![“[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)
Internationally acclaimed author visits as part of Speaker Series
Emmy award-winning ABC 7 news anchor Cheryl Jennings interviews internationally renowned author and philanthropist Khaled Hosseini on November 30 at the Upper School. Hosseini became a New York Times bestselling author with his two books The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Khaled Hosseini, New York Times bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, talked about his humanitarian work and upcoming novel yesterday as part of the Speaker Series event.
The event commenced at 7:30 p.m. and was moderated by Emmy award-winning ABC 7 news anchor Cheryl Jennings. Hosseini began by commenting on how he set out to dispel the myths and misconceptions about Afghanistan as a result of what he called the “longest war the US has ever fought.”
In Hosseini’s opinion, Afghanistan receives a disproportionate amount of attention in the media because of the war and attacks by insurgencies such as the Taliban.
Hosseini recounted that many have told him that they have a more realistic understanding of the war-torn nation after reading his novels. He further hopes that the conflict will end and Afghanistan will stabilize.
“No war has ever ended without the two sides sitting down on the same table,” Hosseini said.
When asked about his advice for young aspiring writers, he said to simply keep reading and writing.
“As a boy in Kabul I wrote little stories,” Hosseini said. “Writing fiction feels like a compulsion that I couldn’t do without.”
Hosseini has established the Khaled Hosseini Foundation to alleviate the harsh living conditions of countless Afghanis. The organization especially reaches out to young people to help the cause.
“[Many organizations] need the creative juices of somebody fresh out of high school,” Hosseini said.
Sophomore Sidhart Krishnamurthi was one such person. He was inspired to invite Hosseini to speak after he discovered the severity of the situation in Afghanistan.
“I read the book The Kite Runner and wanted to make a difference,” Sidhart said. “I noticed that the foundation was explained on the book’s back cover.”
In addition to the main event, a private reception was held an hour earlier in Nichols Hall. Guests had the opportunity to meet Khaled Hosseini, learn more about the foundation, and ask questions they may have had.
Freshman Brenna Jensen’s parent Dan Jensen attended the function to become more aware of what is happening in Afghanistan.
“I came to this speech because I am not only a huge fan of The Kite Runner and have read it multiple times, but I really want to make a difference and help with the situation in Afghanistan,” Jensen said. “This was one way for me to take my first steps towards doing that and at the same time I got to meet Mr. Hosseini.”
According to many attendees, the event educated and inspired those who wanted to learn more about improving the situation in Afghanistan and help raise money for the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...