Rising senior Kathir Sundarraj attended this year’s Enterprise Leadership Conference, held at Asilomar in March. Organized by the San Jose and Los Altos Rotary Clubs, the ELC brings students selected from a number of different local high schools together and places them in groups, which then come up with a product and present it to a group of investors.
“In creating this business proposition, there were many areas that we needed to learn about,” Sundarraj said. Such areas included marketing, human resources and financing. “A presenter, usually a Rotarian, came to lecture about each of the topics.”
Sundarraj also got to socialize with the other students at the conference. “We went to the beach and participated in a couple of socials,” he said.
He particularly enjoyed meeting the students at the conference, who came from diverse backgrounds. “Usually, as a debater, the people I meet from other schools tend to be debaters,” he said. “However, it was very interesting to see many leaders all with their own unique talents and passions.”
He also relished the opportunity to meet the business leaders in attendance at the conference and listen to their success stories. “What the Rotary Cub is doing is a great enterprise, and I hope they continue to hold ELC!” Sundarraj exclaimed.
Best-selling author D.J. MacHale, whose works include the series of novels “Morpheus Road” and “Pendragon,” as well as the Nickelodeon TV series “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” spoke to Harker middle school students via Skype in early May to answer their questions about the writing process and the business of being a published author. Topics discussed included formulating ideas, the decision to become an author and the experience of writing for television and movies.
At first glance, the group seated in a classroom in the upper school’s Shah Hall looked like typical summer school students. They sat attentively, their desks arranged in a semi-circle around their instructor, casually dressed in blue jeans, T-shirts and sneakers, backpacks lying by their feet on the floor.
Yet on second look, it became apparent that they were from diverse Asian and European countries, and spoke with heavy accents. Meanwhile, on a table at the back of the classroom, stacks of brochures from a range of boarding and other schools were prominently on display.
It was all part of Harker’s well-established English Language Institute (ELI) program, which runs annually every summer and this year kicked off with a welcome reception for ELI participants and their guardians on June 24.
The globally recognized program attracts international students ages 6-16 who are bound for either American boarding schools, universities or internationally-based primarily English speaking schools. They come to ELI to prepare for and increase their chances of admission to their next educational institution.
“ELI is a smart thing, and a good idea. It’s a unique opportunity,” said Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement, who recently addressed an advanced study group of about 20 middle school-aged students on the topic of “Study in the USA.” Down the line, other guest speakers will include presentations from two visiting boarding school directors.
Addressing the issue of societal norms, Rosenthal noted that different cultures have different etiquette. For example, in the U.S. it’s considered good manners to look a person in the eye, whereas in other countries that might be viewed as offensive. “Here in the States, your number one tool is your smile … just remember it’s okay to make mistakes …” advised Rosenthal, noting that admissions directors from some of the finest boarding schools worldwide come to Harker to personally meet with the ELI students.
Wrapping up his lecture, Rosenthal gave some wise words of advice. “In our culture we place great emphasis on finding meaningful work and helping to make the world a better place.” He then gave an example of a former ELI participant and Harker student, designer Alexander Wang (MS ’98), now a major figure in the fashion world. After spending time in ELI programs during his formative elementary years, Wang quickly worked his way into regular Harker school classes.
The most advanced ELI students, usually middle and high school-aged, stay at the Saratoga campus and work on special projects tailored to their needs, including SAT preparation. They are assisted by mentors (called buddies or conversation partners) who are Harker juniors, seniors or recent graduates.
For the younger ELI students, instruction takes place at Harker’s lower school campus. At the conclusion of formal instruction each day, learning for these students continues with enrichment programs, such as swimming and playing games. Often they are able to join in activities with children attending the regular on-site summer camp, allowing them to have fun while improving language skills. They also enjoy outings to such kid-friendly locations as “Pump it Up!”
On field trip days ELI students of all ages can be seen sporting green program T-shirts as they head out for cultural adventures to such diverse attractions as: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Exploratorium, Academy of Science, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz Natural Bridges State Park and the Tech Museum.
ELI participants travel here with a parent or guardian and often choose to stay next door in the Oakwood Apartments, with which Harker has a special arrangement. Some opt to live with friends and relatives in the area instead. An initial coffee and tea reception was held at the Oakwood Apartments for all the adults to enjoy and get to know one another.
According to Anthony Wood, ELI director, there are two big changes to the program this summer. One is the addition of advanced class seminar instructor Ted Ufijusa. “He brings a wealth of teaching experience and will focus on enhancing English skills in this integral component of our program,” said Wood.
