Category: Alumni

Alumni use scientific knowledge to address contemporary issues

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

Many Harker alumni are applying their scientific know-how to contemporary issues, including improving women’s health, understanding obesity and helping to make commercial space flight a reality. Although their career paths differ, the desire to make the world a better place is the tie that binds these three Harker graduates.

Ruchi Doshi ’08:
Receiving Recognition as an Early Career Physician Back in April, as spring came into bloom, so too did the medical career of Ruchi (Srivastava) Doshi ’08, a student at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Doshi is currently pursuing a master’s of public health in epidemiology and biostatistics at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and was a corecipient of the annual Junior Investigator Awards, a prestigious honor sponsored by the Annals of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians (ACP).

She was recognized for her article, titled “Efficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs: An Updated Systematic Review,” published in the Annals  April 7, 2015 issue. Doshi was presented with the award, given to early career physicians who are new to publishing in the journal, at the ACP’s annual scientific meeting in Washington, D.C., in May.

She said she was both surprised and delighted to receive the recognition. Established in 1927, Annals of Internal Medicine is the flagship journal of the ACP, the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. The publication is one of the most widely cited and influential medical journals in the world.

“As a result of winning, I had the privilege of being able to present my findings at the ACP conference, which was my first major presentation,” recalled Doshi, who received the award along with her mentor and co-author, Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, an assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their article provided a systematic review of commercial weight-loss programs available in the U.S.

“Several million Americans try to lose weight e  h year, and as a country, we spend billions of dollars on the weight-loss industry. Our review aimed to look at which commercial programs had evidence supporting them – which programs actually resulted in long-term weight loss,” reported Doshi.

To that end, she and Gudzune looked through thousands of abstracts and more than 1,500 articles before including 45 in the study. Ultimately, they found that a few programs (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig) had some evidence of long-term weight loss and other programs had evidence of short-term weight loss (Nutrisystem, Atkins), but the majority of the programs didn’t have enough evidence to determine conclusively if they are, in fact, helpful.

Doshi also has conducted research regarding bias against obese physicians and other health professionals. She is currently working on a project regarding obesity treatment and medical education. “I’m obesity-focused, but I’m still working on finding my niche!” said Doshi, who took this year off from medical school to pursue her ma  er’s and explore the topic – a pressing public health and medical problem – in greater depth.

After graduating from medical school next year, Doshi plans to train in internal medicine-pediatrics, with the ultimate goal of becoming a clinician investigator at a teaching-heavy academic center. She credits Harker with giving her many tools necessary for success. One learned lesson she would like to pass on to other alumni interested in going into medicine is to work hard but also to be sure to have a balanced, well-rounded life.

“I started college believing I needed to major in biology/biochemistry, do clinical or basic science research, volunteer in a hospital and be the top of my class in order to go to medical school. Instead, I majored in psychology and classical studies. So when I entered medical school, I had other interests outside of medicine,” she said.

Surbhi Sarna ’03:
Winner of the 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award, Surbhi Sarna ’03 has dedicated her career to using STEM research to improve health care for  women. Recently, in recognition of her groundbreaking efforts in that arena, she was named recipient of Harker’s 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award.

“The award honors a prominent alumna/ alumnus who exemplifies the very best of Harker,” said Karri Baker ’84, director of alumni relations, “whose contributions have led to extraordinary advances that benefit the greater good, who gives back to the community and to Harker, and who inspires others by his or her professional leadership and commitment.”

Sarna fits that bill as a previous keynote speaker at Harker’s annual research symposium, along with her past inclusion in Forbes magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30” list of young movers and shakers in the fields of science and health care. It was Sarna’s personal experience with painful ovarian cysts in her early teens that left her determined to create better conditions in the field of female health.

