This story originally appeared in the spring/summer 2020 issue of Harker Magazine.
Juggling competitive sports and rigorous academics isn’t easy, but alumni athletes say the payoff is well worth it. Not only do players improve their game – with some going on to compete in college and beyond – they also build relationships and develop skills that last a lifetime.
Balancing academics and sports “took a lot of hard work and dedication from a young age, and pushed my physical and mental limits to the extreme at times,” said Rohit Shah ’18, who played soccer at Harker and is now a midfielder on the team at Macalester College. “Nonetheless, I feel like it was worth it in terms of what I gained personally.”
Shah said playing soccer at Harker not only prepared him to take to the field in college, it prepared him for life by instilling confidence, mental toughness and resilience. Especially during his junior and senior years, he said he learned to focus on the things he could control, such as working hard and having fun, and let go of things he couldn’t control, such as results or what people thought of him.
“I realized I couldn’t change the outcomes, only my attitude,” he said, adding that he is grateful his coaches pushed him as both a soccer player and a person.
The ultimate goal of Harker athletics is that players have a positive experience and can apply lessons learned during the season to other areas of their lives, emphasized Dan Molin, upper school athletic director. “We want [players] to graduate with a greater sense of teamwork, leadership, sacrifice, kindness and respect while doing so in a competitive environment,” he said. “The lessons learned in athletics, whether they realize or not, will carry with them in life.”
Fun and friendship
One of the most rewarding aspects of sports is the camaraderie among players. Being part of a team gives students a chance to nurture friendships outside of the classroom with peers who share a passion for the same activity and are working toward the same goals. At Harker, coaches emphasize the value of building relationships, supporting each other and having fun together.
“One valuable lesson I learned over the years was that it is not all about winning and scoring goals,” said Joelle Anderson ’17, who played soccer for three years and basketball for a year during high school and is now a midfielder/forward on the soccer team at Pepperdine University. “I will forever remember the friendshipsI formed on the team and the memories I made, not only on the field, but more importantly off the field.” Anderson isn’t the only one in her family playing collegiate sports. Her brother, Jarrett ‘19, is on the volleyball team at Springfield College.
Golfer Katherine Zhu ’18, who now plays for the University of California, Berkeley, echoes that sentiment. “My favorite part of high school golf was being able to meet new people and the new relationships that were formed due to it,” she said, adding that she has very fond memories of her time on Harker’s golf team. “In every event, [coach Ie-Chen Cheng] taught us how to have fun while competing at a respectable and competitive level.”
Harker coaches also emphasize the importance of being positive role models for their teammates and classmates. “If you are a good teammate, the character and values you need are always up front,” said Butch Keller, upper school division head and longtime basketball coach, adding that a team motto is “the man beside you is more important than the man in the mirror.”
Sports also can bridge the gap between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen, since players in different grades often compete side by side. Water polo player Matthew Hajjar ’19 said he misses his Harker teammates, “from the seniors I played with as a freshman to the freshmen on the team when I was a senior.
“By the time I was a senior and a leader on the team, the most rewarding thing I could do was help a younger player learn and get better, whether it was teaching a couple of moves as the hole set (center forward) or reassessing a game after we played,” said Hajjar, who is now on the water polo team at Caltech.
Likewise, Zhu said she learned it’smore important to be the best teammate than the best player on the team. As a member of Harker’s golf team, she said she developed more compassion and sympathy for others, which has served her well in other aspects of her life. “Golf is an innately individual sport,” she explained. “Harker golf taught me how to be both a team player and a leader.”
For many, sports also ease the transition to college, giving freshmen a built-in sense of community. Since water polo is a fall sport, Hajjar arrived on Caltech’s campus a month and a half early to begin practicing, which enabled him to acclimate and make friends before classes started. Jadan McDermott ’18, who played both football and basketball at Harker, had a similar experience at Tufts University, where he is now a defensive lineman on the football team.
