![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.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)
Librarian Amy Pelman kicked off school meeting and announced the selection of books available for next year’s ReCreate Reading, showcasing a video featuring options from the over 30 books submitted by students. She then shared that Alex Myer will be featured as a guest speaker to talk on his book “Revolutionary,” one of the upcoming ReCreate Reading books.
Eagle Update hosts Charlotte Ludlow (12) and Pedro Castro III (11) followed by highlighting varsity boys volleyball player Aydin Mesic (10) and varsity girls lacrosse player Masha Sokolova (9) as the Athletes of the Week.
Conservatory representatives Mindy Truong (12), Jessica Skylar Chen (11), Léa Kandl-Zhang (11), Anya Lu (10) and Aarya Vaidya (10) recapped the orchestra’s recent performances at Boyce Hall in Los Angeles. They also invited students to the Spring Concert Elements choir program on May 1, an Earth Day-inspired concert featuring Dolce Voce, Rhapsody, Capriccio and other choir groups.
Business and Entrepreneurship teachers Michael Acheatel and Juston Glass informed the crowd of the Startup World Cup in partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures. Additionally, Glass urged students to attend a workshop on how to network presented by Business and Entrepreneurship teacher Patrick Kelly.
Green Team Vice President Elaine Zou (11) and officer Ishita Konakanchi (10) shared some upcoming events for Earth Week, including trivia, letter writing and student performances at Earthchella. Green Team will also celebrate Earth Day with speaker Mark Jacobson, professor of engineering and director of the Energy and Atmosphere Program at Stanford on Wednesday, April 22.
Language and Linguistics Club President Linda Zeng (12) and Vice President Raeanne Li (11) and Math Club president Jonathan Li (11) announced a collaboration between the two clubs on their spring puzzle hunt, a school-wide scavenger hunt with 11 logic puzzles spanning over two weeks.
Harker Oeconomia President Amishi Gupta (12) and Editor-in-Chief of “Equilibrium” Leana Zhou (12) shared the newest issue of “Equilibrium,” Harker’s student-run economics magazine. They invited students to submit to the next issue of “Equilibrium.”
ASB Student Events Committee members Sofia Shah (12), Andrew Shin (11) and Amber Wang (10) again reminded the audience to attend Earthchella. Outreach and Community Service Committee members Ameera Ramzan (11) and Ameya Choudhary (10) encouraged students to participate in a Martha’s Kitchen fundraiser by purchasing from student Incubator companies or donating canned goods.
For Holocaust Remembrance Week, English teacher Ohad Paran discussed his grandfather’s experience during the Holocaust and how he had survived in Auschwitz by shoveling coal for the trains entering and exiting the complex. Paran emphasized how the Holocaust had pushed ordinary people into unbelievable situations. From students at Branham High School posing in a swastika shape to two men being assaulted for speaking Hebrew in Santana Row, Jewish Affinity Group officers Shaina Cohen (12) and Abby Rose Sachse (11) discussed the increase in antisemitism and its proximity to Harker in recent years. Concluding the school meeting, they urged the crowd to honor victims of the Holocaust and to remember the consequences of hatred.
