Harker basketball player #34 soars down the floor of the court, a quick cross into a stepback sending the defender flying and leaving her with a wide-open shot. In one fluid motion, senior Isabella Lo sends the ball cleanly through the air, and it sinks smoothly into the hoop for a clean three-pointer.

Before every game, Isabella and the rest of the Harker varsity girls basketball team sit together to enjoy a pre-game snack of bagels and spreads of the plain, strawberry and chive varieties. Between bites of cream cheese and stories of the week, this team extends beyond just basketball into the connections they build, the support they give one another and the shared victories, both on and off the court.

“Last year, a lot of people were complaining that they were hungry before games and practices,” Isabella said. “Because of that, the parents came together and decided to bring bagels before the games. They’d bring the bagels, we’d eat the bagels. We laugh at each other spreading cream cheese, getting cream cheese on our fingers; sometimes we eat three bagels before the game. It builds the character of the team, and that translates onto the court as well.”

As the team’s point guard, Isabella’s job is to orchestrate the flow of the game, set up offensive plays and ensure that everybody is in the right position. Regarding the team, Isabella acknowledges how no matter how talented a single player may be, they cannot win games without the support and contribution of their teammates. 

“You have to trust each other,” Isabella said. “There’s no world where we can play one on five. You can’t do it. You have to be able to trust that they’ll be there on the defense, trust that they’ll rotate over. It doesn’t matter how good you are individually, without teammates around you who contribute, you’re not going to go anywhere as a team.”

Similarly, when Isabella hangs out with her friends, she consistently extends the same sense of support and care. Her natural ability to connect with others appears evident in both her role as a teammate and as a friend. Close friend senior Naiya Daswani, who first met Isabella in advisory in their frosh year, notices Isabella’s ability and efforts to uplift those around her.

“I’ve seen her go the extra mile to do something really well or make someone else feel happy, to cheer someone up or crack a joke,” Naiya said. “Over the years, she’s also become a leader with the team; she really does help everyone out. If you’re struggling with a play, she’ll help you. If you’re struggling with the drill, she’ll help you. A lot of girls on the team look up to her because of those qualities.”

Both in her school and club teams, Isabella recognizes success as not solely about physical skill. Having played basketball with some of her teammates for nine years, Isabella cultivated deep, lasting connections with those around her. 

“A lot of times you have to be there a few minutes before practice to get ready and you’re going to get to know your teammates through that,” Isabella said. “You’re talking about, ‘how’s your day?’ ‘How’s it going?’ You build those relationships, those bonds, through time spent together. When you’re just doing dynamics, up and down, it’s a good time to talk to people, to understand them a little bit better.”

Off the court, Isabella similarly values the importance of building these meaningful connections to those around her. Close friend senior Audrey Feng, who met Isabella in frosh year, first met her through both being involved in sports, and they became good friends after having many shared classes that year.

“We share a lot of common interests, like sports,” Audrey said. “But we also talk about other things: we recommend each other books since we have similar tastes, and we’ve recently started talking about music — we have very, very different tastes in music. But she always puts in effort to be open-minded. She’ll actually read and listen to the stuff I send her.”

Isabella also participates in Harker’s journalism program, where, whether writing an article with fellow journalists or working to meet an upcoming deadline, she thrives in a collaborative environment where everyone is committed to helping one another succeed. She joined the program in frosh year, and currently is one of the managing editors for Aquila, where her leadership in this role mirrors the same qualities she brings to the basketball court — namely, collaboration, dedication and a deep sense of community.

“Struggling together is better than struggling alone,” Isabella said. “What’s good about the journalism community is that you have other people who you can turn to for help. That community aspect is very strong, especially during production night. People are just willing to help you. Even though they’re busy with their own stuff, they’re always willing to put it down for a few minutes and help you brainstorm a little bit.”

During her junior year, Isabella held the position of opinions editor, where she wrote both personal opinions and editorials to represent the viewpoints of the entire journalism staff. Beyond writing articles for the section, she also edited others’ opinions and trained her assistants in how to approach editing articles with an open mind, emphasizing the importance of staying open to differing perspectives.

“You read this opinion, and you might not like it or agree with it,” Isabella said. “A big part of editing opinions is how to approach editing an article you don’t agree with. You have to be more open minded and more flexible in your thinking, and can’t be too confined. It’s eye-opening, and you can apply that thinking beyond just journalism — how to talk to people with different opinions, how to approach those conversations.”

Her open-mindedness translates into her academic approach, where Isabella applies a thoughtful perspective in the classroom. English Department Head Dr. Pauline Paskali, who taught Isabella in both her frosh and junior years, observed how these qualities were evident in her work.

“She was very much an integral contributor to our discussions,” Dr. Paskali said. “She’s always very meticulous in her preparations. It was nice to see the sparkle in her eye when she’d come up with some insights, and sometimes folks in the class would nudge her to contribute something from their small group to the class. She has a deep thoughtfulness, she wants to say stuff that’s true, that’s accurate, that’s meaningful. I don’t think she ever felt she had to have all the answers, but she started to enjoy raising questions.”

From Isabella’s role on the court to her work on journalism and in the classroom, she consistently values collaboration and support, always placing the team above individual achievement. Reflecting on her experiences, she offers insight into how perseverance and a belief in her own potential have shaped not only her athletic career but also her character.

“If you give up too early in basketball, you’re not going to have those moments that are truly impactful,” Isabella said. “Basketball teaches you how to play through a lot of adversity. You can’t approach struggles with a mindset that you’re going to fail. You have to approach it with this belief in yourself: ‘I will figure this out. I just need to figure out how.’”