“One of the hardest things about starting college is being forced to make new friends and being separated from your old life. Being on the football team immediately gives you 75 people that you interact with every day and share experiences with,” he said, adding that he runs into teammates on campus all the time. “Having something like that in college has more value than can be put into words.”
But players aren’t the only ones who benefit from athletics. Team sports also help foster school spirit among the greater Harker community. Students get especially pumped up for big games, such as Harker’s Homecoming football game. In the weeks leading up to the game, anticipation builds among the entire Harker community, with spirit days, a rally and a pre-game tailgate party, among other activities.
“Every week, we received support from our classmates and teachers in preparation for our games,” recalled McDermott. “There was no better feeling than going down the hallways and getting a ‘good luck today!’ or remarks of that nature. Playing in front of friends and family embodies a big aspect of what makes sports fun.”
In March, Harker’s boys soccer team won the section championships for the first time in school history, as did both the boys and girls volleyball teams last year – creating lasting memories for both players and the Harker community.
“The school pride and spirit was unlike anything we’ve seen,” recalled Molin. “It’s not just about the teams succeeding and competing at a high level. I place a lot of value in what that brings to the school community in the form of spirit, pride and fun.”
Training for life
High school is a challenging time for many students as they begin to discover who they are and what matters to them. Sports reinforce the idea that by doing things well, one will be rewarded, said former Harker head football coach Michael Tirabassi.“These lessons can be expanded to life lessons on interpersonal relationships, leadership, etc.,” he said. “In general, I think high school sports can help athletes define their principles, which they will carry with them the rest of their lives.”
Alumni athletes agree that playing sports at Harker was a great training ground for life, helping them develop valuable skills, including time management, stress management and professionalism. Balancing demanding academic and sports schedules forces athletes to set priorities and manage their time effectively.
“My days were pretty packed because I wanted to excel in both [academics and golf ],” said Zhu, explaining that since she spent two to three hours a day practicing with the golf team, she had to use free periods to finish homework. “Efficiency is key!”
As a student athlete, you cut out unnecessary activities and “find new ways to create time for work,” added McDermott. “Whether it’s working while you are waiting to get picked up after practice or doing worksheets before conditioning, it’s essential to use any spare time for getting your work done.”
Harker students who succeed both on and off the field are “masters at managing their time,” said Keller. “When they go to college, they are prepared to face the real life pressures of prioritization.” In setting priorities, athletes also learn to make sacrifices. Through this process, Anderson said she became a better soccer player and a better person.
“There were a lot of sacrifices I had to make, with my social life specifically, in order to keep up in school and continue to excel in soccer, but it paid off in the end,” she said. “All the sacrifices I made during high school felt worth it in the long run because of the amazing opportunities it gave me to take my soccer career to the college level.”
Anderson said she is grateful that her Harker coaches pushed her to be the best version of herself both on and off the field. She has found a similarly supportive environment at Pepperdine, where the coaches often remind players that they are trying to develop “women of character,” not just stellar athletes or a game-winning team.
Tirabassi said he and his fellow coaches urged players to “live their lives motivated by the impact they can make” on others, including their family, community, teammates and friends. The more effort players put into positively impacting those around them, the more successful they will be in sports and in life, he said.
“Many sports teams have negative connotations with their behavior or demeanor,” McDermott explained. “Coach Tirabassi had our team challenge those misconceptions. He helped the players understand that being a student athlete means excellence on and off the field.”
Likewise, Zhu said golf coach Cheng instilled the importance of being professional, “and enforced it everywhere, whether it was at country clubs or even on snack runs!”
Pushing the limits
Many athletes dream of playing their sport in college, but not all have the required discipline. Keller said he is proud of Harker athletes who made this dream come true. Their dedication pays dividends both on and off the field.
“Being an athlete anywhere, not only Harker, is one of the avenues by which young people are able to build resilience,” said Keller. “In the middle of a game or practice, you have to accept the events and adjust in the moment. These are real life experiences.”
Those often challenging experiences also strengthen the team. “We faced the same adversity whether it be extremely hot days, excessive conditioning or even a tough loss,” McDermott recalled. Those experiences formed an “unbreakable bond” among teammates, he added.
