![“[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)
The second student in the school’s history to participate in such a level, sophomore Corey Gonzales placed 62 out of 204 runners in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 24 at Fresno.
Entering his first statewide meet, Corey revealed that he did not expect much from his last race of the season.
“State [championship] was just a bonus,” he said. “My goal this whole season was just to qualify and once I got there, I just wanted to go and see what it’s all about.”
He referred to this season as a “transition year,” shifting from splitting his efforts between running and wrestling to just focusing on the former.
In the days leading up to the big event, Corey continued practicing as if the regular season were underway. Head Coach Scott Chisam prepared skill specific workouts for Corey since he was the sole qualifier for the meet.
“Now that I know what it’s like, there are certain racing strategies that I can improve upon, but, other than that, I’m going to keep working at it like I have been,” Corey said.
Accustomed to being in the lead of any race, Corey noted the high-caliber of competition at the state level. According to Corey, due to the talent and skill level of the other competitors at State Championships, “there are [approximately] 20 people around you throughout the whole race.” The five-kilometer course tested Corey’s physical stamina and mental strength throughout its mountainous and rough paths.
Corey qualified for the State meet by placing fourth in CCS Finals on November 10 in Salinas. Now that the season has concluded, he says that he will veer his focus towards track and field, in which he will compete run in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters.