The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
Humans of Harker: Leading with every lesson
Humans of Harker: Leading with every lesson
“For me, discipline can only happen when I try the things that I really like. Since I like basketball and I like guitar, I'm willing to contribute to the discipline. It's not really discipline at that point — it's passion," senior Advay Monga said.
Humans of Harker: Dribble and drive
“Working on Roobi has taught me how to bounce back from failures, and that problems need to be addressed one bit at a time because you can't just tackle huge goals. I learned to not be afraid of failure because every failure is a step towards success. I try not to look back and wish I could change something because I can't. It's the past. Instead, I look forward," senior Daniel Dorfman said.
Humans of Harker: Steeped for success
“With volleyball and Medical Club, I love working with people. I get to work with people who aren't necessarily in my classes or aren't my friends specifically, but we get to work hard and work together towards a common goal. That collaboration aspect is really important to me," senior Navya Samuel said.
Humans of Harker: Cooperation through competition
“Human connection is very important to staying grounded and stable. The people around me are one of the reasons that I'm not fully burnt out, so I really prioritize keeping a good schedule for myself. Being able to prioritize the things in life that give me internal satisfaction is important to me because that's what allows me to have the drive to do good with the rest of my time. Talking to people is a way for me to replenish," senior Kashish Priyam said.
Humans of Harker: Pep in every step
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
“There's a lot of value in every moment and everyone around you. I appreciate people who just appreciate the little things. For me, I feel like everyone you meet can teach you a little bit, and that's something that I've really internalized over the years. I think that's part of why I like being around people and different communities so much. Because in each of these communities, you can learn so many different things from everyone," Olivia Xu ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Purpose towards progress
“I get to choose how much effort and detail I put in, and that’s what you’re going to see in the end. I love that you can see the truth on paper. A lot of my work is in black and white, so I can’t rely on color to cover it up or make it more interesting — I can only rely on my skill and willingness to go into the studio and add to my piece," Katelyn Zhao ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Envisioning the everyday
"I used to think that I have to keep doing dance just because it's what I’m known for. But now I’ve realized there’s beauty behind all the madness that happens. And it’s now a part of me, so not doing dance or not having Legos is like I’m losing a part of my identity," Luke Mehta ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Building with style
“Why not? So many things are very foreign or unknown to us, but there’s not much to lose by just trying things. I initially wasn’t very comfortable with DECA, especially with impromptu, but the community really helped me grow out of that. And DECA is now one of my top high school memories. Just giving things a try is really worth it, and if it fails, the worst thing that can happen is you just try something else," Claire Luo ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details
"Being a lifer, I really want to put my knowledge to use. Being a TEDx speaker is a really big honor in and of itself, but to be able to actually address the Harker community was really important to me because I wanted to have an impact on the place that I've been at for 13 years," Arissa Huda ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Prescribing change
"I’ve learned discipline: practicing a lot and then knowing what your strengths are, knowing where to improve. That discipline is definitely going to stay with me. If I’m trying to get a big piece of work done in general when I'm interested in it, I'll stop at nothing to reach my goals," Linette Hoffman ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Artistry in motion
"I have this philosophy with theater. I wholeheartedly believe that my life was made for the stage, and all my make or break moments have happened there. While some people learn best through lectures or visuals, I learn best from having a spotlight on me," Zubin Khera ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Scripts to success
"One of the most important things for me about performing is its transformative power. There was one concert where we were singing this commission about gun violence, followed by a piece about climate change, a piece about the Holocaust. Watching the audience's expressions and how they reacted to the music we were singing was the first time that I was like, ‘Whoa, music has the power to change lives and engender positive change,’” Sawyer Lai ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Symphony of spirit
"It’s been fun getting to know the chefs at La Mar, their team and how different cultural influences blend together. For example, they make ceviche, which is a traditional Peruvian dish, but they infuse it with many different cultures. They have a version of their ceviche which is inspired by African tastes and spices, and they also have a Japanese form of that same ceviche dish. I think it’s interesting to watch how these fusion dishes form," Alex Lan ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Flavors of knowledge
Prakrit Jain ('22) searches for new animal species to help the environment and wildlife.
Humans of Harker: Scorpion spotter
Arnav Gupta ('22) moves a DNA construction.
Humans of Harker: Coding for a cause
“[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.
Humans of Harker: Blast of creativity
"Every single person I've interviewed for Humans of Harker has said one killer quote that has stuck with me even through four years of high school, and I think I really do internalize those messages. There are nuances in every single person's experience that makes it unique to them and also makes it a good lesson for everyone else. It's just amazing to see how much wisdom every single person at Harker has, and it's fascinating to learn about those stories," Erica Cai ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: Harmony in humanity
