![“[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)
The Business and Entrepreneurship Department hosted the annual BEcon event and the Startup World Cup Harker National Youth Qualifier, giving student entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their businesses to peers and professionals under the theme “Make Waves” on April 18.
At BEcon, students toured businesses founded by fellow classmates and Harker alumni and tried out technology like a VR headset. A total of nine booths, including student businesses like Curlosophy, WrapIt and TEJA, displayed their products. First-time booth owner Stellan Lindh (10) cherished the opportunity to present his t-shirt brand Ablien, talk to students and observe other businesses.
“[BEcon] definitely helps student companies because it gets the word out there,” Stellan said. “You can get a customer-to-owner connection by talking to people directly and answering their questions about your product. It helps spread the word and creates reliability for your product and company.”
Attendees participated in business workshops led by students and professionals, ranging from Harker Economics Research Scholar Bella Chen (12), to the Director of Operations at Sephora Shivam Prasad. BEcon Vice President of PR Angelina Antony (11) believes the workshops helped her understand the nuances of creating a business and how to be more open-minded.
“All of the workshops were really inspirational, especially those that have people who have their own startups,” Angelina said. “I also went to Shivam Prasad’s Sephora workshop, and it really changed my outlook on life. Hearing these things from a lot of different professionals from different industries allows me to see what life looks like in the long run rather than staying limited.”
At the Harker National Youth Qualifier Startup World Cup, seven student entrepreneurs from both California and Texas, including one Harker student, Sophie Pellet (11), presented their products in front of a panel of four judges. The students had seven minutes total to present their business and answer questions from the judges.
Harker alumnus and Doordash co-founder Andy Fang (‘10) gave a talk with Anis Uzzaman, the founder CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures. The two discussed how Fang began Doordash and gave tips to students about entrepreneurship.
“One thing that is important for building a business is getting close to the product and understanding your users,” Fang said. “What all these investors are going to ask you about and what you have to figure out is, ‘how do you understand your customer?’ We were able to stand out because we actually understood the operational details much better than our peers.”
Uzzaman announced the finalists of the youth qualifier. Cookr, an education app that utilizes scrolling to help students focus on learning, won first place and $1000. Political education app Visibill placed second, and criminal rehabilitation app Beyond the Bars took third. took place in the Patil Theater.
