loves to draw, but it was probably the first time I touched a crayon in about 6 years.”
Other indoor activities included GoNoodle, an interactive dancing game that was projected on the screen onstage. He played songs like “Aunt Sally is a Pirate” and “Pop See Ko”. Students followed the dance from the gym floor, which allowed several participants like sophomore Demi Zheng to step out of their comfort zone.
“Everyone was dancing and singing, and even the kids knew all the lyrics of the song, surprisingly, so we were just vibing with them,” Demi said. “I like seeing the people that [my Eagle Buddies] have become. I like that I also got to de-stress and feel like a kid again.