As a water polo player at Harker, “the biggest takeaways were perseverance and dedication,” Hajjar said. While some people pressured him to quit the team to focus on his schoolwork, he was determined to manage both well, adding that his life is more balanced and organized during the water polo season. He said water polo gives him the opportunity to de-stress and focus on something other than school.
“When I get out of the pool, I’m refreshed and ready to tackle my studies with a clear and improved mindset,” he said. “I rarely waste time, and since I’m working out, I make sure to get enough sleep and stay healthy.”\
Even those who ultimately leave competitive sports say the experience made them stronger and more confident.
Mahi Gurram ’19 played both softball and golf at Harker. She joined the softball team her freshman year, having never played before, which she said was “one of the best decisions” she made at Harker. Her experience as a rookie and in the years that followed gave her the confidence to try crew as a freshman at Colgate University.
“Harker’s teams taught me to push myself past the limits I set for myself,” she said. “Walking on to the softball team is what inspired me to walk on to the rowing team. I thought it was worth trying out a new sport because of how much I enjoyed playing softball at Harker.”
Although she enjoyed rowing and said the workouts taught her to “dig deep” and push herself, she ultimately made the difficult decision to quit the team to focus on her pre-med studies.
“I was definitely stressed out academically, but it was a very rewarding experience,” she said. “I enjoyed my brief time on the [crew] team, because it taught me that I am capable of things I didn’t know I could do.”
Leveling up
While playing sports has many benefits, a key motivation for most players is, of course, to improve their game. Both individual players and teams at Harker have set records and earned many accolades over the years. Many Harker players have gone on to play sports in college, some earning scholarships to do so, and a few alumni have even gone pro.
For example, Jason Martin ’07 played semi-pro baseball for several years. Tanya Schmidt ’08 played pro volleyball in Europe for two years between college and graduate school. And one of Harker’s most notable alumni athletes, golfer Maverick McNealy ’13, went pro in 2017.
“We’re so proud of all of our athletes who have pursued their sport beyond high school,” Molin said. “Though it’s not the main goal of our program, we want to celebrate their achievements and let it be known that athletes at Harker can, if they work hard, continue their athletics after high school.”
While few college athletes make a career of their game, most anticipate sports will always be a part of their lives, noting the benefits of staying active on their health and well-being.
“Even if I may not be able to compete at a professional level, I hope to have golf in my life in some form because of all the happiness and joy it’s brought me thus far,” said Zhu.
Jennifer Maragoni is a freelance writer and editor based in Folsom.
In the latest construction update video, viewable below, Harker facility manager Mike Bassoni details the complex process of laying the concrete foundations at the Union Campus.
Every year, Harker employees who have been with the school for five years are recognized for their service to the community by receiving commemorative pins. Every subsequent five years, a diamond is set into the pin to signify the employees’ continued dedication. This year, three teachers celebrated a major milestone: 30 years with the school! Congratulations to Pete Anderson, middle school P.E. department chair; Gail Palmer, dance teacher and lead performing arts teacher for K-8; and Theresa “Smitty” Smith, lower and middle school athletic director. Professional accomplishments of our faculty and staff.
Diana Nichols, Harker’s former head of school who passed away in 2018, was inducted into the second class of the performing arts department’s Life in the Arts honorees. Nichols was the driving force behind the development of the school’s performing arts department and the creation of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center.
In May, speech and debate teacher Scott Odekirk was named Coach of the Year by the California Coast District of the National Speech & Debate Association. Odekirk was recognized for his students’ run at the 2019 NSDA National Tournament, in which Haris Hosseini ‘19 and senior Avi Gulati took first and second place, respectively, in original oratory.
Middle school math chair Vandana Kadam coached two teams to victory in February, when a team of eighth graders placed first in a Santa Clara chapter MathCounts competition and another group of grade 8 students became regional champions at the Middle School Science Bowl.