To this end, only six years out of Harker, she founded venture-backed nVision Medical in 2009 to develop technology to   lp gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer. In November 2015, the company received FDA approval for its device, following a successful clinical trial. “It was lots of work, but it couldn’t be more worth it. … From a dream, to a slide deck, to a prototype, to raising money and hiring a team, to first use in a person, to 90 patients successfully treated, to FDA approval!” she said, reflecting back on her whirlwind of achievements.

Crediting her time at Harker with helping pave the way for her current success, Sarna said, “I know Harker has a lot do to with my drive to be an entrepreneur and I’m grateful for all of the teachers who inspired me while I was there. It has been a fantastic journey.” Offering advice to other recent graduates interested in pursuing STEM and research education, she stressed the importance of seeking out mentors and advisors.

“Take meetings with everybody, even when you don’t understand the direct benefit in doing so. Cast your net wide to open up doors,” she said. It is also  important to follow your own passions, she added. “I started out as a patient, and I had to believe there were better options out there for women like me. I wanted to make a mark, and at the end of the day you have to follow your passions. It’s extremely rewarding to now be in a career providing service to others.”

According to Sarna, STEM careers for women are advancing, but as a woman “you still have to up your game. When you walk into a room, you have to do so with the knowledge that nobody knows their subject material better than you. Harker set the stage for future success, because the view at Harker is that a girl can do anything!” she said.

Evan Maynard ’09:
Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality The life of a rocket scientist is just another day at the office for Evan Maynard ’09, who works as a propulsion development engineer for Blue Origin, a privately funded commercial spaceflight services company. Maynard works at the company’s headquarters, a development facility near Seattle.

Owned by Amazon.com  ounder Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is making headlines by developing technologies to enable private citizens access to space by dramatically lowering the costs and increasing the reliability of spaceflight.

“To that end we have successfully launched, landed and reused our entire vehicle on several journeys past the Karman Line [the “line” at 100 km above Earth that defines the beginning of outer space]!” said Maynard. Named because the blue planet, Earth, is the point of origin, Blue Origin is developing a variety of technologies, with a focus on rocket-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, for access to suborbital and orbital space.

In April, the company enjoyed a widely publicized third successful landing of its suborbital rocket named New Shepard. A video is on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1TvrmuW. Maynard graduated two years ago from Purdue University, a major research university located in Lafayette, Ind., known for discoveries in science, technology and engineering. There he obtained his master’s degree  n aeronautics and astronautics, with a specialty in propulsion.

In his master’s thesis, he wrote about creating experiments to supplement more traditional rocket injector design techniques to better allow for quick performance prediction. “While at Purdue’s Zucrow Laboratories, I also gained experience in cryogenic and gaseous test stand integration and operation while training new students in the lab,” he recalled. It was Maynard’s thesis and work at the Purdue lab that caught the eye of Blue Origin, which was using the lab to do research of its own.

“There are not that many propulsion labs in the world,” explained Maynard, adding that many leading companies use the teaching labs at Purdue, providing incredible learning and networking opportunities for students. Back when Maynard was a student at Harker, he had no idea he would go on to become a rocket scientist or work at a company on the forefront of making history with commercial spaceflight.

However, he believes the strong work ethic he learned at Harker  has contributed toward his current employment. That, and “being exposed to critical thinking and coding early on,” he added. He also cited “learning from the ground up and being allowed to make mistakes” as a catalyst for future success.

His advice to current Harker students and recent graduates interested in a career off the beaten scientific track is to “just go out and start doing it … you don’t have to an expert in the beginning.” 

Keller tours continue to keep recent Harker graduates connected

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

As the 2015-16 school year wound its way to a close, so too did the annual Keller Tours, led by Butch Keller, upper school head, and his wife, Jane Keller, an upper school math teacher.

The couple uses the tours, which occur throughout the year, as opportunities to visit with Harker alumni attending various colleges throughout the United States. The first Keller Tour occurred in spring 2009 when the couple headed to New York to attend a performance by The Harker School Orchestra at Lincoln Center.

