From Jan. 4-6, nearly 100 students from The Harker School DECA chapter traveled to the Burlingame Waterfront Marriott to compete in the 2019 Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC). Harker performed respectably, with 69 teams as overall finalists and 30 top three winners.
“SVCDC was a really great experience for all participants, both new and returning members. A lot of people were able to stage and place [in the] top 10 in their events, which was encouraging for everyone, especially as many returning members were trying new events,” said Shania Wang, grade 12, Harker DECA CEO. “Beyond that, I think that the spirit of the chapter was something really great to see, as everyone was supporting each other and cheering for every Harker member that went on stage. In general, we are at a wonderful place as a chapter and have really great momentum as we approach the states conference.”
Members placing in top 10 are as follows:
First Place
Rishi Dange, grade 11, Accounting Applications Series
Ronit Gagneja, grade 11, Automotive Services Marketing Series
Mahi Kolla, grade 11, Entrepreneurship Individual Series
Aditi Ghalsasi, grade 11, Start-Up Business Plan
William Chien, grade 9, Principles of Finance
David Feng, grade 11, Professional Selling Event
Ghalsasi and Allison Jia, both grade 11, Travel and Tourism Marketing Team Decision Making Event
Second Place
Anay Karwal ,grade 11, Automotive Services Marketing Series
Claire Luo, grade 10, Business Finance Series
Arun Sundaresan, grade 11, Business Services Marketing Series
Dange, Financial Consulting Event
Phil Han, grade 11, Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
Simren Kochhar, grade 9, Principles of Business Management and Administration
Victoria Han, grade 9, Principles of Marketing
Evan Cheng, grade 11, Restaurant and Food Service Management Series
Enya Lu and Shania Wang, both grade 12, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making Event
Third Place
Calais Poirson and Elaine Zhai, both grade 10, Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making Event
Andrea Thia grade 9, Business Growth Plan
Sayon Biswas and Suraj Pakala, both grade 12, Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Bryan Zhang, grade 10, Finance Operations Research Event
Fonda Hu and Anvitha Tummala, both grade 10, Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research Event
On Friday, Harker DECA members and chaperones traveled to the Burlingame Waterfront Marriott for the first competitive conference of the 2018-2019 competitive season. While participants were waiting for hotel rooms, the Harker DECA officer team had Jamba Juice brought in for members to enjoy. Testing session began promptly after and took up the remainder of the day until the opening ceremony, at which the California DECA officer team welcomed all of the competitors with the SV Factor, the annual talent show, and officially kicked off the beginning of the conference.
Competitive events began early on Saturday morning, and teams made use of the leisure time before and between their competitive events to practice and receive some last-minute feedback from their officers and mentors.
“As a first year member attending my first conference, it was stressful at times to talk in front of a judge and answer the questions that they had impromptu,” said Rosh Roy, grade 10. “However, it was a wonderful learning experience and an opportunity to build and strengthen friendships, and I’m excited to bring this new knowledge into SCDC.”
After finishing their competitive events, members were given the rest of the day to explore Burlingame, relax and grab some dinner. Silicon Valley DECA also hosted the DECA Dance, a great opportunity to create networks with other members from different schools.
Early Sunday morning, all attendees and chaperones gathered for the award ceremony, where Harker proudly sent 69 teams to top 10 at the mini awards.
“Because it’s my first competitive DECA Conference, I didn’t think I would place, but then they called my name up,” said William Chien, grade 9, who was awarded first place in Principles of Finance. “It’s inspiring because I didn’t have as much experience as compared to some of my other competitors, but it really goes to show that if you do your best, you can achieve anything.”
After the mini awards, breakfast was served and not long after, the grand awards session began in the Grand Ballroom, where Harker members were continuously recognized. Overall, 30 teams placed as top 3 in their events, a monumental honor for the Harker DECA chapter.
After the grand awards, Enya Lu, grade 12, vice president of Silicon Valley DECA, announced the approaching end of her service on the Silicon Valley officer team, spoke about the accomplishments of her term and encouraged other members to campaign.
“It was a very bittersweet moment and it felt like time had passed so fast since when I went up on stage to speak at my last SVCDC,” said Lu. “However, I have about two months left in my term until states, and I’m looking forward to what I can do for SV during these months. Once again, I am incredibly thankful to my chapter that has supported me through their cheers, spirit and work.”
Overall, the 2018-19 SVCDC was an enormous success and a rewarding experience for all Harker DECA competitors and officers. All members were able to experience a competitive conference, gain useful preparation skills for the upcoming states competition, and leave feeling inspired and motivated to continue with their DECA journey.
“As a chapter advisor, I think this year’s SVCDC was a stellar kickoff to the competitive season,” said Juston Glass, Harker DECA chapter advisor. “It gave students confidence as they continue on to the states conference, and I’m proud of the effort, poise and determination that each student demonstrated to prepare for the competitions. Go Harker DECA!”
