![“[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)
- December 17Festive cheer and family traditions
- December 17Predictions for the 67th Grammys
- December 17Embrace winter magic with Aquila
- December 16Tiny love stories: End of year nostalgia
- December 14Junior varsity boys basketball trails behind Mountain View 36-43
- December 14Downbeat dazzles crowds at annual holiday tour
- December 13Annual Winterfest celebrates community and holidays
- December 12Destress Week helps students unwind before finals
- December 11Gingerbread house building inspires class spirit
- December 10Ease into finals prep with Aquila
![“I would worry about what other people thought about me, what my teammates were thinking. I got way too focused on that, so after a while, soccer wasn’t fun for me anymore. [But,] the school team is an environment where you can experiment and be creative with the ball, if you’re willing to take those chances, and I was able to do that," Muthu Panchanatham ('22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MuthuPanchanathamHoH_EshaGohil-675x900.jpeg)
![“When you play soccer, you have more of a team mentality. You learn to accept people’s mistakes and keep moving forward from that, even though they might lead to a goal. [To me,] that is a good foundation for any friendship," Kate Leafstrand ('22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KateLHoH_EG-547x900.jpeg)
![“I feel like [my diverse extracurriculars has] shaped me as a person. It allowed me to connect [with] a lot of different people [and] meet a lot of new communities. This whole aspect of connection is really important. I value meeting new people and learning about people's cultures and backgrounds," Camilla Lindh (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CamillaLindh_EshaGohil-582x900.jpeg)
![“I can view [art] this [way] and another person based on their unique experience can view it in a completely different way. It’s because we have so many diverse perspectives, that makes art history subjective, but also really enriching because you can always gain new insights from talking to another person and hearing what they have to say about how they view a piece of art," Melody Luo (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MelodyLuo_EG-613x900.jpeg)
![“People think about debate as some holier than thou activity where two white dudes in suits talk really pompously and get out their points. Debate is high schoolers chugging Red Bulls at 10 p.m. because the tournament doesn't end until midnight, they both smell, [since] they don't have time to shower in the morning, and they probably haven't eaten," Deven Shah (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DevenShah_EG-667x900.jpeg)
![“One of the lessons [the coaches] teach us is that when you're tired and when you end [feeling] like you want to quit, you need to work harder and give it 10 more minutes, and then you're going to be done. Put your all into every ball and focus on the current shot. And don't think about the future, right? Because if you hit a good current shot, the other person might hit the ball in the net," Anishka Raina (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AnishkaRainaHoH_EG-596x900.jpeg)
![“[Art is] a really good way to let out all your emotions. For someone like me, who is not very good at communicating their emotions very well, art is a really good place to dump all your feelings into if you don't like saying it by word of mouth. You can do anything with art. There's honestly no right or wrong way to do art, so whatever you want to do, you can do," Ray Ka (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RayKaHoH_EshaGohil-596x900.jpeg)
![“[My multiracial perspective] comes into play for a lot of things — trying to look at an issue from multiple perspectives, to keep in mind the needs of multiple communities. Some health issues impact different communities in different ways, so [it’s important to look] at culturally aware approaches to healthcare," Natasha Matta (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NatashaMattaHoH_EshaGohil-596x900.jpeg)
![“Golf takes a lot of methodical thinking and calculations. Various factors, like the slope of a hill or the green or the wind or your current lie [angle], everything plays a factor in golf. You have to think about all those factors as you take that shot. That’s something that resonates with me; I like to think things through before I do [them]," Raj Patel (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rajpatelhoh_eshagohil-703x900.jpeg)
![Student Diversity Coalition representatives Uma Iyer (12) and Brooklyn Cicero (12) introduce Challenge Day on Friday. “[Challenge Day] was truly a transformative experience,” Brooklyn said in her speech. “It brought me a lot closer to my peers and allowed me to get very vulnerable with them, something that was a bit hard to do at first, but eventually I got used to it.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DSC_3179-e1631074854549-900x634.jpg)
![“Everything I do is worth it because it creates an impact. It brings me the greatest joy to see [my family and friends] feel heard, understood and happy,” Sophie Wang (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/SophieWang_EshaGohil_HoHPhoto-596x900.jpg)
![“I think people see [dependence] as a weakness. Generally, you're supposed to be independent, and, I think that's generally the picture of toughness or resilience. But I think there's something much more beautiful about dependence and vulnerability, just being okay, trusting other people to help you out,” Arya Maheshwari (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AryaMaheshwari_EshaGohil_HoHPhoto-900x596.jpg)