Several alumni living in the area heard the Kellers were in town and asked them to stop by. Soon after, requests began flooding in from other alumni to “come out and see us,” recalled Butch Keller. Today, the tours serve as an opportunity not only to stay in touch with alumni, but also to visit with them while they are still in college, gaining invaluable feedback on how well Harker prepared them for university life.

In early September, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) junior Andy Perez ’13 traveled to  he University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play soccer against UCLA junior Michael Amick ’13 in a match between their respective schools’ teams. Before the game, the Harker Alumni Association sponsored a small gathering for Harker graduates and parents, held in UCLA’s Hall of Fame. About 15 Harker supporters attended, cheering on both teams in the game, which UCSB ultimately won. Later in the year, over spring break, the Keller Tours headed south again, this time to visit the University of California, San Diego and UCSB, which included an oceanfront dinner with various alumni. It was there that Perez shared the exciting news that he had been named a captain of UCSB’s soccer team for next year.

The largest Keller Tours gathering this year was at the University of California, Berkeley, where they met with more than 30 students who shared stories from their first quarter. After spring break the Kellers continued their trek of the UCs by visiting the University of California, Santa Cruz for a campus tour  ith Nick Nguyen ’15 followed by dinner with him and Lydia Werthen ’13.

The final stop on the Keller Tours was the University of California, Davis. “We had a fantastic dinner with students of every grade, from senior Ila Dwivedi ’12 to freshman Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari ’15. Sophomore Huck Vaughan ’14 shared stories of his summer bike trek from Santa Cruz to San Diego while Michael Chen ’13 talked about his rafting adventures.

Andre Tran ’13 shared stories of club volleyball, while Dwivedi talked about her post-graduation plans to pursue a master’s at USC,” recalled Jane Keller. “This year it was again evident that Harker alums enjoy reminiscing with one another … in their current college environment. The Keller Tours reconnect them in a special way,” said Butch Keller. 

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Alumni Winter Wonderland event dazzles little ones

Santa’s Winter Wonderland took place in early December, with more than 170 alumni family members and preschool friends enjoying the revelry! The gathering was held in the decked-out Bucknall gym. Attendees enjoyed a delicious breakfast and festive music, followed by holiday crafts and cookie decorating, a bounce house and basketball game, and photos with Santa. Of course, everyone mingled, catching up with old friends and making new ones.

Special thanks to this year’s alumni Christmas committee, Jeff Rogers ’84 and Kristin Marlow Quintin ’84, for organizing set-up and clean-up of this successful event!

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Nikhil Panu ’13 joins nine other teams in Johns Hopkins venture lab cohort

Nikhil Panu ’13 and his app, Squadz, were among just 10 teams selected to participate in the Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures Social Innovation Lab (SIL). “In addition to being promising solutions to pressing social issues in the areas of health, education and community development, these ventures and their leaders represent the strength and diversity of Baltimore’s social innovation and entrepreneurship community,” said Darius Graham, SIL director, in the university’s news story.

The report noted, “Squadz is a social activity and venue booking platform that connects the community to play pickup sports, while generating revenue for community centers and recreation facilities. [It is] operated by Nikhil Panu, a Johns Hopkins University graduate student in the Whiting School of Engineering.”

“As a member of the cohort,” said Panu, “I see Squadz making the transition from a neat mobile app for pickup sports to a true sports community platform. We’ll be able to grow our user base through forming strategic partnerships and expand our venue network by meeting the right community leaders in the Baltimore area.” 

Congrats to Nikhil! We’ll be watching to see where he takes Squadz!

https://ventures.jhu.edu/social-innovation-lab-announces-new-class-of-changemakers/

http://hub.jhu.edu/2016/10/27/social-innovation-lab-cohort-2016-17/

http://technical.ly/baltimore/2016/10/27/johns-hopkins-social-innovation-lab-cohort/

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Mav McNealy ’13 honored by San Jose Sports Hall of Fame as top amateur

Maverick McNealy ’13 added yet another accolade to the long list under his name Wednesday night when he was named the male amateur athlete of the year by the San Jose Sports Authority Hall of Fame. Check out this great video the organization prepared for the event!

