Last week, Harker’s Youth Activism Club hosted a talk with Felix Wu’ 15, who discussed his career in politics and how young people can start their own careers in politics. As a student at Emory University, Wu worked as a field organizer on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign in Iowa and as regional organizing director on Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign in Iowa. He currently works for the Progressive Turnout Project, whose goal is to increase Democratic voter turnout in tight races throughout the country.
Wu, whose own political career started in high school, talked about some of the ways students can get involved. “High school’s one of those times when you have a lot of freedom to get involved in your community,” he said. These can range from hosting podcasts to working for local politicians, as Wu did for Mike Honda in 2014. He also organized forums on political issues including Obamacare and held screenings for documentaries about immigration reform.
More opportunities become available in college, including working for political campaigns in various capacities, such as fundraising, polling, organizing and graphic design. “Campaigns are a great way to get started. They’re a great way to build a network,” Wu said. “You’re meeting other young people who are jumping into that process for the first time, and perhaps more important than that, you’re learning to talk to voters from all backgrounds.”
Internships in Washington, D.C., are also available to college students, which Wu said provide a great opportunity to learn about the culture of Capitol Hill. “Congress is a really special place with a really unique work culture,” he said. “You’ll see a Democratic congressman and maybe a Republican congressman going at it on the House floor arguing, and then a couple hours later, you might see them laughing it up at the lunchroom. It’s a unique place and you kind of learn about the dynamics of party politics, how people work together and come to consensus.”
Wu also took some time to answer questions on a number of topics, including what he has learned about the legislative process. “I think it’s tough. It’s kind of slow going. People get frustrated at Congress, but I think when you’re actually there, you realize that a lot of stuff does get done that flies under the radar,” he said. “People in Congress work long hours. They work really hard to get stuff done and come to consensus and frankly it doesn’t get recognized that much.”
He also shared advice for people who felt burnt out on the political process and relentless campaign cycles. “First off, if you’re having political burnout, I’d say it’s completely OK. A lot of us were burned out after November, and it’s totally OK to shut off the news for a while and just not think about it,” he advised. Referring to people who feel that not much has been accomplished, Wu noted that “We’ve seen a lot of progress. Earlier this year, I think the whole country was rethinking race as it relates to our politics, and we’ve seen great strides when it comes to LGBTQ issues in the past decade or so. It wasn’t so long ago that a Democratic president wasn’t in support … of marriage equality.”
Wu also stressed the importance of the role young people played in the progress made so far. “Young people have really been leading the charge on these conversations about race,” he said. “When you’re having those conversations around the dinner table or you’re encouraging your friends to vote, talking to your neighbors and such, I think that’s when we really see glimmers of hope even when we see gridlock going on in Congress.”
Two Harker alumni were given Dean’s Awards for Academic Excellence by Wharton/University of Pennsylvania School of Undergraduates this spring. Savi Joshi and Vedant Thyagaraj, who both graduated from Harker in 2015, received the awards.
Joshi was awarded for service to the University of Pennsylvania and/or the greater Philadelphia community. “Savi was recognized with this award for her tremendous efforts in teaching over 150 people about healthy eating in the greater Philadelphia community,” said Lee Kramer, director of student life at Wharton.
“She worked with our Netter Center and the Vetri Community Partnership to create a program that allows undergraduates to learn healthy eating with accessible produce so that they in turn can then teach the local community and younger students about healthier eating,” he added. “During her time at Penn, Savi also served as the co-chair of the Wharton Alumni Relations Council and as a facilitator of the Wharton Roundtables, a peer-to-peer discussion group.
Thyagaraj, who graduated from Wharton’s life science management dual-degree program in May, was presented with the Dean’s Award for Innovation for his remarkable career at the school. His many achievements at Wharton included strong academic performance, serving as president of the Penn Undergraduate Biotechnology Society and acting as a research assistant for the Wharton Global Family Alliance. Along with fellow Penn/Wharton alumni, Thyagaraj also founded Ride-Health, a transportation technology company that provides low-income, elderly and disabled patients with transportation to medical care by integrating with ridesharing providers such as Uber and Lyft and other modes of transport. Ride-Health currently has 12 full-time employees and operates in 25 states.
“We are very proud of both Savi and Vedant!” said Kramer. “They have both accomplished so much here at Wharton and Penn and they leave a great legacy here. In addition to all of their accomplishments, they were amazing students and I really enjoyed working with both of them during their four years at Wharton.”