Every Friday and several Saturdays leading up to SVCDC, Harker DECA held weekly study sessions in the Innovation Center, where students could practice their role-plays in front of an officer, receive live feedback for their written events and take mock exams. To prepare for the California State Career Development Conference, DECA strongly advises all members to attend the weekly study sessions. Go Eagles!
About The Harker School DECA 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 so that the next generation will be academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible and experienced leaders.
To learn more about this story, please contact Elaine Zhai, director of communications for Harker DECA, 21ElaineZ@students.harker.org.
In November, seventh grader Shayla He appeared on the Chinese talk show “From Opinion to Future,” filmed in Beijing. She was invited to the program after its producers discovered her singing talents, and was featured in a 14-minute segment in which she also gave a speech, titled “Communicate With the World Through Music,” about discovering a passion for music at a very young age. In it, she explained that her musical studies have “helped me explore the cultures of different countries.” Her speech was interspersed with short musical performances to demonstrate what she had learned. Following a brief interview with the show’s hosts, she gave a performance of an original song called “Who Will Come,” written to highlight the plight of the homeless.
Stanford University recognized Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, as a dedicated educator and mentor. Millie Lin ’18, now attending Stanford, nominated Gargano as someone who has had a profound influence on her as a student.
“Ms. Gargano combines her immaculate organization and productivity with an immensely warm, devoted heart,” said Lin in the award certificate. “During my time at Harker, she [was] invaluable in shaping a more connected, productive school community, tirelessly supporting her students’ endeavors inside and outside of school, and fostering the personal growth of her well-fed, card-playing advisory. As my beloved high school advisor, Ms. Gargano models my vision of a fine educator and what it means to be of service to the community.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Marla Holt
From 1893 to 2002, Harker’s boarding program was integral to its commitment to academic excellence and personal character development. From eating family-style meals and watching TV in the rec room to Bear Valley skiing trips and getting ready for school dances, the shared experiences of Harker boarders had the power to transform young lives.
“We learned from each other – through mistakes, drama, triumphs, laughter and tears,” said Wendy Tsai ’04, one of Harker’s last boarders from 2000 to 2002. Ji-won (Choi) Song ’96, who boarded in 1994-95, agreed, noting that “we built strong friendships and learned to be independent at an early age.”
Harker welcomed boarders from its earliest days as Manzanita Hall and Miss Harker’s School for Girls, when college preparatory students lived under the same roof as teachers and administrators. Handbooks from both schools referred to the boarding program as home, with students expected to “observe the ordinary courtesies of a private home” and to have the “advantage of being members of a family.” Rooms were comfortably furnished and each school was governed by a “spirit which brings about obedience to authority and an honest effort to do what is right without compulsion.”
Like Harker itself, the boarding program underwent several changes during its 109-year history. Manzanita Hall became the Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA) in 1919 and boarded cadets in grades 1-9. Miss Harker’s dropped its boarding program in the mid-1950s when it became the Harker Day School. In 1972, PAMA and the Harker Day School merged and moved to San Jose to become the Harker Academy, which offered a boys only boarding program until 1974. At that time, the boarding program became coeducational and phased out kindergarten through grade 5 boarding while continuing to offer boarding for students in grades 6-8.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Harker housed roughly 100 to 120 boarders annually, many of whom were local students with parents who traveled frequently for business. The number of international student boarders gradually increased from about 20 percent to more than 80 percent, resulting in a greater emphasis on supporting ESL learners and a need for comprehensive weekend programming.
Harker’s last boarding students were admitted in 1998-99, the same academic year that the upper school was launched on the Saratoga campus. Only four boarders remained in the program when it closed on June 6, 2002, to accommodate Harker’s expanding upper school program.
All told, the boarding program served about 1,377 school-year boarders and 2,100 summer boarders. The students’ daily needs – from meals to academics to social and recreational activities to health care and haircuts – were met by caring, dedicated and capable staff members who acted in loco parentis. Many of the staff were coaches, teachers and bus drivers by day who lived in the dorms at night.
Joe Rosenthal, who was boarding director from 1991 to 2002 (later executive director of advancement and now executive director of strategic initiatives), noted that boarders learned the skills of independence and self-reliance, as well as appreciation of the importance of kindness in themselves and others.
“I have the greatest respect for the boarding students,” Rosenthal said in a 2002 survey of former house parents and dorm directors conducted at the closing of the boarding program. “I am a much better person because of what I have seen these children do – the expressions of friendship and kindnesses they’ve shown to each other.
Only if one lived it would one be able to know how meaningful and important the boarders have been to each other.” To celebrate the history of this beloved home for many students, we looked back at daily life for Harker boarders, particularly those who lived on the Saratoga campus.