“Something I took away from baseball is that there's always the opportunity to bounce back when things don't go particularly right. Even the best hitters only go one for three, so being able to push through that is one of the most important parts of the game. Being able to identify what goes wrong and learning from that is important to being able to find success in the future," Mark Hu ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: The perfect pitch
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
It's been obviously rough, turning on the news and seeing another death, seeing another acquittal every single time … but, ‘How much can I do?’ is the question I'm asking myself. ‘How much can I help, and what impact can I have?’” Brian Pinkston ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: For the future and the present
“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.
Humans of Harker: Leading with DECA-cation
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
“I feel really good about myself when I'm relaxed and enjoying the world. There’s so much to learn about the world and so many ways to do so," Daniel Wang ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Mapping the unknown
"I'm the person that always has a plan for everything. And then I have backups for the plan, and I have backups for the backups," Nicole Chen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Calendars for a cause
"I don’t ever intend on letting the internal love of life that I have leave me. As I grow up and I maintain my love for the random things I do, I know I’ll be happy– and hopefully people around me will be, as well," Mathew Mammen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Jack of all trades, master of fun
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
"The more serious side, people will never see. You'll never see who's behind one of these websites that people may be using," Neil Ramaswamy (12) said. "Several freshmen have approached me like, 'hey, you're the really funny guy at school meeting' and I'm like 'hey, yeah, nice to meet you' and at the same time they might be using an application that I've written not knowing that it's me. I kind of get that personal satisfaction knowing that there is a serious side to me, you just don't know about it."
Humans of Harker: Dueling with duality
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
“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.
Humans of Harker: Neymika Jain finds balance in life
“A lot of the time, when I’m out at nail salons, nailers ask me if I‘m Vietnamese. I say yes, but they say that I don’t speak the language and have never been back to Vietnamese, so am I really? I always felt disconnected, like I would be Vietnamese-American but never Vietnamese. When I went to Vietnam for the first time, it brought me closer to my culture. I realized I shouldn’t view myself as a different. I have to see Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese as one and the same," Haley Tran (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Haley Tran values her cultural identity
“One time, I was hiking up this giant off-trail path, and this is going to make me sound like a complete hippy, but what I was thinking at the moment was that every single tree out there must have had some sort of backstory. Even when I was walking to Shah, there was this tree right next to the building, and I was like, ‘Maybe this tree had a lot of other tree friends, but then this building came up and they had to get cut down.’ That made me pretty sad. So, when I was coming up with backstories for trees, it reminded me of my childlike innocence of playing pretend or playing with my stuffed animals because I thought my imagination would never run as wild as it once did. But, this experience made me feel happy because it’s something that I’ve lost, and I feel like I gained some of it back," Aashish Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Aashish Jain finds inspiration in painting through watching Bob Ross videos
“For me, robotics has always been a great way to learn about how to build things and how things work. Honestly, that is the reason why I love robotics. When you see everything working, you look at it and say 'I helped make this happen,' which is really really gratifying," Andrew Tierno (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Andrew Tierno reflects on his passion for robotics
“A lot of being a choreographer is about digging deep, understanding, and finding out which event leads to the next, which is basically what science is. You would take a circuit and break it apart to understand each of the components, and you would do that to a song,” Sneha Bhetanabhotla (‘17) said.
Humans of Harker: Sneha Bhetanabhotla learns to connect robotics and dance
“I can be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”
Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood
“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”
Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter
"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."
Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
Humans of Harker: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“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.”
Humans of Harker: Angel Cervantes chases his goals
“[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.
Humans of Harker: Learning to fall
“You just have to go for it. You think, 'In the future, if I think back and regret it, is that how I want to end up — or would I rather just try something and see what happens?' Usually, it turns out well,” Montek Kalsi (’20) said. 
Humans of Harker: All fun and games
“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.
Humans of Harker: Leadership and love
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“My core beliefs probably have not changed that much — my values are more or less aligned with what my family taught me,” Nastya Grebin (12) said. But in terms of personality, I have become much more open, much more welcoming of new experiences; I am not as afraid as I was of new things. I hope that I have become a little bit friendlier to people and a little bit more open. I used to really dislike positions that put me in charge of people, so I didn't like leadership positions, mostly because I was afraid of disappointment, of disappointing someone else. Now I've kind of let go of that, and if people rely on me, I take that as an honor — I take that as a responsibility, but also an honor.”

