![“[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)
Harker Robotics hosted its annual week-long introductory summer camp from Aug. 11 to 15, welcoming incoming frosh in Eric Nelson’s room and the lab. Club leadership taught the basics of designing and building a robot and held bonding activities.
Each morning and afternoon, campers rotated between two subteams of their choice, including design, electrical, game strategy, software, mechanical/machining and media. New robotics member Jackson Ryan (9) recalls his experience in the mechanical/machining and electrical subteams, appreciating the hands-on learning opportunities.
“We learned how to solder and how to use different machinery like a lathe or a milling machine,” Jackson said. “We also did field work by sawing and preparing wood pieces that are meant for the field. I like doing stuff with my hands mostly, and in this camp I also get to know who I’m going to be around next year.”
Additionally, the app development, outreach and public relations subteams gave the frosh a glimpse into the operations side of robotics through presentations.
Behind the scenes, Executive President Brenna Ren (12) coordinated registration and worked with subteam leaders to plan lessons, all while circulating between rooms to check in on students. After being a part of summer camp for four years, Brenna sees it as an essential introduction to the team’s culture and opportunities.
“It gives the incoming frosh a really good taste of what robotics is like in high school,” Brenna said. “It also helps them decide where in robotics they want to focus on, since we have an a.m. and p.m. subteam group, so they get to try out two different subteams. I’ve heard people talking about wanting to do drive team or other things like that. It just helps them get exposure to these different opportunities.”
Many of the student leaders guiding the sessions were once campers themselves. For mechanical/machining co-leader Angela Pang (10), this year’s camp felt like coming full circle.
“[Helping out with summer camp] is pretty fun because now I know how to get around the lab on my own,” Angela said. “I know how to operate the machines, so teaching others first helps me solidify my own understanding.”
After club fair takes place in September, the team will continue to train frosh to prepare for the offseason competitions and upcoming season.