The other is a notable increase in enrollment at the beginner level with ELI students over at the lower school campus. In fact, session three will have 30+ students, which is a first, utilizing three teachers.
Karen Glovka, ELI primary program teacher, said the program for younger students teaches English in the context of what children like to do. True beginners, who know no English, learn greetings, colors, shapes, numbers, the alphabet (names of letters and sounds), school and family vocabulary. Students with more developed skills work on reading and writing, as well as new vocabulary words and verb tenses.
“Much of the teaching is geared to the ELI field trips and afternoon camp activities. For example, a trip to the Monterey Nay Aquarium involves a marine animal unit. Learning is also hands-on using toys and art projects to help the children understand concepts in English. Instruction is also highly individualized so that the students can progress as much as possible,” explained Glovka.
Often times these children are so busy having fun, the learning doesn’t even feel like hard work. “I like reading and playing with my friends,” enthused one youngster, ELI first-time student, 8-year-old Lily Yang, who came to the program knowing little English.
At the end of their time at Harker, ELI students, upon full completion of either a three- or seven-week course, are eligible to receive a certificate (handed out during an official closing ceremony) and recommendation from their teachers. They will also have likely gained new friendships and increased confidence in their ability to travel, speak and learn in the States.
Tanya Schmidt ’08 has gathered a couple more kudos as she departs Santa Clara University for grad school. She received a special grant to give her full matching funds under unusual circumstances at her final athletic banquet and was awarded the Saint Clare Medal, “given to the female graduate judged outstanding in academic performance, personal character, school activities and constrictive contribution to the University by the faculty and the provost” at the SCU graduation on Saturday! Read all about it!
This story was originally published in the spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly.
Compiled by William Cracraft, Igor Hiller and Zach Jones
Medical Students Drop By with Advice The Harker School had two medical students – who also happen to be Harker graduates – stop by upper school science chair Anita Chetty’s classroom in late November. They spoke to three different classes about what being in med school is really like, giving soon-to-be college students an insider’s look into both the course of study and the career it leads to. Alfred See and Geetanjali Vajapey, both Class of 2004, were home for Thanksgiving break when they decided to drop in and surprise Chetty, their former teacher. See, Chetty says, was also in the area interviewing for a residency. Chetty was pleased to see them both, especially considering they were only home for a few days. “It’s a nice reminder that Harker is truly a family, even after graduation, whose students are always willing to share their time and expertise,” she said.
Harker Academy Grad Publishes Timely Book on Muslim Americans Ayesha Mattu ’86 was featured on the Sunday front page of the San Jose Mercury News Living section on Feb. 26. She co-edited a book titled “Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women.” In the book, 25 Muslim women share their search for love and speak openly for the first time about love, relationships, sexuality, gender, identity, homophobia and racism.
Mattu, who attended Harker Academy for grades 3-7, received Harker’s 2008 Alumni Community Service award. After graduating from Clark University, Mattu’s first job was as a public relations manager for Sahil, a Pakistani non-governmental organization addressing child abuse. Working on such a controversial and taboo subject in a conservative Islamic society proved challenging and rewarding.
After Sahil, Mattu worked for Hagler-Bailly, where she researched community initiatives connected to the Himalayan Brown Bear Conservation Project. She then moved to Boston, where she was the coordinator for institutional giving at Grassroots International, a human rights organization that works with social movements and progressive organizations to build a global movement for social justice. Mattu met her husband at Grassroots International, and the pair moved to San Francisco, where she worked as a development officer for the Global Fund for Women.
In addition to her book editing work, Mattu is currently self-employed as a philanthropy consultant, helping organizations and individuals formulate strategies and practices to foster a social-change grant-making model. Congratulations to Mattu on the publication of her book!
Tufts Grad Manages Campaign to Raise $500,000 for Nonprofit Shawn Huda ’06 said he first discovered Let’s Get Ready (LGR) during his sophomore year at Tufts University. “As a product of a minority, single parent household, I was immediately drawn to the nonprofit’s mission: to help break the cycle of poverty by empowering students to attend college,” said Huda.
While at Tufts, Huda worked a semester as a verbal coach at LGR and three semesters as the director of the Tufts LGR program. After graduating from Tufts in 2010, Huda went on to work as a program associate in LGR’s Boston office, overseeing multiple programs.