Humans of Harker: Nastya Grebin blends the best of both worlds

by Anna Vazhaeparambil • December 8, 2017

“We used to tease her that she was a Russian spy,” senior Lauren Russell said of her close friend Anastasiya “Nastya” Grebin (12). “She's like, 'No, I'm not Russian, I'm Ukrainian.' She lived...

“I think it was the moment when I stopped saying what I wanted to be or what I was, when I stopped identifying with things that I did or who I was, that I was able to be a lot more than that," Selin Sayiner (12) said. "How I define my family, or how I define my culture, or how I choose to define myself as a basketball player — rather than stuff like that, it became my choice. It was those moments where I decided that I could be what I wanted and do what I wanted, and it wasn't based on any other definition of myself, that I could be the person I am now.”

Humans of Harker: Selin Sayiner takes charge of her identity

by Jin Tuan, Reporter • December 7, 2017

Nike duffel bag slung over one shoulder, Selin Sayiner (12) navigates the hallways of Shah, starting conversations with just about anyone. Ask most seniors about Selin, and “basketball” is the first...

“We went up to San Francisco at 4 a.m. in the morning,” Yannick Bohbot-Dridi (12) said. “We got off a boat that dropped us off under the Golden Gate Bridge with some 300 other people who are cancer survivors and families of people who have faced cancer, and we swam in honor of everyone who had battled cancer. When we got into the water, we could barely breathe because it was so cold. It's like that feeling when your lungs feel like they can't expand. And you can't see anything. You can't even see a couple feet in front of you — I couldn't even see the swimmers in front of me, nothing. Every ten or so strokes, you have to lift yourself out the water and tread water a bit to see where you're at. I knew that doing this, on paper, had very little benefit towards me. I was swimming in the bay in the freezing cold bay on a Sunday morning. At the beginning, I thought, 'Yeah, I'm just going to help people,' but I did not expect to feel so happy after. I just felt grateful.”

Humans of Harker: Yannick Bohbot-Dridi finds purpose in the water

by Srinath Somasundaram, Reporter • December 6, 2017

A series of splashes sends ripples of waves through the water as Yannick Bohbot-Dridi (12) speeds across the pool. His body is a well-oiled machine, refined and optimized through extensive practice. “You...

"There are a lot of things that I do that are very questionable, but it's not as questionable because I've set this tone that I'm just going to do random stuff," Kristin LeBlanc (12) said. "I just do me, and I think people have learned to accept that.”

Humans of Harker: Kristin LeBlanc becomes comfortable with the uncomfortable

by Zoe Sanders, Reporter • December 5, 2017

From spontaneously singing “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber to wearing white Crocs with socks to school, Kristin LeBlanc (12) is notorious for her off-the-wall antics. As a Harker student since middle...

“I never go to bed angry," Ashna Chandra (12) said. "If I’m fighting with someone like a friend or my mom or someone, I always try to solve a problem before I go to bed. I just don’t like to go to bed with a bad state of mind. That’s just how I try to keep myself positive.”

Humans of Harker Ashna Chandra maintains a positive mindset

by Devanshi Mehta, Seniors Editor • December 4, 2017

Ashna doesn’t confine herself to one activity — DECA business conferences, nature hikes with family friends, rounds of golf and even kickboxing sessions all manage to fit into her schedule. One...

