![“[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)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasn't making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable," Carter Chadwick ('22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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)
![“[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)
![“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)
![“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)
Each year new students join the community and help perpetuate a diversity of passions, experiences, and aspirations that flourish on campus. Reflecting on their first couple months of attending the Upper School, sophomores and juniors share their backgrounds and their stories of adjusting to a new environment.
Transferring from Prospect High School, sophomore Brandon Aguilar joined the Upper School community this year ready to experiment with new academic and extracurricular experiences.
His main motivation for switching schools was the strong academic program offered at the Upper School.
“My parents thought that it was a great opportunity for me to strive for the future,” he said. “I also wanted to set a good example for my sister, who still doesn’t know yet what it means to be ahead of the class.”
Brandon recognized the difficulty level of the classes to be the hardest part about being a new student. Although he struggled with the transition, he has ultimately found that they challenge him and allow him to learn more.
“It’s been very overwhelming with all the new challenges that have come up between the classes,” he said. “They ask more of you than usually what classes from Prospect asked. They require more time from you to put into them and more effort.”
As a new student, Brandon decided to try out a few new extracurricular activities as well. He is an athlete on the soccer team and a member of the Cancer Awareness Club. Since he hopes to be a doctor in the future, he plans on becoming a part of the Medical Club. He also said that joining the football team as a part of the offensive and defensive line in the beginning of the year has helped him settle into school life more smoothly.
“[The team] got me to be more social. They’ve been like brothers to me,” he said.
He has noted a pervasive sense of community throughout the campus to be one of the major differences between the Upper School and schools that he has attended in the past.
“It’s very interesting to see how everyone gets along between different grades. You still see seniors talking to freshmen,” he said. “The community is more friendly.”
Brandon’s favorite part about being a new student at the Upper School has been meeting new people and observing dynamics within the community.