![“[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)
The Women in STEM club (WiSTEM) invited members to celebrate the International Day of the Girl, on Tuesday, a global day recognizing girls’ rights and the challenges they have and continue to face.
The day honors the courage of girls worldwide who advocate for education and equality in their communities, especially those in areas like Gaza affected by conflicts. It was established in 2011 by the United Nations in hopes to promote gender equality and empower young women.
“International Day of the Girl is not just one day,” co-president Anika Gosh Basu (11), who notes that she has seen underrepresentation in research internships and STEM in general, said. “It’s every day, but what is special about this day is that it really calls attention to the challenges that need to be addressed. Every one of us can take action to help raise awareness for the issues that girls around the world are facing.”
Attendees watched a short video featuring Dr. Lina Abirafeh, Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Women, who spoke about the long-term effects of the pandemic on girls’ education and the ongoing fight for global equality.
WiSTEM Advocacy director Serena Chi (10), who specializes in community outreach, highlighted the goal of the event this year.
“[The day] is really about acknowledging women, especially girls, who have been on the forefront, for example, in Gaza, where they’re really contributing to preventing things happening in their communities,” Serena said. “During the pandemic, millions of girls stopped going to school and they’ve been prevented from going back.”
Participants wrote the names of different female activists on sticky notes and reflected on the impacts of these activists. These are posted on the WiSTEM bulletin board outside of science teacher Anita Chetty’s room in Nichols Hall.
The event ended with an interactive Bingo activity where participants shared knowledge about influential women in science, sports and activism. Co-director of Advocacy Celina Xu (12) hopes the meeting raised more awareness of women’s achievements.
“Everyone has their own passions and women’s equality is a very big branch,” Celina said. “I hope people will be inspired to be activists. For example, I’ve written about a songwriter who advocated for better rights for women. I hope people find whatever that sphere is for them and go forward with that.”