“I discovered major benefits of the model that mirrored tenets of the Harker experience,” said Huda. “Classes were kept small (five students, on average) to ensure individualized attention and guidance; students both at the high school and college levels were empowered to take greater responsibility and ownership inside the classroom and out; and rather than focusing solely on one aspect, the SAT, the program took a holistic approach to preparing students for the college application process,” Huda said.
He was given the unique role of managing LGR’s campaign for the 2011 American Giving Awards Competition and, in December, under Huda’s management, LGR took second place, a ranking determined via the campaign’s Facebook voting drive, and won the group $500,000. Read the story on LGR’s website: http://bit. ly/ok6bc5.
Alumna Wong ‘05 Founds Theater Company Kimberley Wong ’05 has co-founded a groundbreaking theater company in New York. Her group, called The Accidental Shakespeare Company, mixes theater with improvisation, with casting decisions made by the audience moments before curtain and random props thrown into the mix.
The theater company is dedicated to the idea of play. Wong says she realized the little moments of terror during a performance – when an actor forgets his line, or a set piece malfunctions, or a prop is missing – often spur the most exciting, interesting and real moments on stage. “Lately, I have become really tired of the kind of theater where they say: Stand here. Do this. Move your arm like that,” said Wong. “You start to feel like a set piece.”
Wong believes accidents are part of the joy of live theater, which is why her company purposefully incorporates elements of change into their productions.
Harker’s performing arts program played a significant role in Wong’s education. As a kindergartner, she was cast as a fairy princess in “Cinderella.” Every year thereafter, Wong performed in Harker’s dance production. In grade 8, she performed in Harker Harmonics and played the lead role in “42nd Street” as a senior. She was also a musical theater certificate graduate in the Harker Conservatory. Said Wong, “I see how the work ethic, the professionalism and the passion that I learned at Harker set me apart from so many other actors. It is the reason … why I can develop and run my company!”
After graduation, Wong attended New York University, where she earned a BFA in drama. Her most recent theater credits include playing Juliet at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and Wong is currently in an apprenticeship at the Pearl Theater in New York, understudying Julia in George Bernard Shaw’s “The Philanderer.”
Alumna Accepted to Oxford Visiting Student Program Maggie Woods ’10 was recently accepted to a visiting student program at Oxford University. Currently a history major at Santa Clara University, Woods plans to study medieval and early modern British history as well as Latin and Greek during her stay at Oxford. “Oxford has been the dream since sophomore year of high school, pretty much as soon as I decided that I wanted to continue studying history,” Woods said. She visited Oxford while on a trip to London the summer after her junior year at Harker. “The atmosphere is magical, and not just because it reminds me of Harry Potter,” she joked. “I felt an urge to study while I was there.”
In mid-April, the middle school campus celebrated Spirit Week 2012 with themed free-dress days and a host of fun activities. The week kicked off with a different kind of Monday morning: middle school students didn’t have to worry about getting up and getting dressed. They got to come to school in their pajamas.
Tuesday brought a campus-wide masquerade. Students brought and wore masks that ranged from paper to Halloween to superhero. The next day found students disguised even more. For Wednesday’s Cartoon Day, students either wore something with their favorite cartoon character on it or actually dressed up like them.
Thursday had teachers and staff seeing double with Twin Day. Middle school students got together in groups of at least two and arranged to wear identical outfits. Finally, the end of the week saw the campus honoring their house colors by dressing up in them. The activities culminated Friday afternoon in the middle school’s traditional lip sync contest.
Several middle school debate students headed to the Menlo School in late March for the State Latin Convention, where many of the students placed well in competition.
Several grade 6 students placed high in middle school level 1 contests, including Justin Au, who earned first place in grammar, dramatic interpretation and brass/winds, while placing second in reading comprehension and vocabulary. Praveen Batra took second in mythology and Latin Oratory. Classmate Michael Kwan took second in ancient geography, where Marcus Chen received an honorable mention. Adrian Chu took second place in Roman history, while Meena Gudapati won first in posters and second in greeting cards. In mottoes, quotes and abbreviations, Rishi Iyer received an honorable mention. Sunny Jayam took third in daily life, while Edgar Lin won first in mythology, third in derivatives and third in brass/winds. Jeffrey Ma finished third in both grammar and the 50-meter breaststroke. Andrew Semester earned first place in piano. Three grade 7 students also participated in the MS level 1 events. Grace Park earned first in black pencil and third in both dramatic interpretation and chalk/pastel. Arnav Tandon won first place in reading comprehension and second place in grammar. Finally, Raymond Xu was first in pentathlon, second in Roman history and third in vocabulary.
