The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“After I joined choir, I realized how important a sense of community and belonging is. It’s not vital to having a good time in high school. Before that, I was perfectly happy in sophomore year. But joining choir in junior year gave me that sense of working toward a long-term goal together and trying to perfect it and practice it with other people," senior Harrison Chen said.
Humans of Harker: Exploring sound and science
“I want to be remembered as someone who helped my friends and people I know in the grades below to be able to appreciate all of our experiences together. I find it very inspiring to watch all my friends mature over time and want to help this community grow," senior Max Zhai said.
Humans of Harker: Mentoring the next generation
Humans of Harker: Bonds and bullseyes
Humans of Harker: Bonds and bullseyes
Humans of Harker: Piecing together a narrative
Humans of Harker: Piecing together a narrative
“When I was a VP, I had this urge to think, ‘I was a director last year. I know exactly what to do. I'm gonna do it myself, and then the directors can watch and take it on for the next year.' But then I had to realize that it's important to delegate and let them go through the hardship that it took me the year before. Even if they don't understand it, it's also important for them to go through that experience so that they can get to the point where I am now," senior Sanaa Bhorkar said.
Humans of Harker: Directing effort, coordinating action
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
Eva Cheng

Eva Cheng, Sports Editor

Eva Cheng (11) is a Sports editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her second year on staff. This year, she hopes to inspire a greater enthusiasm for athletics in the Harker community through engaging stories with creative angles.
In her free time, she loves to play soccer, read and spend time with friends and family.

All content by Eva Cheng
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Young baristas stir up success behind the counter

by Disha Gupta, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief
May 6, 2025
Harker Journalism staff poses in front of Pike Place in Seattle. Journalism students and advisers visited the city for the annual JEA/NSPA convention.

Sweepin’ through Seattle: Harker journalism staff attends JEA/NSPA convention

by Suhani Gupta, Eva Cheng, and Sam Li
April 26, 2025
Pike Place Fish Market fishmonger Hillary Sanger catches a fish in front of a crowd of onlookers.

Pique your senses at Pike Place Market

by Eva Cheng and Lily Shi
April 26, 2025
Beli-eve in exploration

Beli-eve in exploration

by Eva Cheng, Sports Editor
March 25, 2025
Junior Sofia Shah practices a technique to defend against an attack from the ground. CEO of Wushu Central Martial Arts Academy David Chang taught the class, demonstrating simple maneuvers that could prove life saving in an assault.

Women’s self-defense class teaches lifesaving skills

by Eva Cheng, Sports Editor
March 14, 2025
Junior Aanya Shah explains her painting to French teacher Galina Tchourilova. As part of the AP Art curriculum, students conduct a Sustained Investigation, which involves an in-depth exploration of a single idea.

AP Art classes unveil portfolio progress

by Suhani Gupta, Eva Cheng, and Charlie Wang
March 10, 2025
Whereas most WNBA players play outside of the United States during the offseason, Unrivaled offers them the opportunity to showcase their skills at home. Beyond remaining within the country, players can also earn sponsorships and gain visibility through playing in the league.

Unrivaled basketball league uplifts WNBA players during off season

by Isabella Lo and Jessica Wang
March 9, 2025
Jack Yang ('24) speaks about his commitment to Pomona Pitzer at the college athletics signing ceremony in May 2024. Jack played both club and varsity high school soccer.

College recruiting provides competition and community

by Emma Milner and Eva Cheng
March 8, 2025
Point guard Jillian Chen (9) drives to the basket to set up a shot. The Eagles' strong offensive start allowed them to jump to an early lead.

Varsity girls basketball suffers 51-54 loss against Menlo in CCS final, earns second place

by Emma Milner, Eva Cheng, Ashley Mo, and Suhani Gupta
March 4, 2025
Upper school head of school Paul Barsky waves a pompom to cheer on the Eagles. Students, faculty and families all packed the stands at Mission college to support Harker.

Guard Isabella Lo (12) evades Knights players as she carries the ball down the center of the court. While Harker created numerous opportunities for layups and shots, Menlo capitalized on free throws, allowing them to overtake the Eagles.