For more on this subject, check out the winter issue of Harker Magazine coming to mailboxes at the end of December. In the article, Sophomores Speak, the Class of 2016 weighs in on some of the pitfalls, challenges and fun of that first year in college.
At yesterday’s LIFE (Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm) assembly, seniors had the opportunity to hear from Harker alumni about their college experiences, and what to expect and look forward to once they reach college. Nikhil Panu ’13, a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University, was joined by three additional alumni who spoke to the students via Skype: Haley Tran ’17, currently at Stanford; Sheridan Tobin ’15, now in her third year at the University of Michigan; and Sean Pan ’14, studying at the University of Washington.
Speaking on the idea of getting into the “college of your dreams,” Panu related the story of how he seemed all set to enter MIT upon graduating from Harker before things fell through. Initially disappointed, he eventually ended up at Johns Hopkins, which he found was very receptive to his dream of playing college basketball. “It was really cool to be wanted,” he said. Furthermore, he later found out that MIT might not have been a great fit for him anyway, saying, “You’ll find your ways to make things work.”
Tobin chose Michigan because it matched up with her desire to find a college that offered opportunities to explore many interests. Pan said he did not consider UW a primary option when searching for colleges, but later found out it was the better fit for his goals.
On the topic of adjusting to college life, Tran said, “A big part of adjusting to college is the scheduling,” noting that college students have more autonomy and choices about how to spend their time, which they may find difficult at first. The lessons students learned at Harker on how to schedule time effectively, she said, could prove very useful to them.
The alumni also shared some of the spontaneous things they’ve done so far during their college years. Panu went on a number of road trips and also started a company called Squadz, which he described as “Airbnb for sports and recreation.” He came up with the idea while on a flight from San Francisco to Baltimore. Before his junior year at UW, Pan went on a road trip that hit Montana, Salt Lake City, Tahoe and the Bay Area.
Seniors also were advised on campus safety practices, including making sure that friends stay aware of one another’s status and whereabouts, using apps such as Uber for transportation, and making use of campus support lines and other resources.
Students in attendance also were encouraged to use college as a way to seek out new interests. Panu mentioned the variety of electives that colleges offer, and Tobin mentioned that her goals for college changed after she had spent time exploring opportunities. “What I thought I wanted to do when I was applying was different from what I did,” she said. “Even if you think you know what you want to do, take things because you think they’re interesting.”
Watch for our feature article, Sophomores Speak: That First Year of College, in the upcoming issue of Harker Magazine. It will arrive in mailboxes in late December.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
As a parting gesture, this year’s graduating class dedicated its senior gift toward helping to finance an extension to the Shah patio area. Through class fundraising and their senior donations, the students rallied together to raise more than $6,500 for the project.
“Every year the graduating class leaves behind a senior gift. The idea of this year’s gift is to enable Shah patio to serve as an expanded recreation setting for seniors, as well as allow students travelling to Shah by way of Davis Field to take a shorter route,” explained Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement.
At the beginning of this school year, the senior class lost access to the Sledge, a former senior-only lounge that was converted into the faculty dining room and a meeting space for students in the DECA program. The new patio will allow Shah Hall to serve as an informal gathering spot for future seniors.
Plans are in the works to have an on- site patio with tables and an awning to provide shade, surrounded by planter boxes. There is also discussion of including benches with motivational phrases that reflect Harker values, like “kindness, patience and respect.”
Last year, the senior class gift went toward honoring beloved former faculty member Jason Berry by creating an orchard in his memory. The Berry Orchard is now located in the space between Dobbins and Nichols halls.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Crowds poured into The Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Students cheered for each other, parents snapped photos and the graduates marched in, their graduation caps proudly displaying the names of the colleges they’ll be attending in the fall.
As the excitement echoed throughout the outdoor amphitheater on May 23, Butch Keller, upper school head, walked up to the podium and greeted the audience, then the graduates.
“This has been correctly labeled a journey,” Keller said. “Take a deep breath. Enjoy this moment. This is a class that has achieved so much.”
But before taking the next steps on their journey, the Class of 2015 listened to poignant words about two things integral to their near-future: choice and fear.
Class valedictorian Samyukta Yagati spoke first, about the meaning of choice and its essential role in shaping not only where they have been but also where they will go.
“In some ways, it’s been a long four years,” Yagati said. “But also, incredibly short in other ways.”