WE ARE FAMILY A genuine sense of family developed among the students and staff members in Harker’s boarding program, said William Jarvis ’97, who boarded from 1995 to 1997. “Harker felt more like a family than a school,” he said. “There was a strong sense of inclusivity despite the wide range of ages, interests and diverse nationalities that were represented in students all living together in close quarters.”
As in most families, the boarding program had high expectations for its students – illustrated by a clear system of behavioral rules and regulations, which served to foster a kind, respectful and positive environment.
“I treasured the trust that parents placed in our program and staff,” said Pam Dickinson, Harker’s weekend program director from 1989 to 2001, when she became the director of the Office of Communication. “It was an honor, privilege and duty to take care of their children as if they were our own (and they felt like they were). We nurtured, cared for, loved and disciplined the children as needed to help them grow into responsible, kind and considerate adults.”
Both the boarding program’s structure – including supervised study time and organized recreational active ties – and the independence-building freedom of living apart from their nuclear families helped boarders develop resiliency and the ability to make good choices.
“The social skills and self-sufficiency that I developed in the Harker boarding program have continued to be invaluable in my adult life,” Jarvis said. “The interactions and conversations I had with my peers and program staff taught me a lot about life that I would not have learned in a purely academic environment.”
JUST LIKE HOME Day-to-day life in the boarding program reflected that of private family homes. Boarders were expected to contribute to the dorm’s upkeep by tidying their rooms and cleaning the common areas. White-glove inspections – especially when Howard Nichols, Harker’s president from 1973 to 2005, was expected to visit the dormitories – were conducted by house parents, with students competing for the Cleanest Room and Best Decorated Room awards given out at the annual Boarding Banquet.
Some boarders were better at cleaning than others, recalled Katherine Lo, weekday girls’ house parent. “My most lasting memory was the day that I was finally able to see the floor of Debora Yim’s [’04] room!”
But life as a Harker boarder wasn’t all work and no play. The rec room was a popular hangout spot for playing foosball, air hockey and Ping-Pong. Watching TV was allowed only after homework was done and not past 8 p.m. on school nights. Marta Marraccini ’84, the last boarder to live at Harker from kindergarten through eighth grade, recalled a memorable viewing of the last episode of M.A.S.H. “There wasn’t one dry eye,” she said.
Other popular activities included playing basketball and capture the flag, pool parties, movie marathons, Thursday night barbecues, nighttime sports in the gym, talent shows and special events like Monte Carlo night. Over the years, Maj. Donald Nichols’ dogs – Ajax, Babo, Klute and Dutch – were unofficial school mascots and provided love and attention to the boarders during the 23 years Nichols worked at Harker.
“Dutch, a 140-pound mastiff, had the run of the dorms and campus. At night, he slept in any room he wanted where the door was not firmly latched,” recalled Dan Gelineau in the 2002 survey of boarding staff. Gelineau went on to be assistant head of school for nonacademic affairs before he retired in 2002. He passed away in 2015.
While boarding students were expected to study and read on their own as part of their academic endeavors, staff members also regularly read stories aloud. Jeff Haugaard, boarding program director from 1976 to 1981, hosted Uncle Haugaard’s story hour in the rec room. While the older kids were in study hall, he’d read stories to the younger kids – in pajamas and robes – before bed. Later that night, he’d read the same stories over the intercom to the sixth through ninth graders as they prepared for bed. “I enjoyed hearing them say ‘Goodnight, Unc,’ as they closed their doors,” Haugaard said in the 2002 survey.
Cindy Ellis, house parent, later middle school division head, who retired in 2018, recalls that reading once helped calm students after an earthquake. “I had them buddy up in the bunk beds so that all 18 girls were in just four rooms,” she said. “I sat in the hallway and read to them until they were finally able to sleep.”
House parents nursed boarders and patched up cuts and bruises. Terry Walsh, house p rent, later assistant librarian and archivist, who retired in 2014, recalls keeping a small supply of chicken noodle soup and saltines on hand for emergencies. “I offered burnt toast and weak tea to anyone I thought was faking it,” she said.
“The staff cared passionately about our whole well-being, from getting a decent haircut to having enough time to play video games and experience nature,” said Toku Chen ’92, who boarded in 1991-92. Jarvis agreed, noting that the staff created a “comfortable social environment where you could simply be a goofy kid and feel free to express yourself.”
Students boarded at Harker for five or seven days a week. Weekends were more casual and often included excursions to Santa Cruz, Pier 39, Roaring Camp and Great America, and activities like hiking, camping, bowling, shopping and skating.
Harker’s weekend program made the school unique, Song said. “The staff did an amazing job creating a fun and nurturing program – the trips to San Francisco, malls, dinners, dance parties. I don t know how they did it, and always with so much energy!”
