![“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)
Seniors met with their fifth-grade Eagle Buddies for the final time on Thursday at the Bucknall Campus, closing out the three years they spent together.
Eagle Buddy groups reunited in the gymnasium, ate lunch together on the field and participated in outdoor activities. Some groups made lanyards and decorated coloring pages at tables and others played soccer and wallball on the field and blacktop. Additional activities included card games and ping pong.
Senior Allison Hoang played basketball with her buddies during the event and cherishes the connection she has formed with her group over the past three years.
“I didn’t have an Eagle Buddy when I was a [lower schooler], so I didn’t know anything about the program,” Allison said. “Going to the lower school and seeing all the seniors interact with their Eagle Buddies really showed me how connected the Harker community is. The seniors want to give back to the Eagle Buddy program they were a part of when they were little.”
Seniors and their Eagle Buddies gathered back in the gymnasium, where fifth graders Connor Campbell and Nia Arun and seniors Leana Zhou and Jackson Powell gave short speeches of gratitude for the Eagle Buddies program. They reflected on the friendships that came from interacting with one another so closely.
“The first time I met my group, I could immediately tell this was going to become one of my favorite high school experiences,” Leana said. “It really takes you away from all the stress and all the worries you have during the day. I’ve learned about [my eagle buddies’] interests, their likes and dislikes, and seeing them perform on stage just a couple of months ago was honestly the best feeling in the entire world.”
As part of his speech, Connor wished the senior class the best as they finish their upper school career.
“When Mr. [Walid] Fahmy asked me to do the speech, I was a little nervous at first,” Connor said. “What am I supposed to say to my Eagle Buddies, who are graduating high school? And then I realized that it’s pretty simple. Congratulations on getting to the end of high school. Thank you for being a great example to us. And even if you didn’t notice, we learn from you every single day.”
Fifth graders headed back to their classrooms and the seniors boarded the bus back to the upper school to conclude the event. Senior MacEnzie Blue discussed her experiences as both a fifth-grade and senior Eagle Buddy.
“Eagle Buddies is really nostalgic because I remember so vividly being on the other side of it as a fifth grader,” MacEnzie said. “I loved my Eagle Buddies so much, and I thought they were the coolest people ever. That’s why it’s really important to me to be good role models to the Eagle Buddies I have now.”