Grade 7 students competed in the MS level 2 events, in which Aditya Dhar took first in mythology and second in pentathlon and dramatic interpretation. Alexander Lam finished first in mottoes, quotes and abbreviations and received an honorable mention for his performance in pentathlon. Venkat Sankar earned first in both ancient geography and Latin oratory, as well as second in daily life and reading comprehension. Manan Shah was awarded an honorable mention for his performance in pentathlon. Arjun Subramaniam placed first in vocal music, second in mythology and the “That’s Entertainment” talent show (in which classmate Karthik Sundaram placed third) and third in derivatives. Austin Tuan placed second in ancient geography and grammar and also took third in pentathlon.
In the middle school advanced events, grade 8 students had many top placements. Rishabh Chandra won first place in reading comprehension, second in grammar and third in pentathlon. Sadhika Malladi took second in reading comprehension, while Kaushik Sankar took third in both mythology and dramatic interpretation and was given an honorable mention in reading comprehension. Elisabeth Siegel took first in grammar and second in mythology. Allison Wang earned high placements in a total of five categories, placing first in both mottoes, quotes and abbreviations and pentathlon, and second in mythology, dramatic interpretation and essay.
Harker took the Academic Sweepstakes prize for the middle school level, with Justin Au, Venkar Sankar and Allison Wang taking the top awards in the state.
Grade 8 students Shannon Hong and Natalie Simonian led a team that designed a banner to represent Harker at the event and won first prize. Grade 8 student Kevin Ke’s t-shirt design also took the top spot.
In Certamen (quiz bowl), the team of Justin Au, Adrian Chu, Praveen Batra, Edgar Lin, Andrew Semenza and Raymond Xu took first place statewide in the middle school level 1 category. Harker’s middle school level 2 Certamen team, made up of Aditya Dhar, Alexander Lam, Venkar Sankar, Manan Shah and Arjun Subramaniam, was named second in the state. The middle school advanced team of Rshabh Chandra, Kaushik Sankar, Elisabeth Siegel and Allison Wang took first in the state.
Thanks to the students’ splendid performances, Harker was the top middle school in the state at the convention.
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.
A total of 27 employees received new pins this year. They are: Miriam Allersma, Michelle Anderson, Raelynn Baldwin, Samantha Brailey, Joe Connolly, Linda Felice, Ray Fowler, Sabina Grogan, Sabrina Gutierrez, Katherine Hammond, Andrew Irvine, Butch Keller, Jane Keller, Karl Kuehn, Greg Lawson, Joseph Lejander, Danae McLaughlin, Luis Mayorga-Perez, Andrea Milius, Bernard Morrissey, Matt Ortiz, Erin Redfern, Ramon Rivera, Chris Spenner, Nancy Tomlitz, Jennifer Walrod and Pauline Warren.
Employees honored for 10 years of service were: Pilar Aguero-Esparza, Manuel Amaya, Monica Colletti, Roberto Fernandez, Anita Gilbert, Manuel Gomez, Derek Kameda, Kumi Matsui, Alexandra Rosenboom, Ruth Meyer, Antonio Mora Perez, Susan Nace, Lori Philipp, Jose Flores Ramirez, Ignacio Rojas, Vince Salinas and Jose Serrano.
Employees honored for 15 years of service were: Giresh Ghooray, Steven Hewitt, Juan Jimenez, Cyrus Merrill, Marianne Rager, Vonda Reid, Efren Parra Rivera and Janet Rohrer.
Kristin Giammona was recognized for 20 years of service and Lisa Hackwood for 25 years.
JR Del Alto, Sarah Leonard, Lisa Machuca, Nan Nielsen and Joe Rosenthal all received recognition for 30 years of service, and Cindy Ellis and Gene Sanchez were honored for their 35 years with Harker.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
The Mitra Family Endowment, established last year, has borne its first fruit. Sarah Howells, grade 12 and the first Mitra scholar, added her effort to the handcrafted social and historical analyses produced by this year’s three John Near Endowment scholars.
Howells chose a classic and controversial character for her subject and found an angle not fully explored for her paper, “Winston Churchill’s Efforts to Unify Britain From 1940-1941,” a look at his public relations efforts as they affected Britain’s morale in early World War II.
In 2011, Harker parents Samir and Sundari Mitra (Shivani, grade 11) established the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities, which matches gifts to the annual giving campaign up to a total of $100,000.
