March 6, 2014
UPDATE: Huge congratulations to our boys basketball team and Coach Keller on their history making performance Tuesday night! The #6 seeded Eagles defeated #2 seed Seaside 71-61 in the CCS semifinals at Menlo. The win propels the boys into the CCS finals Saturday at Independence High at 4 p.m. vs. league rival Sacred Heart Prep. Additionally, qualifying for the finals entitles them to compete in the Northern California playoffs which start next week. This is the first Harker boys team to qualify for the section finals in any sport!
News Flash: A generous donor has stepped forward to sponsor this Saturday’s entry fee for K-12 students, faculty, and faculty spouses. Last night’s supportive crowd certainly made a huge difference for the boys so please come on out and help the boys bring home the title! GO EAGLES!! Bracket:
http://www.cifccs.org/playoffs/results/13-14/BASKETBALL%20BOYS%20D4%202014.pdf
March 5, 2014
UPDATE: Here are a couple articles on our recent activity in boys basketball!
March 3, 2014
Spring sports get started, but varsity boys basketball is extending its season!
Basketball Last week, both the boys and girls varsity basketball squads competed in CCS Tournament games. The boys advanced to the semifinals after defeating Soquel on Saturday, following their defeat of Carmel 46-40. The score Saturday was 49-42 with Nicholas Nguyen, grade 11, leading the team in assists, steals and deflections while hitting three clutch free throws in the final minute. He was supported by teammates Eric Holt, grade 11, who had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and spark-plug Dylan Patel, grade 11, off the bench, who provided both defensive and offensive fire power in the final quarter. The boys will compete in the semifinals for the second time in three years Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. against No. 2 seed Seaside High at Menlo. Please come show your support!
The girls’ season ended after they lost a close third round match-up against Mercy Burlingame, 30-27, at College of San Mateo.
Track and Field The Eagles began their track and field season on a cold, rainy day at Mitty. SeniorArjun Kumar and juniorJulia Wang opened up the season with wins in the shot put, while freshman Niki Iyer, making her high school track and field debut after a tremendous cross country season earlier this school year, won the 800m run with a time of 2:24.84.
Tennis The boys tennis team kicked off its season with a 6-1 victory over Leigh High School.
Soccer The girls’ season ended when the team lost a heartbreaker to King’s Academy in the last 30 seconds of the game. A King’s Academy goal gave Harker’s rival a 2-1 win and catapulted them into the CCS Tournament, stunning Harker. The tough loss ended one of the great seasons in Harker’s history, as the girls won the most victories ever for a Harker girls soccer team en route to a 12-3-1 overall record and a league championship.
The incredible run did not end on the field, however, as the team had one last great act left in them. The squad changed the start time of their year-end banquet to be able to travel to watch the varsity boys basketball team win in their CCS Tournament game against Carmel. The gesture was just the latest reminder of the great work Harker’s athletes do both on and off the field.
The boys soccer team lost their senior day 4-2 to ECP, with juniorJeremiah Anderson and sophomore Oisin Coveney accounting for the scoring. The boys finish the year with an 11-6-2 record. Go Eagles!
The much-anticipated Night on the Town, Harker’s 11th annual gala fundraiser, was a smash success on Feb. 28 at the San Jose Marriott.
A live auction got the show started and climaxed in a $15,000 bid for a trip to Los Angeles to see the finale of “American Idol.” After the auction, a montage of video and live performances showcased several of Harker’s performing arts ensembles and reminded the audience of the evening’s purpose: to raise funds for the construction of a theater and gym complex on the upper school campus. Highlights of the live performances were charming mother/son and father/daughter dances, a lip sync by middle school teachers and students, and a rock band showing off the talents of both upper school student and adult musicians (sharp-eyed attendees may have spotted Chris Nikoloff, head of school, behind the drum set).
After the show and dinner, some guests returned to the casino games in the lobby while others danced the night away to tunes spun by a DJ.
Come June, the upper school campus will be filled with students in grades 6-12 who are participating in Harker’s Summer Institute (SI), a unique program open to both Harker students and those from other schools.
The Summer Institute has two tracks, one designed for middle schoolers and another for high school students. Participants typically combine a morning academic program with afternoon activities, allowing them to earn credits and learn new skills, yet still enjoy summertime fun.
The academic portion of the day offers rigorous for-credit courses such as algebra, economics and programming, as well as non-credit opportunities for enrichment and growth including creative writing, Web design, debate and robotics. A driver’s education course is available for students ages 15 and up.
