![“[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)
National Honor Society (NHS) inducted new members from the Classes of 2027 and 2028 during its annual ceremony on Monday in the Nichols Auditorium.
NHS adviser Christopher Davies, along with co-presidents Selina Wang (12) and Shimeka Sahu (12) and vice presidents Hannah Jiang (11) and Aanya Agarwal (11), highlighted the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, leadership, character and service — while officers lit candles for each pillar.
“Character is the force within an individual that distinguishes each person from others,” Aanya said. “It creates for each of us our individuality, our goodness. It is that without which no one can respect oneself, nor hope to attain the respect of others. It is this force of character that guides one. Character is not achieved and not received — it is the product of a constant thought in action and the daily striving to make the right choice.”
Current NHS members shared their volunteer experiences and explained the influence of their work in the local community. Junior Audrey Hu described her work teaching science and art to children with the San Jose Public Library, while senior Nikhil Sharma described his experiences teaching dance at a YMCA and the West Valley Library.
Junior Megha Unny spoke about volunteering at an organization called Speak Up for Kids, where she works with children to help them gain confidence skills through music lessons.
“When I met my first student, I realized it didn’t really matter if my lesson plans weren’t professional because the amount of joy he got from our classes just made me so happy,” Megha said. “My student has mild cerebral plasticity, so it’s really hard for him to play instruments. I asked him, ‘Do you have any experience with singing?’ He looked at me with the cutest smile and said, ‘Sometimes I sing in the shower.’ It made me more happy that I was able to make a difference in his life and get him to start singing outside of the shower.”
After the student speeches, Davies introduced mathematics teacher Bradley Stoll, this year’s faculty speaker. Stoll emphasized the importance of service and shared personal stories of volunteering to highlight how small acts help contribute to a meaningful difference.
“What I try to do is more on the street service side,” Stoll said. “We used to go to a house and gather every Wednesday evening, and [my close friend’s] parents served meals to about 50 people. We had done a meditation there, and she would make meals for us, and it was one of the most incredible acts of service I’ve ever seen anyone do.”
After the speeches, officers read out the name of the new inductees and handed them a certificate before each took photos with Davies.
“Members of our chapters serve as role models for other students,” Davies said. “Chapter members are leaders on campus. We volunteer at the upper school open house, help organize Harker Day, assist with the Eagle Buddies and provide ushers for graduation. We volunteer all over the South Bay in a wide variety of organizations. We are proud of the positive impact.”