“The subject matters taught under humanities such as history, languages, communications and philosophy are critical skills and knowledge that develop well-rounded Harker students,” said Samir Mitra at last year’s reception. “Humanities is the bedrock of a superior education and will enable our students to stand out as recognized contributors in their future professions.”
“I knew I wanted to apply for the Mitra grant because I had enjoyed world history so much in my sophomore year,” said Howells. “I thought about Britain; my family was affected on two sides by World War II, both in Poland and in Britain.”
Too broad at first, her topic choices “quickly narrowed to Churchill’s remarkable unification of the government and retaining the trust of the people during the war,” said Howells, who will attend Princeton in the fall.
Howells noted, “The most interesting part of writing the paper was transitioning from the researching to the writing. That was the most difficult task for me, since I had a myriad of great resources but no idea how to put them all together.”
Howells took on a subject usually taken for granted – Churchill’s ability to relate to the “everyman” and to the highest in the land (he often personally briefed King George VI on the war’s progress) – and examined its worth in keeping the spirit of resistance alive in beleaguered England. Her writing, worth the read in itself, conveys the passion that Churchill used to inspire fellow politicians and those in the street. Her division of material shows the way for further research on how Churchill handled groups differently.
Like all good researchers, Howells pointed out the weakness in her own paper, the inability to examine the records of Mass Observation and Home Intelligence, a government bureau that monitored the public pulse, due to their volume and her limited access. Howells noted that lacking the confirming information in those records, it was hard to be sure of widespread public approval of Churchill.
“It’s been such a pleasure to work with Sarah,” said history teacher Ruth Meyer, Howells’ mentor through the process. “She is so balanced in her approach to research, she’s so steady in everything that she does, so well organized.”
“Overall, the process of writing the paper was an exciting and challenging opportunity,” said Howells, “and I’m glad I could get a taste of what real humanities research is like before I head off to college.”
At the reception, Howells gave emphatic thanks to her teachers and mentor, saying, “I don’t think I could have done this if you hadn’t suggested to me that I was capable of completing such a long senior thesis.”
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Sundari Mitra, noting the scholars’ efforts to “inspire us parents. We are really honored and proud that with whatever little we could do, the school has utilized it in such a tremendous manner, so thank you Mr. Nikoloff, the faculty, everyone. I’m really touched and inspired.”
The $300,000 John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund, in memory of the 31-year veteran of Harker’s teaching staff who passed away in 2009, was made by his parents James and Patricia Near to, in John Near’s words, “help develop the history department, both through the acquisition of resources and by providing growth opportunities for both faculty and students.” Each year, three students receive grants from the endowment’s proceeds to be used for research.
Near scholar Max Isenberg, grade 12, chose a subject Churchill, as a former First Lord of the Admiralty, would have been very interested in: the use of on-station naval power as a worldwide deterrent, something at which the British were old hands.
Isenberg’s paper, “Arleigh Burke’s Submarine-Based Finite Deterrent: Alternative to the Nuclear Triad,” an examination of Admiral Arleigh Burke’s answer to ballooning costs involved with maintaining a three-point nuclear deterrent (aircraft, missiles and submarines all carrying nuclear devices), was carefully researched and covered the salient points of the argument.
Isenberg, who will attend the University of Pennsylvania for the Jerome Fisher Management and Technology program in the fall in a dual-degree program for business and engineering, noted, “My favorite part of the entire project was looking at the competing theories of nuclear strategy, and how they had consequences not immediately obvious until later in the Cold War.
“The most difficult part of the project was finding solid first-person sources, especially considering the tight classification of many details from the Cold War,” he added. “That difficulty partly contributed to my eventual focus on nuclear strategy as many of the major players in the development of the Triad and finite deterrence had published works, while a lot of the nitty-gritty details of submarines remain inaccessible.”
Isenberg is appreciative of the grant, thanking teacher and mentor Ramsey Westgate, Susan Smith, library director, and Donna Gilbert, history department chair, for their help. “I don’t think there are very many schools of any sort that offer such a rare opportunity to do history research specifically and then give the leeway to explore the topic in such a thorough manner,” he said.
Dwight Payne, grade 12, chose a current social topic and, as he was out of town during the reception, delivered his address via video. His work, “Can Charter Schools Close the Achievement Gap?” was mentored by teacher Kelly Horan.
Payne’s closely researched paper delves into the arcane world of evaluating charter school results. He located a number of studies which threw light on a portion of the process of evaluation and allowed limited conclusions to be drawn on the efficacy of the charter schools studied. Payne identified some commonalities within the studies and used them for his next step, interviewing charter school administrators and examining the records of their schools.