For middle schoolers (grades 6-8), SI’s afternoon activity program includes many specialty classes and recreational activities; students in grade 9 are also invited to sign up for the afternoon activities. Last year’s participants were introduced to specialty classes including backyard games, volleyball boot camp and cooking. These classes will be available again this year, along with other rotating options such as art, jewelry making, magic, improv, dance, tech, junior lifeguard, chess and circus arts. There also will be off-campus field trips every couple of weeks to various sites such as The Tech Museum and Capitola.
Keith Hirota will reprise his role as SI middle school director and Evan Barth, upper school dean of studies, has enthusiastically taken on the role of SI principal for the upper school students.
Barth – who joined Harker in fall 2000 and has taught mathematics, coached soccer and volleyball, been a class dean and served on the Honor Council – said he is looking forward to working with SI’s older students this summer. In his present capacity as the dean of studies, he meets with each incoming student to create an academic plan for high school.
Hirota noted the success of last year’s program, which totaled some 920 middle and upper school students. An average of 80-85 students per week attended the afternoon activities.
Both Hirota and Barth agreed that the variety of choices and flexibility of the SI program allows students to design their own perfect schedule, taking into consideration individual academic needs and personal interests.
Registration is filling up fast for Summer Camp+, which this year will feature a fun circus theme called “Under the Big Top.” The popular K-6 camp will include a wide variety of circus-related activities, guests and special events.
Held on the lower school campus, Summer Camp+ provides morning learning experiences followed by age-appropriate afternoon electives. Students in grades 1-6 will have the option of enrolling in two different academic morning programs called Core Focus and Learning Opportunities in Literature (LOL). Core Focus is a more traditional learning environment with language arts, math and academic electives for each grade level. LOL features academic courses designed around a literary theme.
This year LOL will focus on the work of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. Both programs feature the same afternoon options, including arts and crafts, circus arts, dance, water play, wall climbing, archery and array of other field sports. The Summer Camp+ program traditionally kicks off with Color Clash, a fun event held in the Bucknall gymnasium.
Groups of campers on yellow, red, green and blue teams participate in an array of silly games cheered on by captains (aka camp counselors) wearing color-coordinated outfits that run the gamut from superheroes to hula skirts and silly hats. The kickoff is just the start of a session full of friendly competition around the color groups.
“It’s a great way to build team spirit and the kids just love it,” said longtime camp counselor Troy Townzen, ’08. “Color Clash costumes and activities create some of the best camp memories!”
The program offers something for everyone, according to Joe Chung, program director of Summer Camp+ and elementary computer science teacher. On-site happenings often include a patriotic games bash, a water carnival, a sleepover for older campers, a presentation for parents and a birthday celebration for camp mascot “Ray.”
Campers also partake in numerous field trips, including bowling, miniature golf, the Oakland Zoo and Coyote Point. Last year enrollment for camps and other summer programs skyrocketed to a record-breaking 2,740 participants across all campuses, according to Harker’s summer programs office.
“We were thrilled and delighted at the incredible turnout for Harker summer last year … and are already seeing a jump in enrollment for this year!” enthused Kelly Espinosa, longtime director of summer programs. The Harker School has offered extensive summer programs for more than 50 years. The Summer Camp+ program is accredited nationally by the American Camping Association.
This article prepared from a DECA press release by Shannon Hong, grade 10, director of public relations for Harker DECA
In early February more than 100 students from Harker’s DECA chapter traveled to the Marriott Hotel in Anaheim to attend the California State Career Development Conference (CDC). The three-day event featured workshops with renowned speakers, tough competition and experiences for a lifetime. Harker performed admirably with 26 finalists in the top eight; of those, 16 advanced to the top four, qualifying for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). In addition, Harker will send eight students to ICDC to participate either in The Stock Market game or the Virtual Business Challenge.
After school on Feb. 5, 103 students took charter buses from Harker to Anaheim, stopping only for refreshments at In-and-Out Burger. The following morning, Harker hosted a chapter breakfast at Denny’s and “Officer Hours,” during which students could get last-minute advice and tips. That afternoon, students took their written examinations and then headed to the opening session. During the opening session, Sandip Nirmel, grade 9, spoke to the crowd, urging them to elect him president of the 64th California DECA Team. Although Nirmel did not win, he did a great job and was recognized by many of his peers as a rising star.