In late August, McNealy won the McCormack Medal as the top-ranked amateur golfer in the world. That award automatically qualified him for the 2017 U.S. and British Open championships. Harker Facebook posted a note about the McCormick Medal in early September.

The Mercury News also ran two articles on Maverick last week:

Stanford’s McNealy swung a hockey stick as well as a golf club

and

Will Maverick McNealy live up to his name, eschew pro golf for loftier goals? 

Congratulations to Maverick on the local, heartfelt award and best of luck with his endeavors on the links and in his academic and business efforts!

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Alumna takes on UX role at startup for women travelers

Sanjana Baldwa ’12 is working with a fascinating startup, Go Jane Go, which is developing an app to connect female road warriors in real-time. The company’s motto is “Business women embracing the experience of #TravelingWhileFemale.” Via in-app messaging, women can “connect with each other for activities to make solo business travel a lot more safe, fun and easy,” according to the company’s website, http://www.gojanego.co. Baldwa, who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University this year, where she studied psychology, human-computer interaction and communication design, will be concentrating on her forte, user experience. The website already has garnered some great blog posts by traveling women, and we wish Baldwa the very best as Go Jane Go moves forward!

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Alumni Use Scientific Knowledge to Address Contemporary Issues

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

Many Harker alumni are applying their scientific know-how to contemporary issues, including improving women’s health, understanding obesity and helping to make commercial space flight a reality. Although their career paths differ, the desire to make the world a better place is the tie that binds these three Harker graduates.

Ruchi Doshi ’08: Receiving Recognition as an Early Career Physician

Back in April, as spring came into bloom, so too did the medical career of Ruchi (Srivastava) Doshi ’08, a student at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Doshi is currently pursuing a master’s of public health in epidemiology and biostatistics at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and was a corecipient of the annual Junior Investigator Awards, a prestigious honor sponsored by the Annals of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians (ACP).

She was recognized for her article, titled “Efficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs: An Updated Systematic Review,” published in the Annals’ April 7, 2015 issue. Doshi was presented with the award, given to early career physicians who are new to publishing in the journal, at the ACP’s annual scientific meeting in Washington, D.C., in May.

She said she was both surprised and delighted to receive the recognition. Established in 1927, Annals of Internal Medicine is the flagship journal of the ACP, the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. The publication is one of the most widely cited and influential medical journals in the world.

“As a result of winning, I had the privilege of being able to present my findings at the ACP conference, which was my first major presentation,” recalled Doshi, who received the award along with her mentor and co-author, Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, an assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their article provided a systematic review of commercial weight-loss programs available in the U.S.

“Several million Americans try to lose weight each year, and as a country, we spend billions of dollars on the weight-loss industry. Our review aimed to look at which commercial programs had evidence supporting them – which programs actually resulted in long-term weight loss,” reported Doshi. To that end, she and Gudzune looked through thousands of abstracts and more than 1,500 articles before including 45 in the study.

Ultimately, they found that a few programs (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig) had some evidence of long-term weight loss and other programs had evidence of short-term weight loss (Nutrisystem, Atkins), but the majority of the programs didn’t have enough evidence to determine conclusively if they are, in fact, helpful.

Doshi also has conducted research regarding bias against obese physicians and other health professionals. She is currently working on a project regarding obesity treatment and medical education. I’m obesity-focused, but I’m still working on finding my niche!” said Doshi, who took this year off from medical school to pursue her master’s and explore the topic – a pressing public health and medical problem – in greater depth.

After graduating from medical school next year, Doshi plans to train in internal medicine-pediatrics, with the ultimate goal of becoming a clinician investigator at a teaching-heavy academic center. She credits Harker with giving her many tools necessary for success.

