This article originally appeared in the spring 2010 Harker Quarterly.
Colin Dickey MS ’91 holds an M.F.A degree from the California Institute of the Arts and is finishing a Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University of Southern California. He resides in Los Angeles and is the author of “Cranioklepty: Grave Robbing and the Search for Genius.”
Emma Hawley ’04 studied acting at the University of California at Los Angeles and graduated valedictorian in 2008. Since then she has performed improvisational comedy, sung professionally, signed with a commercial agent and has appeared in two commercials for Jack in the Box. She lives in Los Angeles, where she continues looking into lead roles in voiceovers and theatrical productions.
Q: When you were at Harker, did you dream of doing what you do now?
A: Colin Dickey: Absolutely. I really developed a love of reading through Sylvia Harp’s literature classes in seventh and eighth grades. And the first story I ever wrote was a western that was based on all of my best friends at Harker.
A: Emma Hawley: While at Harker I knew I was going to pursue acting and a creative career – and I am.
Q: What do you find most exciting about your career or current project?
A: CD: I love working with words: seeing how a sentence can be put together, thinking of the way words sound and how they look on the page, and developing a sense of music and rhythm through writing.
A: EH: I love this opportunity to collaborate with talented, tenacious, conscious beings.
Q: What personal traits make you successful at what you’re doing?
A: CD: I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity, but I’ve also always been more interested in the stories that don’t get told, the things that run counter to the party line, the stuff that nobody knows about but is often hiding in plain sight. That desire to seek out the stuff that isn’t being talked about has been a great asset in terms of my current writing, since it allows me to bring these stories to light.
A: EH: I have an unceasing desire to be more fully myself.
Q: What in your life so far took you the longest time to learn?
A: CD: When to use “that” and when to use “which” correctly in a sentence.
A: EH: I understand a lot less than I think I do, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Q: What’s on the top of your personal and professional “lists” right now?
A: CD: Um, I’m reading a lot of Henry James – does that count? I’m also trying to find a way to try something on “The Thuringian War,” a long poem written by the sixth century German saint Radegund, which I think is incredibly beautiful and which no one I’ve ever met has heard of.
A: EH: The real priority is striking a balance between knowing what I already have going for me, moving through the steps I need to take and opening to the myriad opportunities presenting themselves every day.
Q: Tell us something surprising about yourself.
A: CD: I’m a really big fan of karaoke.
A: EH: I frequently swing on the traveling rings at the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach.
Q: What advice do you have for current Harker students?
A: CD: Have a healthy, positive relationship to failure. The more you can let yourself be okay with failure, the more risks you’ll take, and the more you can achieve. Failing at great things is always better than doing mediocre things.
A: EH: Learn to balance your head with your heart and your gut. Gratitude is your best friend. Stillness is underrated. Play more.
This article originally appeared in winter 2009 Harker Quarterly.
William Jarvis ’97 graduated from Santa Clara University in molecular biology in 2006, and in 2011 will receive an M.B.A. from Stanford, where he currently lives. A science experiment Jarvis began as an eighth grade boarding student at Harker has recently been released by his family’s winery as “Will Jarvis’ Science Project,” and was given 93 points by the Beverage Testing Institute and 92 points by Wine Spectator.
Bruce Jones, PAMA ‘71, attended Culver Military Academy, Trinity University, St. Mary’s University and the University of Washington. He makes his home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he is the CEO of U.S. Submarines, Inc., Poseidon Undersea Resorts LLC and Triton Submarines LLC.
Q: When you were at Harker, did you dream of doing what you do now?
A: William Jarvis: I always knew, even at an early age, that I wanted to attend a graduate business program and eventually run my own business. After finishing my undergraduate education I worked for three years doing research and development at a biotech company called Codexis. My work experience helped me gain admittance to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where I am currently enrolled as a first-year M.B.A. student.
A: L. Bruce Jones: I learned to dive the summer of my sixth grade year at PAMA [Palo Alto Military Academy], and that was the start of a lifelong fascination with being underwater.
Q: What do you find most exciting about your career or current project?
A: WJ: An M.B.A. is exciting because it opens lots of doors and presents you with educational and career opportunities you would not have access to otherwise.