This story originally appeared in the spring/summer 2020 issue of Harker Magazine.
“We need 100% compliance on this one,” Debra Nott wrote to lower school teachers in late January, imploring them to place hand sanitizer in their classrooms. Harker’s health services director had been receiving emails from concerned families regarding the new coronavirus that had just begun spreading in U.S. cities. “The coronavirus is like a big wave,” she cautioned. “We either ride ahead of it, choosing our path, or it will tumble us around out of control.”
Harker administration had started tracking the spread of the coronavirus earlier that month, and with news that COVID-19 was spreading, talks of what to do in the event of a closure were becoming more common. “When the talk of possible school closure came up, I had no idea of how we were going to continue with our classes,” said middle school math chair Vandana Kadam. “I also did not think it would happen so soon after the initial [faculty] discussions on the closures.”
In February a protocol was put in place for the school to close if a member of the community tested positive for COVID-19. It was enacted on March 12, when it was learned that a parent of a non-teaching staff member had tested positive. Days later, with COVID-19 cases rapidly increasing in California, Santa Clara County issued a shelter-in-place order to begin March 17. Students, faculty and staff began readying themselves for a shift to remote learning. “As we had been preparing for the transition both emotionally and logistically, I found that my feelings were a mix of disappointment that we could not continue in our in-person mode, but confidence in our ability to optimize the experience for ourselves and our students,” said Brian Yager, head of school.
School was originally scheduled to reopen in April, but as the situation surrounding the pandemic developed, the question became how to effectively continue classes for the remainder of the year. Cases were increasing exponentially across the world, and shelter-in-place orders were being extended as the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. – and concerns – grew.
“When I realized I would not be able to go to school for a while, I was devastated that I would not be able to see my friends, the campus and Harker staff,” said Elie Ahluwalia, grade 6.
Reports that schools may shut down for much longer than originally anticipated worried fourth grader Aarya Vaidya, but she was heartened by how the community adapted. “What surprised me the most was how everyone dealt with it, how everyone was ready and how the Harker community helped everyone,” she said.
Going Remote
With a long history of delivering assignments and homework online, the transition to fully remote learning was relatively smooth. As closure loomed, teachers were briefed on how to conduct classes online via Zoom, a video conferencing platform that saw a massive surge in popularity. “The basic instruction about online teaching that was given just before school closed helped us get started,” Kadam said. After that, we were able to contact the [Learning, Innovation and Design] team and the administration for any clarifications.”
Preparation for the transition also became a community effort. “A friend and I started a document to compile Zoom links and other advice before the school closure in case we needed to transition to remote learning,” said eighth grader Kabir Ramzan. “The Harker community responded with overwhelming support, and when the school declared that we would be transitioning to remote learning, hundreds of students added links, answered questions and suggested what people could do when they were bored.”
Teachers quickly became savvy with Zoom sessions as the new default classroom, and though these online meetings were no replacement for in-person instruction, the limitations didn’t prevent teachers from turning their virtual classrooms into dynamic spaces. Working from home allowed lower school science teacher Shital Ashar to give a lesson on seed anatomy by making a salad from her kitchen, an activity her students happily also performed. Upper school dance teacher Rachelle Haun’s students enthusiastically recorded themselves dancing at home with stuffed animals or while doing chores. Preschool teacher Amanda Crook snail-mailed her students a likeness of herself she made using the website Bitmoji. She later received photos and videos of the parachutes and amusement park rides students had made for the miniature version of their teacher.
“I am so touched and impressed how quickly teachers and the entire school regrouped and ensured that our kids continue to receive top quality education,” said Alina Gicqueau, mother of Benjamin, grade 11, and Paulina, grade 9. “I am so grateful for our teachers’ and administration’s dedication and exemplary professionalism and helping us with maintaining normalcy and regular cadence of our children’s lives.”