Center Emily Mitnick (12) shoots a layup. The Eagles gained the early lead, scoring the first six points of the game.

Shooting guard Claire Yu (11) runs down the center of the court to find a pass to a teammate. The Eagles maintained constant communication and dynamic movement to keep possession of the ball.

Guard Isabella Lo (12) chases down the ball on a fast break play. Point guard Jillian Chen (9) dove to the ground to win the interception for the Eagles, allowing Isabella a free run to the basket.

Seniors Rayan Arya, Advay Monga, Liam Jeffers and Kaleb Goldin jump to their feet to celebrate an Eagles basket. Throughout the match, the crowd stomped their feet and chanted encouragement at the team, filling the gym with energy.

Point guard Jillian Chen (9) shakes hands with Assistant Head of School Ken Allen after the match. Members of both Harker's athletic and administrative staff congratulated the team on their efforts.

The team poses for a photo during the post-match ceremony. “It's only the second time in school history that we made it this far, so I'm very proud of us and how hard we pushed ourselves,” center Emily Mitnick (12) said.

Gen Z refreshes Y2K fashion trend

Gen Z refreshes Y2K fashion trend

by Suhani Gupta and Eva Cheng
March 1, 2025
Point guard Isabella Lo (12) prepares for a layup during the third quarter. Isabella went on a seven point streak to extend the Eagles' lead to 56-18 by the end of the period.

Varsity girls basketball overwhelms Sacred Heart Preparatory 59-21 in CCS quarterfinal

by Eva Cheng and Caden Ruan
February 28, 2025
Shooting guard Lucas Huang (9) launches a backward layup during the fourth quarter. The Eagles capitalized on fast breaks to secure their 71-61 victory over Marina High School

Varsity boys basketball bests Marina 71-61 in CCS quarterfinal

by Young Min and Eva Cheng
February 27, 2025
Senior Rithika Yamasani shows sophomore Ameera Ramzan a secret phrase during a game of charades aimed to demonstrate the importance of clear communication. Students broke into small breakout sessions focused on specific club leadership skills after lunch.

Leadership Summit spotlights diversity and initiative for student organizations

by Eva Cheng, Sports Editor
February 24, 2025
Varsity girls soccer draws Notre Dame San Jose 0-0 on senior night

Varsity girls soccer draws Notre Dame San Jose 0-0 on senior night

by Eva Cheng and Tiffany Zhu
February 18, 2025
Varsity boys basketball players Lucas Huang (9) and Nolan Chen (12) take a photo together. “All my teammates around me, the energy that they had and the crowd had in the game was great,” Nolan said.

Varsity boys basketball clinches 82-67 senior night win over Crystal Springs Uplands

by Tiffany Zhu and Eva Cheng
February 16, 2025
Co-captain and shooting guard Advay Monga (12) shoots a basket. Advay has played Harker basketball since fourth grade.

Point guard Gary Jin (12) dribbles the ball down the court. “It was really important in this game for everyone to go out and have fun, especially since it’s one of our last games,” Gary said.

Shooting guard Rishaan Thoppay (11) prepares to make a pass. The Eagles maintained their lead, finishing the fourth quarter 82-67.

Shooting guard Caden Ruan (11) runs to make a layup while defending against Gryphons. The Eagles' offensive plays put them at a 45-21 lead at the end of the first half.

Co-captain and point guard Bowen looks to make a pass. Bowen sunk the last basket of the first quarter.

Seniors from the varsity boys basketball smile for a photo with their friends, family and coaches. Prior to their game, the seniors received posters and flowers during the ceremony.

Seniors Ian Gerstner, Steven Jiang and Nikhil Pesati boast posters during the ceremony. Although Senior Daniel Chen was unable to attend, Ian and Steven carried his posters for him.

Varsity boys soccer conquers Pinewood 2-1 on senior night

by Eva Cheng and Tiffany Zhu
February 15, 2025
Vova leaps into the air to battle a Pinewood defender for the ball. The Eagles fought hard throughout the entire match, working to win every match-up across the field.

Varsity boys basketball captains Vyom Vidyarthi, Advay Monga and Bowen Xia (12) lead a team huddle. The captains frequently take on the responsibility of motivating the team to improve on-court morale and performance.

