A Swiss magazine, Das Magazin, includes an article from a local Swiss writer on her efforts to find a school for her child. She visited Harker and included some comments about it in her article.
Volleyball phenom Jarrett Anderson ’19 is lauded in the Los Altos Town Crier as a critical member of Mountain View Volleyball Club’s 18 Red team, which took the 18 Open Division of the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships earlier this summer.
Harker’s “Urinetown” traveling team went to Scotland this summer to present the show in the noted Edinburgh Festival Fringe and garnered a nice review in the Edinburgh Guide.
A pair of Harker students, Nikhil Sharma and Arnav Joshi, both grade 12, are noted for creating a platform to launch new technology ideas.
Three Harker women were honored by the Davidson Institute. Two were named fellows and one received honorable mention. Patch included the two fellows in this article about Davidson Fellows from the South Bay. For more information on these three women, see our Harker news article.
Jai Bahri, grade 12, who lives in Los Altos Hills, spoke at a recent city council meeting to support raising the minimum wage, as reported in the Los Altos Town Crier.
Three women from Harker were honored by the Davidson Institute in its annual awards. Natasha Maniar ’19 and Cynthia Chen, grade 12, were named 2019 Davidson Fellow Laureates, while Ruhi Sayana ’19 received an honorable mention. Maniar’s award is in the technology category, while Chen’s and Sayana’s awards are in the science category. The two fellows each will receive a $50,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, D.C., to receive their awards.
Chen’s project is titled “Decoding Neural Networks: Novel Computational Methods to Discover Anti-Tumor B Cell Receptor Binding Motifs.” Her Davidson summary reads: “Cynthia’s study is the first to provide a framework for interpreting the motif patterns learned by deep learning models trained on protein sequence data. Deep neural networks have achieved great success in diagnosing diseases, but they remain black boxes: scientists are often unable to clearly explain how a model arrives at its decision or which features matter most. To address this, Cynthia developed computational methods to uncover the patterns learned by a deep neural network that predicts cancer types based on B cell receptor (BCR) sequences. By decoding this model, she identified and validated 65 tumor-specific BCR binding motifs for 13 cancer types, a discovery that could guide future synthesis of antibody drugs for targeted cancer treatments.” Read more about Chen’s efforts here.
Maniar’s project is titled “MapAF: Deep Learning to Improve Therapy of Complex Human Heart Rhythm Abnormalities” and, according to the Davidson site, she has “developed a computational approach to identify sources of atrial fibrillation (AF). Despite affecting more than 33 million people worldwide, diagnostic imaging of electrical conduction through the heart remains relatively subjective and continues to rely heavily on visual interpretation by experts. Natasha addressed this as a two-fold problem. She first developed an algorithm to analyze the heart’s chaotic electrical signals and then interpreted those results using her computational tool. Her code identified the AF sources inside the heart with greater accuracy than trained experts. This tool improves AF treatment by streamlining and standardizing the catheter ablation procedure, making it globally accessible.” Read more about Maniar here.
Sayana’s project, titled “Precision Care for Leukemia: Discovery of Novel Therapeutics for High-Risk ALL via Epigenetic and Computational Transcriptome Profiling,” already earned her one of the 40 finalist slots in the Regeneron Science Talent Search in early 2019. Maniar also was a finalist. In addition, Sayana was a grand prize winner in the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship, held in March. Chen was also a grand prize winner. Last but not least, Sayana earned a $10,000 scholarship as an Intel Foundation Young Scientist from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Read more about Sayana here and search the names of all three at news.harker.org to see the many science prizes these exceptional women have earned in their budding careers!
Two Harker alumni were given Dean’s Awards for Academic Excellence by Wharton/University of Pennsylvania School of Undergraduates this spring. Savi Joshi and Vedant Thyagaraj, who both graduated from Harker in 2015, received the awards.
Joshi was awarded for service to the University of Pennsylvania and/or the greater Philadelphia community. “Savi was recognized with this award for her tremendous efforts in teaching over 150 people about healthy eating in the greater Philadelphia community,” said Lee Kramer, director of student life at Wharton.
“She worked with our Netter Center and the Vetri Community Partnership to create a program that allows undergraduates to learn healthy eating with accessible produce so that they in turn can then teach the local community and younger students about healthier eating,” he added. “During her time at Penn, Savi also served as the co-chair of the Wharton Alumni Relations Council and as a facilitator of the Wharton Roundtables, a peer-to-peer discussion group.