For their part, students also adapted well to the remote learning environment, organizing all manner of community events, which often leveraged the Zoom platform in clever ways. “With the help of so many dedicated leaders, my friends, and the administration, we’ve been able to pull off virtual elections, talent shows, movie nights, a mask drive, a check-in newspaper, Zoom background contests, a virtual road trip and so much more,” said senior Avi Gulati, who served as upper school Associated Student Body president during the 2019-20 school year.Seizing on the internet trend of people posting the backgrounds they used in Zoom meetings, the upper school held its own Zoom background contest. Students even devised a way to move the twice-a-year Quadchella music festival to Zoom, playing recorded student performances for attendees. The remote format also had unexpected benefits, allowing for a greater diversity of talents to be showcased, including cooking and clothing design.
“While being in quarantine has its limitations, it also forces us to think outside of the box with regards to having fun,” said Rani Sheth, grade 12. “I’ve had Netflix parties, danced to a Zumba video, and FaceTimed while doing workouts with my friends. It’s nowhere close to the norm, but looking back on it 10 years from now, those are memories that I will cherish.“
Ahluwalia and her friends even devised a way of meeting in-person, organizingwhat she called “trunk playdates,” during which they meet at a friend’s house and converse with one another from their parents’ cars. And in the lower school, beloved events such as the talent show and art show shifted online
To Yager, the community’s response was impressive but far from shocking. “Nothing surprised me,” he said. “I knew feature that the adults and students were ready and prepared to optimize the transition, and that we would approach the change with a determined attitude and professional approach befitting the Harker community.”
Leaning In, Reaching Out
The community was spurred to action outside of school as well, as service efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up dramatically. There was a massive outpouring of support for medical workers, as families sent large caches of medical supplies to local hospitals and also produced homemade masks and 3D-printed face shields. Harker parent Virag Saksena (Riva, grade 12, and Anya, grade 8) even went so far as to convert his single-malt whisky distillery into a producer of hand sanitizer, which required getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration, itself a difficult task.
Initiatives also were kicked off to help those affected by the pandemic. Recognizing the risk of displacement faced by many South Bay families, the upper school’s Associated Student Body and Student Council organized a schoolwide donation drive that won praise from San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and raised more than $11,000. Larissa Tyagi, grade 12, organized a blood drive to offset the American Red Cross’ massive blood shortage. The Student Council also joined the Medical Club and Key Club to deliver 640 homemade masks to the local homeless population through LifeMoves, a Bay Area-based organization that offers shelter, food and other services to people facing homelessness. (For more stories on those contributing to the relief effort, visit Harker News and search “outreach.”)
Bittersweet Endings
There remained, however, a sense of loss due to the cancellation of many yearly activities, including the particularly busy spring performing arts lineup and the end-of-year activities the senior class had been anticipating for years.
“When school closed, my initial reaction was disappointment that I wouldn’t beable to partake in so many activities – trips, get-togethers, ceremonies,” said Sheth. “As a second-semester senior, I was looking forward to spending time with my friends and relishing my last bit of time at the upper school campus.”
The Class of 2020 sadly did not get to experience its graduation exercises, but staples such as baccalaureate and the Senior Showcase went on, with videos created from submissions participants created at home, and launched for viewing at the time the events would have taken place. A heartfelt video, “Lights On for 2020,” was produced to help provide a fitting send-off to a class that thrived under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Other divisions also moved their traditions online, such as the middle school’s Student LID Vision Day, during which students gave talks on homemade inventions, performed music and showed off a virtual rendition of the middle school campus made in Minecraft. Lower school traditions such as the grade 5 promotion ceremony were compiled from individual recordings and released online, as was the grades 4 and 5 talent show.
“COVID-19 tried to stop so many students from celebrating and commemorating aspects of the high school experience, but in the end, it couldn’t,” said Gulati.
“We have a community of individuals whose primary goals are to make sure our students’ need and desire for shortand long-term intellectual growth and general well-being do not go unmet,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs. “I knew we would rise to the occasion to achieve these goals.”