“For me, this year’s state CDC can be summed up in four words: Talk about awesome, possum!” said Nirmel. “Leading up to the conference, I really didn’t know what to expect. The highlight of my conference definitely was speaking to a crowd of around 2,000 people on why they should elect me president. Standing on stage as the audience cheered and my school’s DECA chapter chanted, “Sandip! Sandip! Sandip!” made me smile, and it still makes me smile today, just a week later. As it turned out, standing at my booth for nearly five hours allowed me to meet so many charismatic and friendly people that I had never met before. This is what DECA is really about, in my opinion.”
Next, attendants gathered for their role-play events. After the competition, Harker DECA took the students to Disneyland to relax after a challenging, but rewarding day.
The next day students competing in written events had their time to shine. Afterward, at the Recognition and Mini-Awards Session, Harker was honored for its wonderful performance as a chapter. Harker was the only California school to complete every campaign: Membership, Global Entrepreneurship, Promotional and Community Service. For this achievement, Harker earned six extra stops to the ICDC Thrive Academy. In addition, out of a total of six California teams to qualify for the international conference in the Stock Market Game, Harker sent three.
“This was my first state conference as a freshman,” said Haley Tran, grade 9. “I had so much fun meeting new people and seeing how wonderful and how big California DECA is. I used this conference more of as a learning experience to test out the waters for future year; I can’t wait for the next time.”
Harker DECA president Monica Thukral, grade 12, was named California DECA student of the year. Her passion is one of the main reasons the business and entrepreneurship program is so successful. “Being student of the year was really amazing,” said Thukral. “I got called back to the stage during the awards ceremony and afterwards people came up to me and congratulated me. I’m so grateful to [adviser] Mr. [Juston] Glass, to my officer team, and to a remarkable chapter I’m proud to be a part of.”
“This conference is also my last states conference,” added Thukral. “It was definitely bittersweet. I’m so glad that we were so successful this year as a chapter. I’ve invested a lot of time into DECA with late nights and early mornings. But I’ve really enjoyed all of it, especially working with other students and helping them prepare. I’ll miss it so much. DECA gave me so much in terms of how I’ve grown as a person; I’m definitely more confident and self-assured than I was before. Go Harker DECA!”
The day ended with a conference dance, at which students let loose and had fun after a full day of competing and learning about business.
Throughout the weekend, workshops were held to complement the competition. Topics included communication, manufacturing, technology, start-ups, financial planning and networking. Students found them entertaining and helpful, and came home eager to begin implementing some of the tips in their daily lives.
“In our free time, we went to workshops, which covered topics about everything from understanding relationships between people to healthy business practices. It was really awesome to talk to the business professionals!” said Tong Wu, grade 10.
In addition, protégé events (examinations based on specialized skill sets) included green business, event planning, finance and investing, real estate and emerging leaders. Harker competed and finished top eight in every event. Two students placed among top three; Shannon Hong, grade 10 earned first place in emerging leaders, Mabel Luo, grade 12, took third place in event planning.
The finale was the Grand Awards Ceremony, at which Harker took a record number of wins (see results below) and left as one of the most-respected schools. The International Career Development Conference will be May 2-7. More than 20 Harker students are expected to represent us. Go Eagles!
First Place: Simran Singh, grade 11, Entrepreneurship Written Plan.
Second Place: Julia Fink, grade 12, Apparel and Accessories Marketing; Raymond Xu, grade 9, Principles of Finance; Riya Chandra and Alexis Gauba, both grade 9, Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan; Emily Lin and Allison Sun, both grade 12, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research Event.
Third Place: Ankur Karwal and Mehul Khetrapal, both grade 10, Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan; Leo Yu, grade 11, and Sophia Luo, grade 10, Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research Event; Simran Singh and Manthra Panchapakesan, both grade 11, Marketing Communications Team Decision Making Event; Alexander Mo, grade 9, Professional Selling Event.
Fourth Place: Sachin Vadodaria, grade 12, Director of Individual Series Events and Business Finance Individual Series Event; Raymond Xu, grade 9, Principles of Finance.
Fifth Place: Shannon Hong, grade 10, Restaurant and Food Service Management Individual Series Event; Monica Thukral, grade 12, Food Marketing Individual Series Event.
Sixth Place: Arben Gutierrez-Bujari, grade 9, Professional Selling Event; Jonathan Lee, grade 11, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research Event.