Yagati began her speech by reminding her classmates to give thanks to each other for the support system that they created over the past four years. She then dove into the speech she crafted for her classmates, beginning with a quote from “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by author J.K. Rowling.
“’It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities,’” she said to her classmates and the audience. “It’s only recently that I’ve had a chance to pay attention to the choices I’ve made,” Yagati continued. “We’ve made choices without noticing, choices that have brought us here today.”
From spending an hour on homework rather than with friends to schedules and studying, there is always a choice to be made, even if it goes unnoticed.
“We’ve all been making these trade-offs,” Yagati said.
She recalled a time that she made a choice, rather impulsively, to forgo academic work for a chance to paint an eagle for spirit week.
“There was nothing tangible to be gained and I don’t think it was a conscious choice,” Yagati said. “But I decided to try something new to me and this choice has reminded me to have fun.”
Amid academics and other responsibilities, it’s easy to forget to enjoy the moments, the friendships, she said.
“We all have learned to understand the meaning of conscious, deliberate choices,” Yagati said. “We are getting accustomed to getting to choose. That’s what growing up is all about.”
Hannah Allam, foreign affairs correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, then gave the keynote address, discussing fear – what it should and shouldn’t be within their futures.
“This is your time. This is it. The day you were waiting for. Right here, right now, and I’m incredibly humbled to be here,” Allam said to the audience at the ceremony, which marked her first graduation keynote address.
Allam began by asking the question, “Who are Harker students? Mysterious millennials? Who are they really?”
The seasoned reporter did what came naturally to her prior to writing her speech: she did her homework. Between Googling Harker and doing some social reconnaissance via Harker tweets and a Skype session with students, the answers to her initial questions began to unfold.
“It painted a picture of brilliant, renaissance, self-assured students,” she said.
A common theme and experience also emerged in her Harker research: fear.
“Even here among the high-achieving students, [there is] the fear of what comes next,” Allam said. “I understood that.”
Allam shared how she initially felt when she was named bureau chief at the age of 27. She had the realization that it was both an opportunity to make her parents proud as well as a chance to “blow it.”
“I’d say, it’s OK to be scared,” Allam said to the graduates. “Just don’t let fear paralyze you. Don’t let the fear of failing trump the joy of a challenge. Even you will expect setbacks but it keeps you humble and lights a fire under you.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Days before the 2014 graduation ceremony, the classes of 2014 and 2015 gathered at the upper school quad for this year’s baccalaureate ceremony. This traditional event bid the seniors a bittersweet farewell and welcomed grade 11 students into their upcoming roles as Harker seniors.
After an introduction by Upper School Head Butch Keller, Anthony Silk, upper school math teacher and this year’s faculty speaker, took his spot at the podium.
Silk asked the students in the audience to close their eyes and envision what success looks like for them and how they might achieve it.
First on Silk’s list of steps was learning how to take risks. He recalled a story in which he tried skydiving for the first time during college, an experience that forced him out of his comfort zone but helped him learn a valuable lesson. “Taking a risk doesn’t mean doing something risky, something you’re completely unprepared for. It means doing something where the outcome is unknown. But that’s OK.”
Silk also discussed failure, and why it isn’t actually failing. After losing a job that he had mentioned in an earlier anecdote, he ended up working on a cruise ship, which he enjoyed because it gave him the opportunity to be out at sea and working with people. His next challenge was to find something that combined this newfound enthusiasm for helping people with his love for mathematics. It was then that his best friend advised him to become a teacher, which led him to Harker. “Remember, when you can’t see your future, find someone who can,” he said.
Next up was Efrey Noten, grade 12, this year’s student baccalaureate speaker. Noten’s speech emphasized a quality that he felt many people forget after leaving college and entering the work force: compassion. Referencing a graduation speech given by author David Foster Wallace, he retold a parable about two young fish who encounter another, older fish, who greets them and asks how the water is. One of the younger fish then looks at the other and asks, “What the hell is water?”
“Mr. Wallace clarified by saying that the fish story shows us that the stuff most obvious and common to us is the stuff we have the most trouble perceiving or conceptualizing,” Noten said, adding that graduates would find themselves getting up every day to work a challenging job, come home tired, eat and retire to bed. “The so-called rat race I’ve just described often causes us to react to minor inconveniences with irrational, internalized rage,” Noten said.