One learned lesson she would like to pass on to other alumni interested in going into medicine is to work hard but also to be sure to have a balanced, well-rounded life. “I started college believing I needed to major in biology/biochemistry, do clinical or basic science research, volunteer in a hospital and be the top of my class in order to go to medical school. Instead, I majored in psychology and classical studies.

“So when I entered medical school, I had other interests outside of medicine,” she said.

Surbhi Sarna ’03: Winner of the 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award Surbhi Sarna ’03 has dedicated her career to using STEM research to improve health care for women.

Recently, in recognition of her groundbreaking efforts in that arena, she was named recipient of Harker’s 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award. “The award honors a prominent alumna/ alumnus who exemplifies the very best of Harker,” said Karri Baker ’84, director of alumni relations, “whose contributions have led to extraordinary advances that benefit the greater good, who gives back to the community and to Harker, and who inspires others by his or her professional leadership and commitment.”

Sarna fits that bill as a previous keynote speaker at Harker’s annual research symposium, along with her past inclusion in Forbes magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30” list of young movers and shakers in the fields of science and health care.

It was Sarna’s personal experience with painful ovarian cysts in her early teens that left her determined to create better conditions in the field of female health. To this end, only six years out of Harker, she founded venture-backed nVision Medical in 2009 to develop technology to help gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer.

 In November 2015, the company received FDA approval for its device, following a successful clinical trial. “It was lots of work, but it couldn’t be more worth it. … From a dream, to a slide deck, to a prototype, to raising money and hiring a team, to first use in a person, to 90 patients successfully treated, to FDA approval!” she said, reflecting back on her whirlwind of achievements.

Crediting her time at Harker with helping pave the way for her current success, Sarna said, “I know Harker has a lot do to with my drive to be an entrepreneur and I’m grateful for all of the teachers who inspired me while I was there. It has been a fantastic journey.”

Offering advice to other recent graduates interested in pursuing STEM and research education, she stressed the importance of seeking out mentors and advisors. “Take meetings with everybody, even when you don’t understand the direct benefit in doing so. Cast your net wide to open up doors,” she said.

It is also important to follow your own passions, she added. “I started out as a patient, and I had to believe there were better options out there for women like me. I wanted to make a mark, and at the end of the day you have to follow your passions.

It’s extremely rewarding to now be in a career providing service to others.” According to Sarna, STEM careers for women are advancing, but as a woman “you still have to up your game. When you walk into a room, you have to do so with the knowledge that nobody knows their subject material better than you. Harker set the stage for future success, because the view at Harker is that a girl can do anything!” she said.

Evan Maynard ’09: Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality

The life of a rocket scientist is just another day at the office for Evan Maynard ’09, who works as a propulsion development engineer for Blue Origin, a privately funded commercial spaceflight services company. Maynard works at the company’s headquarters, a development facility near Seattle. Owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is making headlines by developing technologies to enable private citizens access to space by dramatically lowering the costs and increasing the reliability of spaceflight.

“To that end we have successfully launched, landed and reused our entire vehicle on several journeys past the Karman Line [the “line” at 100 km above Earth that defines the beginning of outer space]!” said Maynard.

Named because the blue planet, Earth, is the point of origin, Blue Origin is developing a variety of technologies, with a focus on rocket-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, for access to suborbital and orbital space. In April, the company enjoyed a widely publicized third successful landing of its suborbital rocket named New Shepard. A video is on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1TvrmuW.

Maynard graduated two years ago from Purdue University, a major research university located in Lafayette, Ind., known for discoveries in science, technology and engineering. There he obtained his master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics, with a specialty in propulsion.

In his master’s thesis, he wrote about creating experiments to supplement more traditional rocket injector design techniques to better allow for quick performance prediction. “While at Purdue’s Zucrow Laboratories, I also gained experience in cryogenic and gaseous test stand integration and operation while training new students in the lab,” he recalled.

