![“[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)
FEM Club hosted a Q&A with female teachers who worked in male-dominated fields in collaboration with Women in STEM (WiSTEM) on March 18.
History teacher Carol Green shared anecdotes from her experience as a political science major. Math teacher Anu Aiyer encouraged female students to take chances in both college and work despite uncertainties about self-worth.
“When an opportunity presents itself, take it,” Dr. Aiyer said. “I feel like girls and women think, ‘Should I do it? Will I do a good job? What if I don’t do a good job?’ By that time, some guy who is probably more clueless does the job. Girls are capable. You’re there for a reason, and you’ll figure it out.”
Computer science teacher Swati Mittal and chemistry teacher Mala Raghavan highlighted the different hierarchical dynamics in the US work environment compared with India. Dr. Raghavan reflected on her mother’s story when pursuing a degree in college only for the principal to favor a male alternative, who he believed would actually make a living.
“[My mother’s] seat was given away even though she had better scores, so my mother was always obsessed with me getting an education and that was part of the reason why I ended up doing PhD and post-doc,” Dr. Raghavan said. “I realized now that to have some kind of economic independence is huge for women. I got an education in chemistry, and science is universal, so it was convenient for me to get a job and to do anything.”
FEM Club officer Isabelle Niu (10) moderated the discussion, asking the teachers questions regarding their career journeys.
“Hearing what the teachers had to say about their role models was very eye-opening,” Isabelle said. “Their personal experiences influenced them to pursue the path that they picked.
I loved when Dr. Raghavan talked about the differences in opportunities that her grandma, her mom and her generation had, and the experiences of the women in three different generations.”
FEM Club co-president Rithika Yamasani (12) helped organize the FEM Club events for Women’s History Month and invited the teachers to talk about their stories.
“I was excited to hear especially about the transition from India to the US with the different norms for boys and girls,” Rithika said. “What resonated with me was not to be afraid to ask questions. Since we’re all heading into college, which is where we decide what we want to do with our life, I think it’s important to hear from other people who have been in the same situation.”
Additional reporting by Kristiyan Kurtev and Saria Lum.