Thyagaraj, who graduated from Wharton’s life science management dual-degree program in May, was presented with the Dean’s Award for Innovation for his remarkable career at the school. His many achievements at Wharton included strong academic performance, serving as president of the Penn Undergraduate Biotechnology Society and acting as a research assistant for the Wharton Global Family Alliance. Along with fellow Penn/Wharton alumni, Thyagaraj also founded Ride-Health, a transportation technology company that provides low-income, elderly and disabled patients with transportation to medical care by integrating with ridesharing providers such as Uber and Lyft and other modes of transport. Ride-Health currently has 12 full-time employees and operates in 25 states.
“We are very proud of both Savi and Vedant!” said Kramer. “They have both accomplished so much here at Wharton and Penn and they leave a great legacy here. In addition to all of their accomplishments, they were amazing students and I really enjoyed working with both of them during their four years at Wharton.”
Harker alumna Denzil (Sikka) Eden ‘09 was honored this week as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners for 2019. Eden earned many accolades while at Harker, including being named an Intel (now Regeneron) Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Eden earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University. In between, she worked at Microsoft for three years while teaching computer science at Foothill College in Los Altos and San Francisco State University.
Eden was working for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo as his office’s technology and innovation advisor until this month, when she delved full time into her startup, Smarty A.I., an artificial intelligence executive-assistant product. Read all about her in the SVBJ article!
Harker alumna Denzil (Sikka) Eden ‘09 was honored this week as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners for 2019. Eden earned many accolades while at Harker, including being named an Intel (now Regeneron) Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Eden earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University. In between, she worked at Microsoft for three years while teaching computer science at Foothill College in Los Altos and San Francisco State University.
Eden was working for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo as his office’s technology and innovation advisor until this month, when she delved full time into her startup, Smarty A.I., an artificial intelligence executive-assistant product. Read all about her in the SVBJ article!
Harker alumna Denzil (Sikka) Eden ‘09 was honored this week as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners for 2019. Eden earned many accolades while at Harker, including being named an Intel (now Regeneron) Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Eden earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University. In between, she worked at Microsoft for three years while teaching computer science at Foothill College in Los Altos and San Francisco State University.
Eden was working for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo as his office’s technology and innovation advisor until this month, when she delved full time into her startup, Smarty A.I., an artificial intelligence executive-assistant product. Read all about her in the SVBJ article!
This article originally appeared in the summer 2019 issue of Harker Magazine.
Dav Yendler ’03 arrived at Harker his sophomore year and quickly found his happy place in the theater department.
“From the beginning his choices were always interesting, his performances always memorable,” said Brian Larsen, K-12 production manager. “His dentist in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was menacing, his grandfather in ‘You Can’t Take it With You’ was warm and engaging, his Oberon in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ commanding and regal.”
Yendler, a member of the second graduating class at Harker, remembers that his class felt like a bunch of middle children, but they all loved each other.
“Our class got really up on ourselves, and we would put on whole productions to win rallies, complete with dance routines and life-size UFOs,” said Yendler with pride.
Yendler said his passion for all things creative was nurtured at Harker, and performing arts chair Laura Lang-Ree taught him discipline and how to be a responsible artist.
“Dav was a wise soul from the time I met him and was able to throw himself fully into whatever the moment or character called for – be it sincere and serious, or wildly physically fun,” said Lang-Ree. “Dav can do it all. His sincerity and interest in others and curiosity about life makes him a wonderful person and artist, and one I’m now proud to call friend.”
Yendler loved theater and attended the University of California, San Diego, where he immersed himself in the global scene, including living in the international dorm his sophomore year and studying in London his junior year.
After graduating, he headed to the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Following a yearlong internship, he moved to Chicago to pursue theater. While in Chicago, he started working as an illustrator to pay the rent, and in it he found success. His humor, talent and creativity landed him a job in Groupon’s humor department (which no longer exists).
After being laid off from Groupon, he went out on his own as an illustrator and designer, and has since done work for BuzzFeed and Cards Against Humanity.
Yendler was in the right place at the right time when the opportunity to do work for Cards Against Humanity presented itself. A fellow graphic designer who worked at the company offered to take Yendler on a tour of the office. They cruised around and were headed down the stairs when Max Temkin, a company co-founder who had seen Yendler’s work, approached him and said, “We just bought an island and I was wondering if you could draw a map of it.”
This was part of Cards Against Humanity’s holiday promotion in 2014. The company started self-described weird holiday promotions in 2012 and has pulled off wildly hilarious stunts every year since. Yendler has drawn three different maps, including “Ten Days or Whatever of Kwanzaa” in 2014, “Eight Sensible Gifts” in 2015 and “Cards Against Humanity Stops the Wall” in 2017.