Eighth Place: Mabel Luo, grade 12, Business Services Marketing Individual Series Event; Ria Gandhi, grade 9, Entrepreneurship Participating – Independent.
Harker DECA is an international competitive business organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in four fields of business: marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Our DECA chapter integrates classroom instruction, applies learning, connects to business and promotes competition to prepare the next generation to be academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible and experienced leaders.
From working in television and film to creating vehicles for YouTube and video streaming, many of Harker’s alumni thrive in the fast-paced, quickly evolving world of visual media. Their artistic outlets may differ, yet, at the end of the day, most are driven by the same internal force: the desire to communicate. Read on as three Harker graduates share the ins and outs of pursuing a career somewhat off the beaten path, but well on the road to providing a satisfying outlet for creativity and expressive pursuit.
Matt Wolf ’96
Documentary Filmmaker Matt Wolf was thrilled to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship for his recent film “Teenage,” a historical documentary about the pre-history of teenagers based on a book by the acclaimed British writer and cultural critic Jon Savage. The film, which looks at youth culture from the early 1900s to 1945, followed his previous work, “Wild Combination,” which aired on the Sundance Channel and is still available on DVD via Amazon, Netflix and iTunes.
“Wild Combination” is a feature-length documentary about the late Arthur Russell, a musician who mastered everything from the cello to the perfect disco beat in unimaginable ways. “Wild Combination” garnered positive critical attention and helped kick start Wolf’s career.
“It was a surprise. I wasn’t really tapped into the film industry. So I was fortunate to get positive critical attention and distribution for that film,” recalled Wolf, who grew up in San Jose and attended New York University’s film school, where he met many of his current key collaborators. He still resides in New York and credits Harker with helping prepare him for the rigors of both film school and filmmaking.
“Harker was really academically challenging, and prepared me for the kind of intensive research I do in my work today,” he said. While “Wild Combination” helped Wolf get his foot in the film industry’s door, it was his documentary “Teenage” that really took off and helped him gain a larger audience. “Teenage” is what Wolf calls “a different kind of historical film.
“I was struck by the unconventional way [Jon Savage’s book] treated the history of youth from the early 20th century. The film was much larger in scale than anything I had made before, so it was a growing experience for me as well,” he said. With his struggling artist days behind him, Wolf advises others interested in pursuing a career in film to finish what they start, especially when it’s a self-initiated or independent project.
“There are a lot of obstacles to completing these kinds of projects, but finishing is the key to having a creative career,” he advised. Wolf is currently making a documentary about children’s book illustrator and Eloise co-creator Hilary Knight, as well as a documentary project for the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Karan Lodha ’04
Creator at Human Hangouts Since graduating from Harvard College in 2008, Karan Lodha ’04 has forged a satisfying career as a digital media professional working for a variety of companies. He most recently stepped out on his own, as creator and producer of an innovative Web series called “Human Hangouts,” showcasing candid conversations with individuals from all walks of life.
The conversations seek to help viewers understand their own humanity by examining both life and career choices. Lodha creates his show using a technological program from Google+ called Hangouts, which allows users to start or join a video chat. He posts his guest interviews to YouTube, where viewers can subscribe to his channel. “All of us at one point or another question who we are and why we’ve chosen the paths we’re on, and these interviews illuminate that what can seem like a linear process is often a collection of adventurous accidents,” said Lodha, who for a time lived in Los Angeles and has since returned to the Bay Area.
He spent several months in Los Angeles consulting with production companies and learning from industry innovators to get a firm grasp on the emerging trends in media and entertainment. His previous experience in visual media includes serving as a development intern at Voltage Pictures; working as head of business development at Kamcord; being a creator at The Sports Odyssey; becoming a strategic partner/manager at Google TV Ads; and serving as a digital programming intern at MTV Networks.
When he was a student at Harvard, he was the sports chair for The Harvard Crimson, the school’s daily newspaper. “I’ve been fortunate to work in digital media in an era when every year brings radical changes to the industry,” he said. “Continuing to do business as usual is no longer an option for players in this space. My experience with various companies has taught me the importance of not just staying abreast of the latest trends but also of trying to predict the next wave of possibilities.”
Lodha said he will be eternally grateful to his teachers at Harker for instilling a lifelong love of learning. “I still try to treat each day as if I’m sitting at a desk at 500 Saratoga Ave.,” he said.
