![“[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)
!["[Interning] was a really eye-opening experience for me because before when I thought of San Jose, I thought of skyscrapers and tech firms and big companies, but working with my councilman, I realized that it’s a lot more than what it pretends to be. I realized that people are struggling even in my own community, and that was one of my blind spots. I hope that with community service and political activism, I can change that," Eric Fang (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EricFang_AnthonyXu_HoHPhoto-596x900.jpg)
![“The day before senior year started, we were driving on Highway 1, which is the really scenic route along the coast. I'm sitting there in the car with the three people that I love the most in the world [— my mom, my dad and my sister]. Being able to try new things, like buying avocados on the side of the road and trying honeycomb for the first time, to go on hikes and then appreciate the beautiful scenery, while listening to music that we all love — it's a luxury. As I'm leaving for college, it's probably something that will happen less and less, so it means a lot because it's a memory we’ll all share and treasure,” Allison Jia (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AllisonJia_HelenZhu_HoHPhoto-680x900.png)
![Parts of 15 orange and black masks that Will Yashar (10) 3D-printed lie on a table. “It was nice to see everyone helping for the common good, that was inspiring,” Will said. “Everyone’s helping in their own way, [this] was just the way I could help.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/image4-2-900x606.jpg)
![“[The feeling of teaching a kid something new] is just inspiring, honestly, because you just see them light up as soon as they understand that new concept and you can just see it click in their brain. What I really love is that you're just able to provide a positive experience for this kid and just improve their life by helping them expand their knowledge base and even find a new passion,” Ronit Gagneja (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RonitGagneja_VishnuKannan_HoHPhoto-675x900.jpg)
![Extended periods of screen time can exacerbate the psychological challenges brought by the physical limitations of sheltering-in-place. “Making sure that we get away from that two-dimensional and [move] into that three-dimensional [is important],” counselor Lori Kohan said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/zippyglowhalf-1-e1588049467207-900x728.png)
- September 18Varsity football destroys BASIS 74-6 in season opener
- September 17School Meeting 9/12: Venture Investment Initiative, Milk Tea Mondays and LatinX Affinity Group Performance
- September 15Your guide to 10 new clubs at this year's Club Fair
- September 15School Meeting 9/8: Artist-in-residence, Eagle Update and Spirit Kickoff Winners
- September 15Music Monday: Ease Into Autumn with Aquila
- September 14Reshaping Renewables
- September 12Kirsten Edkins Quintet brings jazz to life in Concert Series
- September 12Editor’s Note: Planting seeds of growth
- September 8School Meeting 9/2: Robotics, Spirit Kickoff and evacuation drill
- September 8Music Monday: Celebrate the VMAs with Aquila