![“[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)
- November 16STEM Spotlight: HOSA
- November 16Origami Club and Key Club collaborate to make handmade crafts
- November 16Students take part in community conversations
- November 16Inaugural Day of Understanding promotes empathy inside media world
- November 16Award-winning journalist Atia Abawi speaks to journalism class
- November 15Humans of Harker: Pep in every step
- November 15Varsity girls and boys cross country qualifies for CCS Championships on senior night
- November 14Nancy Zhou tells stories through music in Concert Series performance
- November 14Blooming from the STEM: Dawson Chen’s Martin pioneers AI-assisted productivity
- November 12Civic Tech Club hosts machine learning expert to discuss Artificial Intelligence
![“The main [draw of hiking] is disconnecting from whatever's going on. I usually think about how I'm doing and reflect on how I've changed recently compared to before and also on any specific goals I should work on. There’s a lot of thoughtfulness while I hike, and I like enjoying the views, which are amazing,” Robert Zhang (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/RobertZhangHOH_JT-900x600.png)
![“You have to think on your feet and come up with arguments quickly in [Lincoln-Douglas]. I am not hesitant to speak. When I do, I can create ideas pretty clearly and communicate to others and, even if I don’t transform their minds, I try to help them see something," Akhilesh Chegu (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/akhileshcheguhoh_tiffanychang-900x601.jpeg)
![“I never played polo before playing [that year, so] I was nervous. I was learning the whole thing. I feel like I got lucky because we didn't have anyone who was a goalie for JV. I was like, ‘Oh, I'm kind of tall and long.’ So I tried being a goalie. I was lucky that I was naturally good at it, and I got more confidence from there," Andrew Chen (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AndrewChenHoH_TiffanyChang-900x600.jpeg)
![“It’s impossible to [express] how much debate has helped me with communicating with people and articulating my ideas beyond the tournament setting. The value of debate transcends rounds when you’re able to apply that [knowledge] to real life scenarios," Vienna Parnell (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ViennaParnellHoH_AryanaBharali-676x900.jpeg)
![“Pretty much anyone, given the right circumstance, has the ability to learn, but the willingness and openness to learn and discuss new things and change their views on something [is what I value]," Catherine Feng (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/catherinfeng_hoh-900x600.jpeg)
![“There’s a lot of social skills and communication skills that you get from [theater]. There’s just this bonding and camaraderie you can get from these ensembles, from these big groups, and it’s invaluable. That sense of community [and] belonging just keeps me going back because I’m comfortable there, the other people are comfortable, and we’re all just trying to help each other,” Austin Killam (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AustinKillam_TiffanyChang_HoHPhoto-753x900.jpeg)
![“I really love photography, especially wildlife photography ... [Recently,] I haven’t been able to get outside as much, but it was just fun to create last year. In my sophomore year, I did something related to photography and robotics — I led media and created the videos. That was a lot of fun and that’s what drew me into videography and photography,” Arthur Jakobsson (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ArthurJakobsson_TiffanyChang_HoHPhoto-900x600.jpg)
