![“[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)
Varsity girls soccer battled to a 0-0 stalemate against Notre Dame San Jose on Friday during their senior night game on Davis Field.
Seniors Claire Anderson, Kylie Anderson, Gia Emelie and Sara Glusman looked back on their past four years with the team, expressing their emotions after their last ever high school home game. As their high school careers come to a close, the graduating class recognized their growth and accomplishments, cherishing every team memory, from locker room bonding to tough defeats.
Claire: I’m Claire Anderson. I am a senior, and I play center forward or winger.
Kylie: Kylie Anderson. I’m in 12th grade, and I play goalie.
Sara: Hi, I’m Sara Glusman. I’m a senior, and I play center back.
Gia: My name is Gia Emilie. I’m a senior, and I play striker, defender and keeper.
Claire: It kind of hasn’t hit me yet that I will never play on this field again. I got on the field, and it kind of didn’t feel different. I felt natural. I felt ready to play. It’s my home field.
Kylie: I remember coming out here as a freshman. It was a little scary because we only have a varsity team. And so you come out, you’re freshly out of middle school, a little 14 year old, and all of a sudden you’re playing with 17, 18 year olds. But in terms of leadership and everything, I’ve definitely seen myself grow. It’s a really different environment from everywhere else that you play soccer because there’s so many different people with so many different soccer backgrounds. You get such a mix of experience levels and everything. So it really challenges leadership; it challenges everybody on the field in different ways.
Sara: Our team this season had a lot of chemistry on and off the pitch. And as for myself, I’ve gotten lots of confidence on the field compared to my freshman year, which was pretty rough.
Kylie: There were definitely a lot of emotions. I was happy with how we played. It was a good game to end on our home field. I was happy with how the team did. It was a little sad because I’ve been playing all four years here, and I’m gonna miss all you guys. I couldn’t have really asked for anything better. I think we went out and gave it our all.
Claire: You go down to the locker room, and Aanya Sharma (10) is doing handstands and just the surprise that you get from these random people you see in the hallways. That’s my favorite thing.
Sara: The games are important, and how we perform is important, but at the end of the day, it’s not really what I remember. Even if we lose, what I remember is the good memories with the team of playing Among Us on Zoom. I’m definitely gonna remember that one.
Gia: I’m really disappointed that I’m not gonna be there. Not just because of my senior night, but I also wanted to be there to support the other seniors. It’s just really unfortunate.
Kylie: Honestly, the things that I remember the most, I would say the team bonding moments, all of our Secret Santas, just all of the time that we spend together as a team I think are really special. And then obviously, the good wins, the good results, even if it’s not a win. Our last few ties have been really good. Just overall my entire senior season has been really special.
Claire: I was just sad in the last two minutes when I realized, wait, it’s over.
Sara: It was kind of bittersweet because I know it’s my last game on this field, and I’ve made lots of good mem––Don’t look at me like that, I’m gonna cry––I’ve made lots of good memories with this team and on this field, so I was kind of sad. At the same time, I always have fun playing with my team, so I wasn’t too sad.
Gia: It’s a bunch of lasts this year, so I’m really just trying to make the most of the last few weeks that we have.