Sean Doherty, Jr. ’09, Co-Founder, Wurl
Sean Doherty, Jr. ’09 was an undergraduate at Boston College when he and his father launched Wurl, a successful company that helps users integrate the world’s best online videos into their own apps, video services and websites.
Doherty worked remotely to help craft the company’s product and marketing strategies, and helped create Wurl’s ranking algorithm, “ChannelsRank.” He graduated this year from Boston College with a degree in management (with concentrations in information systems and marketing) and a minor in history. He continues to work at Wurl as an advisor, providing valuable insight into the trends and innovations of technology and media companies involved in broadband video delivery.
“We spent a lot of time [while I was in college] figuring out what our product would be, given the technology we had created. I traveled to New York a few times to meet with media companies, but most of the work I could mold to fit my schedule,” he recalled.
He said part of the secret behind his success at combining working at Wurl with his college studies was that Harker prepared him so well academically. Now, having successfully launched Wurl and graduated from college, Doherty has decided to start a new chapter in his life by pursuing another passion: the television and film business. He soon will be relocating to Los Angeles to seek work in TV and movie distribution and production. “I think it’s really important to follow your passions career-wise,” advised Doherty, who is excited about moving forward yet looks back fondly on his time at Harker, college and working at Wurl.
Applications are now being accepted for Harker’s long-running and highly successful English Language Institute (ELI), held on both the lower and upper school campuses.
ELI provides overseas students with the opportunity to learn and practice their English skills, enabling many participants to go on to attend top American and international schools.
New to the program this year will be a “Very Interesting Places” (VIP) tour. The optional VIP offering, available to all ELI students (ages 6-16), will take place at the conclusion of the program’s regular five-week academic session. The tour will take students around Silicon Valley and the Bay Area to visit theme parks, museums, companies, school campuses and more. It will be capped off with an overnight trip to Yosemite.
“Over the past few summers, I have received interest from ELI participants in having more trips and excursions to enhance their American social and cultural experience,” reported ELI director Anthony Wood.
So, Wood decided to introduce the VIP program, which will allow students to discover California outside the classroom by embarking on strategic visits to boarding schools, university campuses and places of interest such as a Giants game, Point Lobos State Marine Reserve, the Jelly Belly Factory and Six Flags amusement park. The action-packed tour will conclude with an overnight stay in Yosemite.
Wood said that enrollment for the trip is expected to fill up quickly. He also noted that ELI teachers will accompany the students on the tour and provide a specialized curriculum to continue with their language learning.
To help get the word out about ELI, current Harker and alumni families are sponsoring receptions in cities around the world in early spring. The receptions will provide an opportunity for interested families to meet Wood and learn about the benefits and features of the program. In March and April, ELI receptions will take place in Russia, Turkey, China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement, who directed the school’s former elementary boarding program for 20 years, will be on hand as well. Rosenthal is a frequent guest lecturer to the current ELI program on the topic of studying in the United States.
“The ELI receptions are a wonderful way to get the word out about the quality of our program,” he said.
Each year, Rosenthal travels abroad to meet prospective ELI students. He said he enjoys meeting with alumni and their families, updating them and keeping them connected to the school.
ELI initially began as a year-round boarding school program, which closed in 2001 due to Harker’s upper school expansion. It evolved into the current summer program, which launched in 2004. Last summer, more than 60 students enrolled for the secondary division and a record-breaking 55 enrolled in the primary division.
“The goal is to keep the program small and offer a very high-quality experience,” explained Wood.
Eagle Update: The boys basketball team defeated Pinewood-Los Altos Hills 51-45 Thursday evening throwing a loop into that schools league title hopes– read the Merc article here!
Feb. 18, 2014
Huge news for the girls soccer and boys basketball teams, as one earned the first league championship in school history and the other earned a spot in the San Jose Mercury News after a dramatic upset.
Soccer:
For the first time in Harker’s history, the girls soccer team is the league champion! Two goals from freshman Joelle Anderson and one apiece from freshman Kailee Gifford and junior Gabi Gupta gave the team a 4-0 shutout victory over Summit Prep to complete the girls’ ascent to the title. Now, after their 12-2-1 season and 8-1-1 league campaign, the girls will play a one-game, winner-take-all playoff against the WBAL Foothill Division’s fourth place team, King’s Academy, for a shot at the league’s final remaining CCS playoff birth. Fans can catch the high-pressure action this Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at King’s Academy!