It was Maynard’s thesis and work at the Purdue lab that caught the eye of Blue Origin, which was using the lab to do research of its own. “There are not that many propulsion labs in the world,” explained Maynard, adding that many leading companies use the teaching labs at Purdue, providing incredible learning and networking opportunities for students.

Back when Maynard was a student at Harker, he had no idea he would go on to become a rocket scientist or work at a company on the forefront of making history with commercial spaceflight. However, he believes the strong work ethic he learned at Harker has contributed toward his current employment. That, and “being exposed to critical thinking and coding early on,” he added. He also cited “learning from the ground up and being allowed to make mistakes” as a catalyst for future success. His advice to current Harker students and recent graduates interested in a career off the beaten scientific track is to “just go out and start doing it … you don’t have to an expert in the beginning.”

Keller Tours Continue to Keep Recent Harker Graduates Connected

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

As the 2015-16 school year wound its way to a close, so too did the annual Keller Tours, led by Butch Keller, upper school head, and his wife, Jane Keller, an upper school math teacher.

 The couple uses the tours, which occur throughout the year, as opportunities to visit with Harker alumni attending various colleges throughout the United States. The first Keller Tour occurred in spring 2009 when the couple headed to New York to attend a performance by The Harker School Orchestra at Lincoln Center.

Several alumni living in the area heard the Kellers were in town and asked them to stop by. Soon after, requests began flooding in from other alumni to “come out and see us,” recalled Butch Keller.

Today, the tours serve as an opportunity not only to stay in touch with alumni, but also to visit with them while they are still in college, gaining invaluable feedback on how well Harker prepared them for university life.

In early September, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) junior Andy Perez ’13 traveled to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play soccer against UCLA junior Michael Amick ’13 in a match between their respective schools’ teams. Before the game, the Harker Alumni Association sponsored a small gathering for Harker graduates and parents, held in UCLA’s Hall of Fame. About 15 Harker supporters attended, cheering on both teams in the game, which UCSB ultimately won.

Later in the year, over spring break, the Keller Tours headed south again, this time to visit the University of California, San Diego and UCSB, which included an oceanfront dinner with various alumni. It was there that Perez shared the exciting news that he had been named a captain of UCSB’s soccer team for next year.

The largest Keller Tours gathering this year was at the University of California, Berkeley, where they met with more than 30 students who shared stories from their first quarter. After spring break the Kellers continued their trek of the UCs by visiting the University of California, Santa Cruz for a campus tour with Nick Nguyen ’15 followed by dinner with him and Lydia Werthen ’13.

The final stop on the Keller Tours was the University of California, Davis. “We had a fantastic dinner with students of every grade,” recalled Jane Keller “from senior Ila Dwivedi ’12 to freshman Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari ’15. Sophomore Huck Vaughan ’14 shared stories of his summer bike trek from Santa Cruz to San Diego while Michael Chen ’13 talked about his rafting adventures. Andre Tran ’13 shared stories of club volleyball, while Dwivedi talked about her post-graduation plans to pursue a master’s at USC.”

“This year it was again evident that Harker alums enjoy reminiscing with one another … in their current college environment. The Keller Tours reconnect them in a special way,” said Butch Keller.

Alumna Gives Back to Harker Robotics Program

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

Jacqueline Rousseau ’07 has such fond recollections of her time on Harker’s robotics team that, upon graduating from college and landing a job, she decided to donate funds annually to Harker Robotics.

Rousseau, who now works as a trader in foreign exchange options at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York, said that some of her best memories of Harker revolved around time spent on the robotics team.

“We would spend up to 40 hours a week during the six week build season, constructing and testing the robot before going to FIRST Robotics Competitions. Not only did I learn programming, and electrical and mechanical design skills, but the experience of working with other students to complete a full engineering project on schedule was invaluable,” she said.

In mid-March, while in town visiting family, Rousseau dropped by the alumni office to say hello and was treated to a surprise visit from one of her former mentors, Eric Nelson. Nelson is the upper school’s computer science department chair and supervisor of the robotics team.

Since launching at the upper school in 2001, the robotics program has grown into an opportunity for both middle and upper school students to learn real-life engineering skills in addition to providing a fun, competitive environment.

The program is designed to emulate the structure of a Silicon Valley startup company.

“It was so touching to see the two of them reuniting!” said Karri Baker ’84, Harker’s director of alumni relations. Baker called Rousseau an alumna with a strong history of giving, who now serves as a role model for other alumni wanting to give back. Rousseau said one of the best things about Harker is that the teachers encourage students to question the world around them and to keep learning. “Harker helped give me a foundation of critical-thinking skills that have proven useful no matter what tasks I’m working on,” she said, advising current Harker students to take as broad a range of electives as possible.

“Harker’s teachers are some of the best in their fields, and the breadth of electives offered is truly impressive. It’s a great opportunity to take a semester course that may open up a new field of study to you,” she noted.

Rousseau said she is driven to be philanthropic for two main reasons: to give back to communities that were critical in shaping her and to support the education of children who don’t have the same opportunities she had. “I’ve been donating to Harker Robotics since I graduated college so other students will be able to have the wonderful experiences I did,” she said.

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Alumna and Senior Breaking Running Records in College and at Home

This article originally appeared in the summer 2016 Harker Quarterly.

Alumna Shatters Records at Pepperdine

It has been a very good year for Izzy Connell ’13! After a break from track while she spent her sophomore year abroad in Florence, Italy, Connell returned as a junior this year to set three Pepperdine University records in indoor track (60-, 200- and 4×400-meter relay) and four school records in outdoor track (100-, 200-, 400- and 4×400-meter relay). Connell actually broke her own record in the 200 three times throughout the season!

 “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t focused on the records,” said Connell. “I concentrated on achieving my own goal times in specific events and breaking records was just icing on the cake.” This is the school’s first year competing in indoor track, and Connell had the unique experience of traveling to Arizona with her teammates to race against collegiate and professional runners.

“Racing in between professional women was intimidating but the competition made me faster,” she recalled. Connell, who is studying psychology, has been named a scholar-athlete both seasons that she has competed at Pepperdine. Her secret to success is managing her time well.

“I never procrastinate because that just makes things worse in the long run,” Connell said. “Being a student athlete has definitely taught me to be disciplined when it comes to my studies.” Connell ran varsity track all four years at Harker, qualifying for CCS every year. She also set school records in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 runs and the 4×400 relay, all of which still stand, except the 800, which was broken by Niki Iyer, grade 11.

Niki Iyer Continues Stellar Career

In her time at Harker, Niki Iyer, grade 11, has accomplished a lot. The distance runner has multiple first team and league MVP awards; she holds the Harker record in the 800-meter, the 1600 and the 3200; she has been a top three CCS finisher in cross country and a top five CCS finisher in the 3200 for the past three seasons, with back to back fifth place finishes at the state cross country finals; she briefly held the top high school 3200 time in the country earlier this year; and, most recently, she was the 2016 CCS champ in the 3200 that led to a third place finish at the state finals.

The week before CCS, Iyer was ranked eighth in the state in the 3200, but according to coach Scott Chisam, “She has not pushed a fast race since early April … she will go all out this Friday.” And go all out she did, taking home a CCS championship, outrunning the next runner by 2.5 seconds and earning a trip to the state finals. At state, Iyer ran an incredible race, finishing third, less than a second behind the second place finisher.

“It’s been such a fun experience this past season, because I was blessed by being healthy,” said Iyer. “I’ve never had a full season where I’ve been injury-free, so it was pretty awesome to go out there and actually be able to perform to the best of my ability.” Heading into her senior year, Iyer hopes to leave Harker with a lasting impression of who she is as an athlete.

“I feel like the legacy I’d like to leave is not just one of fanfare and athletic accomplishments, but one in which people remember me as an athlete who just loved the sport,”   she said.

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