![“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)
The Athletic Department honored seven seniors during the annual college sports signing ceremony in the Zhang Gymnasium on April 20.
Athletic Director Dan Molin gave a brief speech to kick off the ceremony, emphasizing that while being recruited in collegiate athletics is impressive, it is not the main goal of the athletic program. He highlighted the different versions of success in sports and that the program focuses on developing all athletes, no matter their circumstances.
“I’m always very proud of what we do here at Harker and what these kids do specifically,” Molin said. “The way they manage to balance their sport at a high level and academics at a high level — they really are the high definition of a student athlete. Student being first, and then an athlete to help supplement and help them get into the college of their choice.”
Seniors Alejandro Cheline, Maryanne Davies, Pavith Khara, Sophia Ou, Brady Tse, Vivek Yella and Koby Yu thanked those who supported their journey to this achievement before signing the certificate declaring their commitment to their respective universities.
Pavith has played tennis for 13 years and reflected on the significance of the ceremony while highlighting the benefits for the Harker community.
“I definitely think that on some level all of us have sacrificed so much,” Pavith said. “Whether it be missing school to travel or missing hanging out with friends to go to practice and stay disciplined. Obviously, people would know that we play the sport outside of school, but I feel like it’s really important for us to be able to say our thanks to everyone who supported us.”
After formally signing the certificates, friends, family and coaches joined the athletes for pictures. They brought the seniors flowers, handmade posters and unique decorations in celebration for their accomplishments. Close friend Celina Xu (12) shared her excitement for Maryanne’s milestone.
“I was very happy and proud of Maryanne because she’s my friend,” Celina said. “She’s been doing track for a long time, and it’s been nice to see her finally commit to a college and continue running even past high school. We wrote nice messages for her on a shiny heart-shaped balloon to appreciate her achievement.”
Below are the recruited seniors, their sports and their colleges:
Alejandro Cheline will play water polo at Fordham University.
Maryanne Davies will run track at Macalester College.
Pavith Khara will play tennis at Bowdoin College.
Sophia Ou will run track at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Brady Tse will run track at Stanford University.
Vivek Yella will play golf at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Koby Yu will play squash at Bowdoin College.
