![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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)
Class of 2026 attended the Senior Retreat, where they participated in teacher and alumni-led workshops and seminars to prepare for the upcoming year on Aug. 20.
Seniors listened to a panel of alumni from the Class of 2025 hosted by Director of Alumni Relations Caren Furtado. Maya Affaki, Stephanie Bossalina, Steven Jiang and Arthur Wu advised seniors on how to handle the college application process and make the most out of their senior year, emphasizing tips like only worrying about aspects they can control.
Students then attended two sessions of teacher-led workshops, like “Poetry Refresh” with English teacher Pauline Paskali to manage stress or “Keeping the Balance” with Academic Counselor Kelly Leahy McKeown to cultivate teamwork before a rigorous school year.
“Ms. Leahy McKeown’s Blindfolded Jenga was a new team game that I hadn’t played before, so it fostered collaboration,” senior Umair Paranjpye said. “Working with others was my favorite part because everybody had different roles in the game. For example, you had both some hecklers and some guides. I worked with people I’m not normally friends with, so it was a good experience.”
Administrative Assistant to the Upper Division Head Michelle Martinez planned the Senior Retreat and enjoyed seeing the students reunite.
“The best part of the day was when everyone was arriving, lining up for their t-shirts and catching up on what they’ve been doing over the summer,” Martinez said. “Senior Retreat is important because it gets you into your mindset of starting senior year and the overall importance of community before the real work starts.”
In Patil Theater, Upper School Head Paul Barsky acknowledged the workload and stress of senior year and encouraged students to face new challenges with the saying “and that too.”
Senior Class Dean Meredith Cranston led students through an activity to create a personal mantra for fostering positivity and guidance in Nichols Auditorium. She emphasized visualizing success to keep morale up through the stress of classes and college applications. After her speech, seniors were instructed to write letters about what they wish to accomplish in the year to their future selves.
“In Harker, self-deprecation is really common, so we all really needed that speech,” senior Anna Wang said. “Reminding yourself to stay grounded and that you’re better is helpful when you’re really stressed. [Cranston] gave concrete examples of imagining the best version of yourself, which is a helpful strategy to not stress out when balancing everything that we have to do.”
To close the day, students enjoyed a barbeque dinner and recessed to swim, play on the field or enjoy the bouncy castle on Davis Field.
“Any moment to relax and just do whatever is nice,” senior Simon Kirjner said. “The higher anxiety from colleges means that we need slime or sudoku or painting rocks to take unstructured time for ourselves. One main takeaway is to know when to relax, hang out with my friends and not worry about school for a bit.”