Leaders of the pack

by Eva Cheng, Wenjie Zou, and Claire Xu
February 6, 2025
Varsity girls soccer player Audrey Yang (11) looks out into the bleachers while sitting on Davis Field. After close losses, athletes often feel the sting of their supposed failure, but reset routines help mitigate pressure.(Illustration by Elizabeth Zhang, Photo by Tiffany Zhu)

Overcoming performance pressure

by Eva Cheng, Sports Editor
February 6, 2025
Varsity girls basketball player Finley Ho (10) leans over the seat to talk to captain Emily Mitnick (12). On the bus ride to games, teammates share snacks and trade stories, taking the opportunity to grow closer off the court.

Cruising to camaraderie

by Eva Cheng, Sports Editor
February 5, 2025
Sophomore Xianyao He trains his gaze on the ball as he prepares to swing the paddle. Representing Team USA at a variety of international competitions, Xianyao was ranked fifth place nationwide by US Table Tennis 2024.

APEX: Mastering the mental game

February 5, 2025
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Junior varsity is not second place

by Sam Li, Assistant Sports Editor
January 22, 2025
On JV, without the pressure of varsity expectations, I played the full 90 minutes each game, improving drastically after every game. Rotating through each position, from defense and midfield to striker, allowed me to experiment and understand the game from every angle.

Harker Dance Company co-captain Serena Lau (11) stretches her muscles out in a lunge position. "Stretching and getting the muscles loosened up is really important for your full body range," Serena said. (Illustration by Eva Cheng, Photo by Tiffany Zhu)

Stressing the stretch

January 14, 2025
Amidst a flurry of fake snow, a woman captures a snowflake to show to the children. Snow machines shower guests with small clumps of white foam to simulate the magic of a white Christmas.

Festive cheer and family traditions

by Eva Cheng and Lily Shi
December 17, 2024
Computer science teacher Anu Datar emphasizes the importance of self-compassion when navigating one's personal and professional lives. "I have learned that I am my worst and harshest critic," Datar said. "I don't think anybody else has the same expectations from me that I set on myself.”

Women in STEM club teacher panel highlights balance and self-acceptance

by Eva Cheng, Co-Sports Editor
December 7, 2024
Running back Pedro Castro III clings to the football as Cougar defenders drag him down during the season opener match. The Eagles went 5-3 in the Pacific Coast Athletic League.

2024 recap: Fall sports highlights

by Eva Cheng and Tiffany Zhu
November 23, 2024
Untitled - November 12, 2024 13.44 4

APEX: Aiming arrows toward aspirations

by Young Min and Lily Peng
November 23, 2024
With experience in both high school and collegiate athletics, Christa Gannon shared her tips on navigating school and sports. She emphasized the importance of asking for help and being vulnerable in order to succeed.

Christa Gannon cultivates academic-athletic balance at Women in Sports Club speaker event

by Eva Cheng and Tiffany Zhu
November 22, 2024
Christy works on her math homework before her cheer practice. In addition to figure skating, Christy is also part of the varsity cheer team, performing at football and basketball games.

Mastering the balancing act

by Eva Cheng and Tiffany Zhu
November 22, 2024
While social media commonly portrays Pilates as a feminine and ineffectual style of exercise, Pilates is a powerful tool in promoting both physical and mental wellness. Emphasizing form and control, Pilates implements a mix of mat and machine exercises.

Strength beyond stereotypes

by Eva Cheng, Co-Sports Editor
November 20, 2024
Eliana raises her arm into the air, perfecting her backstroke form. With a total of five hours of training, Eliana finds every opportunity during her day to work on her school assignments to manage her workload.

Figure skater Christy Ma (11) laces up her skates before practice. She arrives at the rink at 5 a.m. to train before school, her morning training sessions filling her with energy for the rest of her day.

During a break between sets, Eliana takes a sit of water. On double training days, which she has twice a week, Eliana returns to the pool after school for another two and a half hours of practice.

Christy holds her leg behind her head to execute a scorpion spin. Training for two hours each morning, Christy hones her skills for competitions.

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