As the coronavirus situation evolves, Yager has remained similarly confidentabout the community’s ability to adapt. “While the uncertainty of what we will be required and allowed to do as a school in the coming year makes it difficult to predict just how school will be modified next year, one thing is certain,” he said. “The Harker community of staff, students and parents will meet the challenge and exceed expectations.”
This story originally appeared in the spring/summer 2020 issue of Harker Magazine.
One morning in October 2010, third graders gathered at the lower school campus field to await a busload of sophomores, with whom they’d spent weeks corresponding. As their friends approached, the students clapped and chanted “Eagle Buddies!” signaling that the new program was off to a promising start.
This fall, the Eagle Buddies program will begin its 10th year as a bridge between the lower and upper school communities. The program connects students in grades 3 and 10, and lasts until the lower school students finish grade 5 and the upper school students graduate. Once the younger students reach grade 10, they are introduced to grade 3 students and re-enter the program from the other perspective.
The inspiration for Eagle Buddies came from upper school head Butch Keller and upper school math teacher Jane Keller’s stint at a previous school, which had a similar program that paired younger and older students in an effort to help younger students forge lifelong bonds within the school.
“[At the school where I previously worked] in Virginia, we had a big brother, little brother, big sister, little sister program,” Jane Keller recalled. “And it was at a K-through-12 school. Granted, we were on one campus, so it was a little more inclusive, but it made a big difference for the little kids to be connected to the older students and for the older students to remember what it’s like to be young.”
Because Harker has multiple campuses, the Kellers felt it was even more important to provide a bridge between the school’s younger and older students. “If we get into our own little island and think only about what happens at the upper school without regard to the other campuses, and the other campuses may be feeling the same, that to me inhibits a smooth transition and growth process for our students,” said Butch Keller.
“We kind of all have to be beads on the same thread, so that we’re taking the steps in the same direction,” said Jane Keller. “Not necessarily the exact steps, because everybody does things differently, but we still have to be teaching the same elements, the same values along the way.”
The idea was met with excitement at the lower school, and planning began in summer 2010. Weeks before their first face-to-face meeting, the third graders and sophomores exchanged cards and messages to generate excitement for the kickoff. “I thought it was great because at the time my son [Matthew ’13] was part of the first class [of sophomore buddies],” said Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, who still remembers fondly the first visit by the sophomores. “Just seeing those kids get off the bus and how much they’d grown up [since elementary school], and then seeing how much the little kids loved them, it was just great.”
The enthusiasm from both the third graders and sophomores was precisely what organizers had been hoping to see. Lower schoolers in the program, Giammona said, enjoy learning more about their older buddies’ experiences and gaining a look into what their own daily lives will be like once they reach high school. “I think they just love the idea that that they get to go to the upper school campus,” she said. “The big kids show them, here’s my locker, here’s what I did during the day, this is what you should be doing.”
It also helps the lower school students feel closer to the community as a whole. “Meeting with upper school students helps the lower school students know that the upper school exists, and makes them feel like they’re part of the whole school,” said Butch Keller. “And it reminds our big kids of what it was like to be little.”
Many cross-campus activities have been organized for Eagle Buddies events, including carnival games, face painting, clown shows and visits to see buddies perform at annual shows, such as the upper school spring musical and the grade 5 show, as well as the yearly upper school visit to the lower school to celebrate the conclusion of the year’s Pajama Program. But often it is the less structured activities that create the most enduring memories.
Senior Jessica Jiang had an especially energetic younger buddy who once engaged her in an impromptu face-painting activity with another upper school friend, decorating their faces with eyebrows, hearts and mustaches. The experience was an example for Jiang of how Eagle Buddies gives upper school students a unique opportunity to be “extremely silly.”
“Most of the time I don’t think about having fun or relaxing or being in themoment, because there’s so much to do, both in school and outside of school,” she said. “In my experience, the Eagle Buddies program encourages whimsical exploration and simply having fun, which is just as important as being busy.”
Seniors who joined the program as third graders, such as Sachin Shah, found it beneficial to see how older students experienced the world, which they extended to their younger buddies once they reached the upper school. “I think that just getting a perspective on life from someone at a different stage of it was really nice,” Shah said. “I remember my older buddies trying to teach me how to enjoy middle school, and I remember trying to chase my younger buddies as they played soccer.”