Thursday also will mark senior day for the boys soccer team, which plays at 4 p.m. on Davis Field. Their senior day ceremony will be held just before the game’s start.
Basketball:
More exciting news for Harker sports: For only the third time in 10 years, the boys varsity basketball team defeated rival Sacred Heart Prep 71-65 on the road. Senior Huck Vaughan started in place of injured senior Will Deng and rose to the occasion, scoring a career-high 23 points, shooting 11-16 from the field. Junior Eric Holt anchored the team with a double-double, netting 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The boys’ dramatic upset earned a full report in the San Jose Mercury News, where they were written up as exciting spoilers to Sacred Heart’s title hopes. Vaughan was commended for his “huge game,” and Harker’s coach, Butch Keller, was quoted. The team will ride this wave of momentum into a senior night showdown this Thursday against first place Pinewood.
Wrestling:
Davis Howard has become only the third freshman in Harker’s history to qualify for the CCS Tournament after he and senior Darian Edvalson competed in last week’s league championships and finished sixth in their respective weigh classes, each earning a place in the tournament. Freshman Danny Reidenbach placed fourth in the Junior Varsity Championships.
The global water and pollution crisis was the subject of an informative talk jointly hosted by the upper school’s Clean Tech Club and Venezia Wee, a visiting student from the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), Harker’s sister school in Shanghai, China.
Held at the end of January during a long lunch in the Nichols Hall auditorium, the collaborative effort promoted the use of clean technology and importance of water conservation.
Steven Wang, a grade 11 student and president of the Clean Tech Club, opened the seminar, which attracted nearly two dozen students. He introduced Wee, noting that the WFLMS junior was using her winter break to go on a self-funded, self-organized worldwide tour to bring attention to the global water crisis.
“I’m super excited the two of us connected,” said Wang, adding that Wee contacted him about doing the talk together. Each year the Clean Tech Club chooses a new theme; this year’s theme was “A Solution to Pollution,” Wang explained. During his address, he noted that air pollution was the basis for global warming and stressed that there is an urgent need to develop new technologies to combat air pollution.
“I’m honored to be joining hands with the Clean Tech Club,” said Wee from the podium. She discussed her work as founder of the Global Water Crisis Awareness (GWA) International Movement, of which Harker is now an ambassador.
“In the past I used water like it was nobody’s business. Why? Because I took it for granted,” said Wee, who later learned about the lack of safe drinking water worldwide, including the shocking statistic that a child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related illness. That, and other findings, prompted her to take on the global water crisis as her “personal project.”
She kicked off her talk by showing a powerful video about the international water shortage, citing it as particularly relevant to Harker students currently impacted by California’s drought, which has been declared a statewide emergency.
“We are going to run out of water before we run out of oil,” said Wee, who ended her talk by offering practical water conservation tips.
Back at WFLMS, Wee launched a five-day GWA exhibition about her movement, which works to both increase awareness and raise money to help impoverished schools in countries including Africa, Latin America and Asia improve their water hygiene. She said she used her own scholarship money to help finance her recent speaking tours at schools and other locations all over Asia, the United States and Europe.
“I was thrilled that this took place!” enthused Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s director of global education, who has encouraged such global student-to-student collaborations.
Eight Harker middle school students have won prestigious Scholastic Art Awards for their outstanding artwork. Two received the coveted Gold and Silver Key Awards, and six others were lauded with honorable mentions. All of the students’ work will be featured in the upper school art exhibit in the spring.
Hannah Eckert, grade 7, won a Gold Key award for her “Corn Plants” drawings, featuring one piece done using contour lines and another sketched in pen and ink. Liana Wang, grade 8, won a Silver Key for her creative ceramic sculpture titled “Abstract Figure.”
“This is very exciting for us and begins a new tradition of recognition in the arts on both a state and national level,” said Elizabeth Saltos, who teachers visual art at the middle school.
Honorable mentions for this year’s Scholastic Art Awards went to: Anthony Contreras, grade 8, for his sculpture “Smoov”; Natalie Luo, grade 8, for her sculpture “Reclining Figure”; Rebecca Mak, grade 7, for her drawing “Reflection”; Nicole Selvaggio, grade 7, for her sculpture “Abstract Figure”; Andrew Semenza, grade 8, for his drawing “Desert Cascade”; and Ally Wang, grade 7, for her drawing “Black And White.”