On Sunday mornings, many students worked at the Harker Café, an imitation Hard Rock Café at which students learned the life skills of cooking and serving food. Outfitted in T-shirts and aprons, they took orders and made eggs, bacon and fried rice for their friends (and occasionally teachers).
Many boarders have fond memories of holiday celebrations, including making Halloween costumes (that were later used in skits and plays), baking Christmas cookies and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Terry and Pat Walsh’s home. Cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree for the dining room was particularly fun.
“One year there was a huge beehive in the tree,” Marraccini recalled. “You never saw Jeff [Haugaard] move so fast. The kids were running and screaming. Later we found an even better tree, cut it down and went back to the dorm like warriors after the battle.”
The night before break, everyone gathered in the rec room to drink eggnog and listen to Howard Nichols read “The Night Before Christmas” while a video fir played on the TV and Gelineau played the accordion. The house parents made sure each child had a gift to open.
“In most families, there are a limited number of adults to whom a child can turn for advice and guidance,” Dickinson said. “Our boarding students had their pick of thoughtful, caring adults in their lives.”
A boarding program based only on principles, philosophy, values and budgets is not likely to be successful. Though Harker certainly had all of those things, it also understood that a boarding program had to be about family.
“Children watch, observe, learn, feel, emulate and absorb the character and values of the adults,” Chen said. “The boarding program represented a remarkable team that shared and exhibited the same values, passion and care for others. The program went far to take care of every kid – one by one. Whenever I think about the Harker boarding life and all the great people I was with, it leaves a lifelong smile in me.”
Contributing researcher: Cindy Ellis.
Marla Holt is a freelance writer based in Minnesota.
Lower school service efforts were in full swing this month as the annual grade 4 toy drive delivered 550 toys to St. Justin Community Ministry in Santa Clara, which every year offers underprivileged families the opportunity to “shop” for toys to give to their children. Although the collection effort is led by grade 4 students, all lower school families were encouraged to participate. The 10-day toy drive coincided with hot chocolate sales on Dec. 7 and Dec. 13, organized by the grades 4 and 5 student council, which raised more than $1,000 for schools affected by the devastating November Camp Fire.
Students at Harker Preschool brought in pajamas that will be added to the grade 3 pajama drive at the lower school. It was great to see Harker’s youngest students smiling as they made their donations!
Alumni from throughout the years took to the court in Harker’s new Athletic Center over the Thanksgiving break for what turned out to be a great match at this year’s alumni basketball game! In the end, Coach Matt Harley led the Evens team to victory against Coach Butch Keller’s Odds with a final score of 84-63. It was a great afternoon to hang out with friends and get some exercise at the same time! Interested in playing in next year’s big game? Contact alumni@harker.org.
The upper school show choir, Downbeat, was recently accepted into the 2019 Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella, a global competition highlighting high school a cappella groups. They will travel to Portland, Ore., in January to compete in the quarterfinal round. Varsity Vocals organizes a cappella competitions for high school and college students that attract thousands of singers from across the world every year. The collegiate-level competition is featured in the “Pitch Perfect” series of films, which has become one of the highest-grossing musical comedy franchise of all time.
“We are thrilled to receive this wonderful opportunity!” said Downbeat co-director Jennifer Sandusky. “It will provide a new performance venue for our singers’ musical growth with adjudicated feedback on our singing and performing skills.”
Earlier this month, the middle school concluded its yearly food drive, which began Oct. 26 and ended Nov. 15. A total of 2,465 food items were collected for delivery to the Second Harvest Food Bank, which each month serves more than 257,000 people in need in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. This drive is one of several annual community service projects carried out by the middle school during the holiday season. Others include Suits2Empower, which donates business attire to young people whose families cannot afford it, and the Family Giving Tree, which provides holiday gifts to impoverished families in the Bay Area.
Fifth graders Farhan Ansari, Sahil Jain, Mihir Gupta, Daniel Wu and Jaden Chyan won the Robot Design Award at last month’s First Lego League Northern California Qualifier, held at Lowell High School. The win secured them a spot at the Northern California championship in January in Berkeley.
Prior to the qualifier, the team had been hard at work redesigning their robot, adding two motors, two color sensor and a gyro sensor. “They made clever use of gears to build attachments for performing different tasks on the field and made their programs modular for ease of use,” said Farhan’s mother, Monica Ansari, who coaches the team along with Sonali Jain, Sahil’s mother.
The team also put together a research project that delved into the link between astronauts’ emotional states and the foods they consume while in space, working with health science experts and scientists at NASA.
Monica credited Harker’s science programs with fostering the team’s enthusiasm for robotics. “They projects they have done at school in science and computers have really sparked their interest in robotics and science,” she said, “and it has helped them to tackle the challenges in FLL.”