Upper school students have found that simply learning to talk to someone several years younger than them has been a valuable experience. “Being in the Eagle Buddies program has taught me mainly that I have no idea how to talk to kids,” laughed Jiang. “I’m still figuring out how to best communicate with children, but I love how Eagle Buddies makes us learn how to interact with people younger than us.”
Members of the classes of 2018 and 2019 have organized a fundraiser for Black Lives Matter, The Bail Project and Campaign Zero. Their statement, including details on how to donate and provide additional support, is as follows:
Hello Harker students, alumni, faculty and family,
In light of explicit police brutality and racial injustice, we are starting a fundraiser to support Black solidarity organizations. Donations will be split equally between Black Lives Matter, The Bail Project and Campaign Zero. Black Lives Matter drives the cultural movement for Black justice, The Bail Project combats mass incarceration and Campaign Zero researches policy solutions to end police brutality. To donate, Venmo @HarkerBLM or go directly through harkerblm.org.
Please give if you can and consider transforming your allyship into effective action. The goal is to help these organizations do important work long after the social media incentives fade.
Here are more educational resources to help you learn, protest and use your voice to help others do the same: https://bit.ly/harkerblm.
At the end of each school year, Harker recognizes longtime employees with the presentation of gold pins for five-year full-time employees and a diamond inset for every five years thereafter. This year’s 67 recipients, honored at a ceremony on Thursday, are:
Five years Adam Albers – Pastry Chef, Food Service
Johnny Castro – Custodian ll, Facilities
Anuradha Datar – Computer Science Teacher, Upper School
Miran Eldeeb – Mathematics Teacher, Middle School
Christopher Hurshman – English Teacher, Upper School
Abigail Joseph – LID Director, Middle School
Mark Kocina – Photographer, Office of Communications
Christine Larita – Kitchen Aide, Food Service
Patty Marsette – Academic Counselor, Lower School
Sheva Momenian – Mathematics Teacher, Upper School
RaeAnn Prado – Assistant to College Counseling, Upper School
Erik Ruiz – Custodian, Facilities
Ronald Spitalere – Kitchen Aide ll, Food Service
Byron Stevens – History Teacher, Upper School
Mira Vojvodic – Mathematics Teacher, Lower School
10 years Tere Aceves – Director of Endowment Funding, Advancement
Greg Achten – Speech and Debate Teacher, Middle and Upper School
Meredith Cranston – Campus Librarian, Upper School
Nicole Hall – Administrative Services Manager
David Hart – Instrumental Music Teacher, Upper School
Samantha Hipol – Cook ll, Food Service
Kelly Horan – Academic Dean, Upper School
Mark Janda – History Teacher, Upper School
Sam Lepler, Business and Entrepreneurship Teacher, Upper School
Corey Newton – Internet Technology Services and Support Coordinator, Tech Department
Heather Russell – Grade 3 English Teacher, Lower School
Amira Townzen– Asst. Director Enrichment and Supervision, Lower School
15 years Miguel Aguilar – Custodian ll, Facilities Dept.
Mark Brada – Physics Teacher, Upper School
Enni Chen – Science Teacher, Lower School
Carlos Rojas Esquivel – Lead Groundskeeper, Facilities Department
Walid Fahmy – Physical Education Teacher, Lower School
Irene Gary – Payroll Specialist, Business Office
Melinda Gonzales – Director of the Annual Fund, Advancemenet
Maria Guadalupe Gonzales – Food Service
Carol Green – History Teacher, Upper School
Danielle Holquin – Director of Admission
Shaun Kelly Jahshan – Mandarin Teacher, Upper School
Lori Kohan – Academic Counselor, Upper School
Kevin Lum Lung – College Counselor, Upper School
Carlos Madrigal – Cook, Food Service
Dan Molin – Athletics Director, Upper School
Rodolfo Molina – Custodian, Facilities Dept.