“I just ask that if you find yourself repeating the same ceremony day in and day out, that you become actively aware and compassionate of the people around you,” he said. “Do not let yourself forget, as the two young fish did, what water is.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Days before the 2014 graduation ceremony, the classes of 2014 and 2015 gathered at the upper school quad for this year’s baccalaureate ceremony. This traditional event bid the seniors a bittersweet farewell and welcomed grade 11 students into their upcoming roles as Harker seniors.
After an introduction by Upper School Head Butch Keller, Anthony Silk, upper school math teacher and this year’s faculty speaker, took his spot at the podium.
Silk asked the students in the audience to close their eyes and envision what success looks like for them and how they might achieve it.
First on Silk’s list of steps was learning how to take risks. He recalled a story in which he tried skydiving for the first time during college, an experience that forced him out of his comfort zone but helped him learn a valuable lesson. “Taking a risk doesn’t mean doing something risky, something you’re completely unprepared for. It means doing something where the outcome is unknown. But that’s OK.”
Silk also discussed failure, and why it isn’t actually failing. After losing a job that he had mentioned in an earlier anecdote, he ended up working on a cruise ship, which he enjoyed because it gave him the opportunity to be out at sea and working with people. His next challenge was to find something that combined this newfound enthusiasm for helping people with his love for mathematics. It was then that his best friend advised him to become a teacher, which led him to Harker. “Remember, when you can’t see your future, find someone who can,” he said.
Next up was Efrey Noten, grade 12, this year’s student baccalaureate speaker. Noten’s speech emphasized a quality that he felt many people forget after leaving college and entering the work force: compassion. Referencing a graduation speech given by author David Foster Wallace, he retold a parable about two young fish who encounter another, older fish, who greets them and asks how the water is. One of the younger fish then looks at the other and asks, “What the hell is water?”
“Mr. Wallace clarified by saying that the fish story shows us that the stuff most obvious and common to us is the stuff we have the most trouble perceiving or conceptualizing,” Noten said, adding that graduates would find themselves getting up every day to work a challenging job, come home tired, eat and retire to bed. “The so-called rat race I’ve just described often causes us to react to minor inconveniences with irrational, internalized rage,” Noten said.
“I just ask that if you find yourself repeating the same ceremony day in and day out, that you become actively aware and compassionate of the people around you,” he said. “Do not let yourself forget, as the two young fish did, what water is.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Days before the 2014 graduation ceremony, the classes of 2014 and 2015 gathered at the upper school quad for this year’s baccalaureate ceremony. This traditional event bid the seniors a bittersweet farewell and welcomed grade 11 students into their upcoming roles as Harker seniors.
After an introduction by Upper School Head Butch Keller, Anthony Silk, upper school math teacher and this year’s faculty speaker, took his spot at the podium.
Silk asked the students in the audience to close their eyes and envision what success looks like for them and how they might achieve it.
First on Silk’s list of steps was learning how to take risks. He recalled a story in which he tried skydiving for the first time during college, an experience that forced him out of his comfort zone but helped him learn a valuable lesson. “Taking a risk doesn’t mean doing something risky, something you’re completely unprepared for. It means doing something where the outcome is unknown. But that’s OK.”
Silk also discussed failure, and why it isn’t actually failing. After losing a job that he had mentioned in an earlier anecdote, he ended up working on a cruise ship, which he enjoyed because it gave him the opportunity to be out at sea and working with people. His next challenge was to find something that combined this newfound enthusiasm for helping people with his love for mathematics. It was then that his best friend advised him to become a teacher, which led him to Harker. “Remember, when you can’t see your future, find someone who can,” he said.
Next up was Efrey Noten, grade 12, this year’s student baccalaureate speaker. Noten’s speech emphasized a quality that he felt many people forget after leaving college and entering the work force: compassion. Referencing a graduation speech given by author David Foster Wallace, he retold a parable about two young fish who encounter another, older fish, who greets them and asks how the water is. One of the younger fish then looks at the other and asks, “What the hell is water?”
“Mr. Wallace clarified by saying that the fish story shows us that the stuff most obvious and common to us is the stuff we have the most trouble perceiving or conceptualizing,” Noten said, adding that graduates would find themselves getting up every day to work a challenging job, come home tired, eat and retire to bed. “The so-called rat race I’ve just described often causes us to react to minor inconveniences with irrational, internalized rage,” Noten said.
“I just ask that if you find yourself repeating the same ceremony day in and day out, that you become actively aware and compassionate of the people around you,” he said. “Do not let yourself forget, as the two young fish did, what water is.”