![“[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)
Photo Slideshow Sept. 9
September 23, 2025
Categories:
More to Discover
About the Contributors
Ram Batchu, TALON Senior Photo Editor
Ram Batchu (12) is a Senior Photo editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is his fourth year on staff. This year, Ram hopes to improve his own photography skills as well as the skills of everyone else on staff by encouraging them to cover more events. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows and hanging out with friends.
Disha Gupta, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief
Disha Gupta (12) is an Editor-in-chief of Humans of Harker, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Disha hopes to honor the Harker community and celebrate every senior. In her free time, she loves to cook with friends and family.
Jasmine Hansra, TALON People & Seniors Editor, Organizations Editor
Jasmine Hansra (12) is a People & Seniors editor and Organizations editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Jasmine looks forward to working with everyone on the Harker Journalism team and improving her writing and InDesign abilities. In her free time, she loves to play water polo, read and spend time with her dogs.
Emma Lee, TALON Student Life Editor
Emma Lee (11) is a Student Life editor for the TALON yearbook, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Emma hopes to engage more with the Harker community through writing articles and compiling this year’s yearbook. In her free time, she loves to play volleyball, paint and listen to music.
Sam Li, Features Editor
Sam Li (11) is a Features editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is his third year on staff. This year, Sam hopes to expand his multimedia skills. In his free time, he likes to play soccer and water polo and explore his interest in photography.
Victoria Li, Humans of Harker Managing Editor
Victoria Li (11) is a Managing editor for Humans of Harker, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Victoria hopes to improve her photography skills and improve timeliness. In her free time, she loves to sing, listen to music and spend time with friends and family.
Ashley Mo, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief
Ashley Mo (12) is an Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Ashley hopes to connect with staff members and create cohesive, creative designs. In her free time, she loves playing golf, listening to music and driving anywhere and everywhere.
Samaara Patil, TALON Photo Editor, Sports Editor
Samaara Patil (11) is a Photo Editor and Sports editor for the TALON yearbook, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Samaara hope to attend more sports game and create captivating spreads with better photos. In her free time, she loves to run and watch Brooklyn 99.
Lily Peng, Sports Editor, Photo Editor
Lily Peng (11) is a Sports editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Lily looks forward to improving her photography skills, showcasing the voices of the community through meaningful pieces and spending more time with the journalism fam. Outside of journalism, she likes taking 0.5 photos, watching trashy shows and laughing with her friends.
Kairui Sun, Harker Aquila Managing Editor
Kairui Sun (12) is a Managing editor for Harker Aquila, and this is his fourth year on staff. This year, he hopes to shoot more multimedia and portraits and raise social media engagement. Outside of journalism, he enjoys playing the piano.
Jonathan Szeto, Winged Post Managing Editor
Jonathan Szeto (12) is a Managing editor for the Winged Post, and this is his fourth year on staff. This year, Jonathan looks forward to experimenting with innovative page designs and improving his photography skills. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing piano and violin.
Claire Tian, STEM Editor
Claire Tian (11) is a STEM editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Claire looks forward to improving her photography and hearing new perspectives from the Harker community. In her free time, she likes going on walks and listening to music.
Katie Tcheng, TALON Managing Editor
Katie Tcheng (12) is a Managing editor for the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Katie wants to cover lots of events and be a strong leader for TALON staff. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, going thrifting, and taking photos.
Chelsea Xie, A&E/Lifestyle Editor
Chelsea Xie (11) is an A&E/Lifestyle editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Chelsea aims to create innovative page designs for Winged Post and publish a broader range of content for A&E/Lifestyle, with an emphasis on strong photography. Chelsea dances for Harker Dance Company and enjoys cooking and baking in her free time.
Tiffany Zhu, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief
Tiffany Zhu (12) is an Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Tiffany looks forward to bonding with the journalism team and sharing engaging stories. In her free time, she enjoys cafe hopping and watching all genres of TV shows and movies.