Aarthi Ragupathy – Corporate Budget Manager ERP Administrator, Finance
Kimberly Sandoval – Kindergarten Teacher, Lower School
Jennifer Sandusky – Vocal Music Teacher, Upper School
Eileen Schick – Mathematics Lab Teacher, Lower School
Preeti Sharan – Information Systems Lead, Tech Department
Grace Wallace – Teacher and Grades 1-2 Department Chair, Lower School
20 years Evan Barth – Division Head, Middle School
Bob Benge – Copy Center Manager
Jeremiah Brewer – Physical Education Teacher, Middle School
Jeffrey Draper – Theater Teacher, Upper School
Danny Dunn – K-5 Technical Director
Kerry Enzensperger – Director of Community Service, Upper School
Jesse Lara – Director, Information Technology, PK-12
Marissa Lucketti – Human Resources Manager
Maria Parry – Security Officer
Bradley Stoll – Mathematics Teacher, Upper School
Jeff Sutton- Biology Teacher, Upper School
Kevin Williamson – Dean of Students, Upper School
25 years Darrin Cassidy – Assistant Director, Food Service
Diann Chung – Admission Director Lower School
Kathy Clark – Campus Librarian Lower School
Laura Lang-Ree – Director, Performing Arts, K-12
30 years Pete Anderson – Physical Education Department Chair, Grades 6-8
Gail Palmer – Dance Director, K-8 Lead Performing Arts Teacher
Theresa “Smitty” Smith – Athletic Director, Grades 4-8
The upper school ASB and Student Council have launched a donation drive to support Silicon Valley Strong, an initiative started by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo that delivers aid to households put at risk of displacement during the COVID-19 pandemic due to factors such as illness, joblessness and lack of income. Small businesses and local organizations also are receiving assistance. The donation drive, which runs from today until Sunday, was launched to provide Silicon Valley Strong with more funding, which has become necessary due to the high demand for aid.
Harker had another great year in the Future Problem Solving International competition, sending students in every division to the finals of the competition, which are held at the FPS International Conference. This year, the conference is being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, of the four teams invited to the international conference, three are from Harker. In the months prior to the school closure, students from each of the divisions met and worked through the year’s scenario.
In the junior division (grades 4-6), the team of sixth graders Krish Nachnani, Aditya Shivakumar, Jonathon Szeto and Veeraz Thakkar earned first place, while sixth graders Cyrus Ghane, Charlie Wang, Daniel Miao and Kairui Sun took second place. Both teams will be headed to the internationals. Individual junior competitors Brenna Ren and Helen Gu, both grade 6, placed second and fourth respectively, and also qualified for internationals.
The team of eighth graders Ritu Belani, Reshma Kosaraju, Aeliya Grover and Olivia Xu placed third in the middle division team competition. In individual competition, Anandita Arun, grade 7, placed second, and Kosaraju placed fourth; both earned an invite to internationals. Belani also took second place in scenario writing, securing yet another internationals spot for Harker.
Seniors Sriya Prathuri, Amla Rashingkar and Tina Xu were invited to internationals for taking first place in the senior division team competition, where seniors Anvi Banga, Jack Hansen, Anika Tiwari and Alicia Xu earned third place. Junior Hilari Fan took fourth place in the individual competition.
A group of Harker parents organized via the Chinese messaging app WeChat has been gathering and donating protective supplies to local hospitals. More than 100 families are involved with the effort, according to Harker parent Jing Wang (Cynthia, grade 5), who organized the group. As of mid-April, thousands of supplies have been donated, including more than 3,000 surgical masks and more than 1,000 N95 masks, as well as hundreds of face shields, handmade masks, shoe covers and more.
Hospitals that have received the goods include Kaiser Permanente centers through Santa Clara County, as well as Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose and Eden Hospital in Castro Valley. The group plans to keep sending supplies during the pandemic, and students are also busy creating posters. Photos of their donation activities also recently appeared on NBC Bay Area.