The schools examined in this portion of the project had a spectrum of student results and, although Payne found and used common criteria for eliminating or at least accounting for bias, the differences between schools, including stability, age of students (one was high school, the others lower and middle schools), location, teaching methods and teacher evaluation and training methods made drawing firm conclusions problematic.
Payne was comfortable, however, generally endorsing charter schools as an option for helping those desirous of helping themselves, feeling that time will only improve the system as learning processes are refined and expanded.
When it came time to write the paper, “sifting through the breadth of literature was a difficult task,” said Payne, who will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in business administration with a possible second major in either economics or psychology.
Another hurdle was maintaining objectivity. “It was difficult to swallow my own biases going into the process and accept that most of the literature I read presented inconclusive or conflicting data,” Payne said. “From that knowledge, however, it was rewarding to conduct interviews that examined specific examples of successes or challenges that were illuminating despite the difficulty of reaching an overall conclusion regarding the effectiveness of charter schools in closing the achievement gap. I particularly enjoyed meeting with school leaders, and I was very inspired by their dedication. The administrators whom I interviewed were incredibly helpful and eager to share their work; I am immensely grateful to them.”
Senior Cole Manaster, like Howells and Isenberg, chose a military topic with political ramifications. His effort, “The Changing Dynamic of Unconventional Warfare: The U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam and Their Impact on Modern War,” traced the development of special operations forces first as trainers of villagers in war zones to strengthen them against enemy efforts, then in their roles as covert, uniformed operators behind enemy lines. Manaster documented the status of special operations forces as, following WWII, they grew from a compound of various forces – Army, Navy, Marine and CIA – to the ultimate acceptance of these forces and their integration in the overall military effort.
Today, we are all familiar with the effort to capture the “hearts and minds” of non- combatants in military zones, and Manaster illustrated how that effort grew from early efforts to keep South Vietnamese and other indigenous groups in Vietnam from falling, or being coerced, under the influence of North Vietnamese communists, while noting that a special operations forces mandate also puts them in the most dangerous situations a soldier is likely to face, i.e., behind enemy lines.
“I was fascinated by this facet of the war – how special forces were used,” he said, “so I looked at how they were used in the Vietnam War and somewhat how they have been used since.”
Manaster, who will be going to the University of Southern California next year as a business administration major, said he “wanted to be able to use the things I have learned in my history classes and all my classes,” but noted, “the toughest part of writing such an extensive paper was keeping myself on track timewise.”
His topic firm, Manaster found the next step a challenge. “If I could do it all again, I would probably have spent more time solidifying my outline before writing the paper itself. What I had in my outline made the writing process itself immensely easier, but I think I probably could have done even more, looking back on it now.”
“I was really happy to be Cole’s mentor,” said Carol Zink, history teacher. “I’ve seen his intellectual growth and development over the years and it’s always tremendously rewarding for a teacher to get to see that.”
Zink noted one of the challenges Manaster had in pursuing his research is that it is difficult to find unbiased sources on this topic. “There are a lot of books that are ‘Yay-rah, Green Berets!’” she said, “and then there are other books that say the United States should never have gone into Vietnam in the first place and they (the Green Berets) were the dirty dogs in the deal. It is very difficult to try to walk the middle line, and I know that was a struggle for Cole, but I know he persevered.”
Pam Dickinson, John Near’s widow and director of Harker’s Office of Communication, again represented the Near family. “Like last year, I felt very much as though John was channeled with the presentations,” Dickinson said, noting facets of each paper that interested the Near family. “John would be incredibly proud. I’m honored to be here on behalf of his parents, and it is a wonderful thing that the Mitras have done. Congratulations. You all have done a wonderful job.”
Manaster echoed the thanks of the other scholars, adding, “All of us have put in a lot of work and it is exciting to see our papers truly come to fruition and to have this at the close of our senior year, as well. I’m very honored to have been a part of this program, and it is something I’m going to remember for a long time.”
Things were really hopping at this year’s Kiddie Carnival, Harker’s end-of-the-year celebration for K-3. Called “Harker Sock Hop,” the 1950s-themed event was held the morning of June 6.
Students and faculty came dressed for the 32nd annual Kiddie Carnival in creative ’50s attire. A good time was had by all during the festive morning filled with fun booths, games, activities and prizes. A noon dismissal ended the day, with fond farewell wishes to children from teachers for a wonderful summer!