A: LBJ: We’re currently building the world’s first sea floor resort and the very first permanent, one- atmosphere undersea residence. It’s the culmination of a dream for me.
Q: What personal traits make you successful at what you’re doing?
A: WJ: I have a good sense of what my priorities are and I focus my time and energy accordingly. I do not let myself get sidetracked by the non-essential.
A: LBJ: Hard work and perseverance.
Q: What in your life so far took you the longest time to learn?
A: WJ: Developing effective leadership skills is a lifelong process and this is an area where I continually seek improvement.
A: LBJ: Balancing work with family and leisure.
Q: What’s on the top of your personal and professional “lists” right now?
A: WJ: I am in the middle of the “on campus recruiting” process at Stanford, looking for an appropriate summer internship. I believe that work experience outside of the family business will allow me to contribute in a more meaningful way to the winery.
A: LBJ: Teaching my wife and teenage boys to fly in preparation for an around the world journey in a small plane in two years. Continuing to grow the submarine and the undersea resort companies.
Q: Tell us something surprising about yourself.
A: WJ: I bought a Japanese sports bike (motorcycle) when I was 20 years old and I have been riding ever since.
A: LBJ: I won the 1977 Collegiate National Skydiving Championships when in college.
Q: What advice do you have for current Harker students?
A: WJ: Focus on your academics and take advantage of all the opportunities that are available through Harker, but also put some time aside for your personal development. It is important to develop a sense of perspective and see yourself and your aspirations in a broader context than what you are accustomed to. If you have the opportunity, traveling can be a great way to expand your horizons.
A: LBJ: Do what you love and don’t give up when it’s difficult. When the time comes, find a mate that supports you and your career choice.
Olympic athlete Andrea Nott ’96 knows a little something about the hard work involved to achieve excellence. “I learned that first, right here at The Harker School,” she said. More than 300 members of the Harker community gathered on Jan. 11 to participate in the opening of Harker’s aquatic center and to honor Nott as keynote speaker and member of the U.S. Olympic synchronized swim team competing in Beijing in August.
Nott, who started swimming at age 9, recalled the support she found at Harker. “I always felt my teachers were concerned about both my sport and my grades,” said Nott, who still treasures the fifth grade essay she wrote about her dream to be an Olympic competitor. “Managing school and sports can be really difficult, but it can provide a nice balance. Also, you have to learn to manage your time and energy, which is a skill that will help you for the rest of your life.”
US Athletic Director Dan Molin echoed Nott’s recognition of the parallel twins of academics and athletics. “What a great statement to build a first-class facility to match first-class academics,” said Molin, who added he most looks forward to the aquatic center’s bringing Harker teams and fans together.
Swim team captain Senan Ebrahim, Gr. 12 said he welcomes regular practices in the new pool in time for his final season at Harker. “We’ll have tighter knit teams,” predicted Ebrahim, who presented Nott with a Harker swim jacket after pouring honorary buckets of water into the pool with two dozen other Harker athletes. “And we’ll make good use of (the pool) during spring spirit activities too!”
“We are working toward a totally updated, state-of-the-art upper school campus for the 21st century,” said Head of School Chris Nikoloff, referring to the recent addition of Davis Field and the construction of the Science & Technology Center on the Saratoga site.
In the meantime, Nott is working toward securing a medal in Beijing. “We think our chances are good!” she said. “The top countries are Russia, Spain and Japan, but we are keeping a close eye on China,” said Nott, daughter of director of nursing, and Harker employee for 19 years, Debra Nott.
The young Olympian took a break from a six-days-a-week, 10 hours-a-day training schedule to sign autographs and take photos with Harker’s littlest Eagles before sending them off to add their bucket of water to the pool. “I love to be in the water first of all, but I also love to choreograph to the music and work together with my teammates to make the best product possible.” That would be the little something about excellence.
Pool Facts
The new swimming pool building houses two 30-horse power water
circulation pumps, two heaters and a sand filtration system. It also
features two large changing rooms with restrooms, storage facilities
and a coach’s office. More facts about the pool:
488,800 gallon capacity, 75′ x 112.5′ dimension
13 swimming lanes, 10 race blocks
electronically interlinked sensors tied to an Omega