"Sarcasm is a pretty easy way to be funny without trying to make jokes, because you can be sarcastic anytime you speak," Tanay Kamat (12) said. "Even if someone’s in a bad mood or something, being sarcastic helps them laugh and gets them into a better mood and hopefully resolves any conflict."

Humans of Harker: Tanay Kamat’s work ethic underscores his sarcastic sense of humor

by Aditya Singhvi, Reporter • December 1, 2017

“Very talkative,” history teacher Carol Green said of senior Tanay Kamat. “And on point.” Whether he’s throwing an aptly-timed sarcastic comment or expressing genuine enthusiasm for a subject,...

“Yes, I want to achieve justice and equality in the world, why is that a bad thing?” Megan Huynh (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Megan Huynh debates for a cause

by Nina Gee, Reporter • November 30, 2017

Like many other Harker students, Megan Huynh (12) began her middle school career with a debate class and a hatred of public speaking. “My mom forced me to take the class,” Megan said. “I was really...

“The change may happen tomorrow, it may happen later in life, but being afraid is something I want to change,” Floyd Gordon (12) said. “I don’t think I’ve really stepped out of the box yet. When I give advice to people, I usually tell them that they can’t be shy or scared, they just have to do it. But that doesn’t apply to me all the time. Like everybody else, I’m somewhat hesitant too.”

Humans of Harker: Floyd Gordon reveals the personality behind the highlight reel

by Cameron Zell, Asst. Photo Editor • November 29, 2017

Senior Floyd Gordon prepares inside the boy’s locker room, his traditional song, AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” blasting through his headphones. As the game draws nearer, Floyd finds himself standing...

"I don't really care whether I'm entertaining by being the person you laugh with or the person you laugh at," Edgar Lin (12) said. "Sometimes it just feels good to do something that's kind of ridiculous.”

Humans of Harker: Edgar Lin amuses himself with the absurdities of life

by Rose Guan, Wingspan senior staff writer and designer • November 28, 2017

“He bikes to school; he's, like, the bike man. He eats with two knives using them as chopsticks every single day — when the chopsticks came, he still used the knives as chopsticks. When he does push-ups,...

“[Education is] just lagging right now," Ellen Minkin (12) said. "Sexual education, or just learning about the world. We live in a progressive era, but even we aren't being informed of a lot of things. We live in ignorance. I was put on this earth, and I feel like if I don't do anything, it’s just such a waste of a life. I actually want to make an impact, or else my life is pointless. I'm just a snowflake in a huge storm, and I want to make a change.”

Humans of Harker: Ellen Minkin campaigns for change, one conversation at a time

by Heidi Zhang, Humans of Harker Videographer • November 27, 2017

After years of driving to Lake Tahoe for weekly skiing competitions, Ellen Minkin (12) has earned the right to the nickname "weekend warrior." “The thing about skiing is, you're all alone and it's...

"One time I got this advice from this choreographer named Nicole Kirkland, and she was the choreographer for Prince for many many years, and she was talking about being a backup dancer and how important it is to be more than just your look because in the industry it's so much about your look," Haley Keller (12) said. "So she's just a redhead dancer, but she says, 'You know, you have to stop being just a redhead dancer and you have to start being called by your name. You have to stop just being a look. You have to be Nicole Kirkland. You have to be Haley Keller.' You have to stop being just somebody that is determined or auditioned by this. You have to be more than that.”

Humans of Harker: Haley Keller plays with character

by Kathy Fang, Photo Editor • November 17, 2017

Which names in the fashion industry evoke powerful images of bold personality which have broken past the confines of stereotypes and expectations? Ashley Graham, for one. Tory Burch. And soon, Haley Keller...

"I don't care about things, I care about people,” Mallory Millard (12) said. “A lot of times, people form connections for the wrong reasons. I value the relationships you have with people where you can just be with them, and be completely comfortable without saying a single word. If you can go over and nap at someone's house and they're just cool with it, or they nap too, I think that's a real friend right there."

Humans of Harker: Mallory Millard cares about human connection

by Farah Hosseini, Reporter • November 16, 2017

When photographing her subject, Mallory Millard turns her attention to the less noticeable features in a picture to fully capture every emotion portrayed. “When you see a picture of somebody and a...

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