In addition to maps, he’s helped design a card game for the incoming freshman class at University of Chicago, done a short animation for the Los Angeles Tourism Bureau, and is now a resident at 72U, which explores the intersection of art, technology and culture.
His group at 72U is working on a program to create awareness around homelessness and dispel myths about shelters. With the support of the city of Los Angeles, the group will create murals in several neighborhoods that will juxtapose letters from homeless people as well as activists who are against shelters in their neighborhoods.
This work is important to Yendler, who wants to spend his life doing creative and meaningful things.
“My passion right now is illustration, but my bigger passion is anything creative,” said Yendler. “Right now I’m passionate about bridging reality, journalism and news reporting with creativity. Stay tuned for some cool work about Russia in 2019!”
Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective
This article originally appeared in the summer 2019 issue of Harker Magazine.
When Tiffany Duong ’02 signed up on a whim for a scuba diving trip to the Galapagos Islands, she didn’t know it would transform her life. At the time, she was working endless hours at a law firm in Los Angeles and thought the trip would be a distraction from her work-hard, play-hard life.
It was among the wild blue ocean currents that she literally took the plunge and committed to changing her life. She worked up the courage to quit her job as a lawyer and set out to follow her passion to protect the planet. And she’s never been happier.
“I’m three years into my one-year sabbatical, and it’s just turned into my life because I keep ‘failing better’ and being OK with it,” said Duong with a bright smile on her face. “I am choosing more what is right for me (path B, C, D) vs. what I ‘should’ be doing (path A). So, even when I fail, I learn something or meet someone that pushes me forward, so I still feel like I’m moving in the right direction. And I’m having so much more fun doing it.”
From fieldwork at a biodiversity research camp in the Peruvian Amazon to tagging sharks by scuba diving at Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Duong is fearless about pursuing a life with purpose.
“It honestly doesn’t surprise me that Tiffany chose to leave the legal profession to throw herself into an environmental cause, given her independence and integrity,” said Spanish teacher Abel Olivas, who helped Duong fall in love with the language. “I’ll never forget the strength she demonstrated when, as salutatorian, she spoke at baccalaureate her senior year. She included a reference to the recent death of her father. Her raw but very eloquent comments made us cry and shook us on a very deep, human level. She turned her loss into urgent poetry, reminding us not to take the people we love for granted.”
Duong started at Harker in first grade and graduated with the inaugural upper school class. She played volleyball, ran track and field, served as ASB president and was editor-in-chief of the yearbook.
She remembers in elementary school when Mrs. Peterson, the art teacher, encouraged them to use anything and do anything because “there are no rules in art,” which gave her permission to try anything. This early lesson has guided Duong around the globe.
“I remember I came back to Harker after I graduated and was walking down the hall and seeing flyers for trips to Costa Rica on one side and for the Green Team on the other, and I realized in that moment that I am who I am because of Harker. I’m an international tree hugger because of Harker,” laughed Duong. “I always knew Harker prepared me academically, but I didn’t realize how much it has shaped my passions and goals.”
After Duong graduated from Harker, she attended UCLA, where she studied international development and Italian. While she struggled to crystallize her career path, protecting the planet was a priority to her, so decided to go to law school to establish some force behind her passion. And that she did, becoming an associate with law firms specializing in renewable energy. Although this work was intellectually challenging, she didn’t feel like she was making enough of an impact, which led to the scuba trip and a complete change of course.
She recently started her own media production company, Ocean Rebels, to help create awareness about how we can move forward together and not plunder the planet.
“Harker has sown so many seeds within me, but I choose which ones I want to water,” reflects Duong. “The strongest voice of Harker is, ‘here is the path to make you successful’ but after I left that path to pursue many different trials, failures and experiments, I realized that Harker also prepared me for plan B, C and D. Now, as I’m forging my own path through life, I know that I’m prepared for anything but that I get to choose where I go. It’s been an awesome ride, and I’m excited for what’s next.”
Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.(more…)
Last week, Jarrett Anderson ’19 and rising senior Jeffrey Kwan were part of the Mountain View Volleyball Club team that captured the 18 Open Division national championship in Dallas. Anderson also was named the division MVP. Check out the story:
This article originally appeared in the summer 2019 issue of Harker Magazine.
MS ’88
Reena Patton earned her master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She participated in USC’s 136th commencement on May 10.