This article was originally published in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
A beautiful fall day provided the perfect backdrop for the 2013 Harker Harvest Festival, the school’s 63rd annual Family & Alumni Picnic. As in previous years, the event was held on the middle school campus, but faithful picnic-goers surely noticed the fresh and fun changes to this family-oriented day. The multipurpose room held extravagant silent auction packages, offering art, outings with teachers, gift baskets and more.
The cafetorium was kept wide open for laser tag, and lower school children were spotted ducking behind blinds scattered through the room as they tried to catch each other with light beams. The blacktop was, as always, the site of carnival game booths. Here families tried their luck at skill games, attempting to knock down, hit, fill, pop or ring objects for prize tickets.
The Pig Pong Toss was a wall of cute painted piggies with boxes for noses, which kids tried to fill with Ping-Pong balls. At another popular booth, kids threw paint on Frisbees as they spun around, resulting in fun and swirly souvenirs. Around the edges of the blacktop were many fun activities to tempt kids of all ages.
A petting zoo with goats and ducks, pony rides, bounce slides, a dunk tank and more attracted crowds; and, new this year, old-fashioned tricycle and sack races kept both kids and adults giggling. Katie Florio, kindergarten teacher, enjoyed the trike races: “It’s great to see all the kids out having fun with their families and getting to play with all their teachers.” As Florio alluded to, the structure of the day was changed to allow teachers more time to hang out with their students, and intense games of foosball, Ping-Pong and basketball were played out in the gym. Lower school math teacher Diane Plauck laughed, “I started my day having a Ping-Pong match with one of [my students]. He beat me, but still it was fun.”
“It’s really great for the lower school and middle school kids to have a chance to play Ping-Pong or foosball with teachers, to really change up the dynamic of how they interact with one another,” said upper school science teacher Gary Blickenstaff. Aside from the opportunity to bond with their teachers, students also enjoyed meeting up with their friends in a fun and welcoming environment.
“I like that most of my friends come here and we just have fun. It’s basically a huge carnival,” said student volunteer Calvin Kocienda, grade 10, who worked the laser tag area with his friends in the Robotics Club. Classmate Alyssa Crawford liked that the Harvest Festival “brings all the different grades together.” Parent volunteers also had a big impact on the event’s success, running game booths, selling tickets and serving food to the hundreds of attendees. “I just think it’s a great opportunity to help the children and help the school,” said parent Tracy Baeckler (Alexandra, grade 5), who has volunteered since her daughter was a kindergartner.
Themed around a fictional Harker Thanksgiving Parade, the student show was a huge hit, highlighting dozens of kids from nine performing arts troupes. Mallika Vashist, grade 6, who performed with the choir group Dynamics, enjoyed that the Harker Harvest Festival offered her the chance to perform in front of a large audience. “Performing in front of a bunch of people is really fun for me,” she said.
Making cameos in the show were Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, as Cookie Monster; Head of School Chris Nikoloff as a giant turkey; and Butch Keller, upper school head, as a big SpongeBob SquarePants “float.” Other administrators as well as the IT and facility departments also walked the stage in the “parade,” to a warm and appreciative round of applause from spectators. Alumni gathered at their shady grove to reunite and chat, and they had new neighbors this year: the preschool was
a welcome presence at this long Harker tradition, with teachers and the newest Eagles having fun in a pumpkin patch. Preschool teacher Tanya Burrell, enjoying her first family picnic, said that not only was it “exciting to see [the preschoolers] outside of the school setting, we’re seeing them explore some of the other booths. It’s nice that they’re part of the larger Harker community.” Indeed, this event truly captured the community spirit that is so much a part of Harker.
This article was originally published in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly
By Melinda Gonzales
As winter gets underway the buzz begins on all campuses about Harker’s annual fundraising gala. Excitement is building for a spectacular Night on the Town, where parents will enjoy a fabulous show, dinner, dancing, casino games, an auction and the chance to socialize with friends.
“We’re looking forward to creating an elegant evening for parents,” noted Danae McLaughlin, director of special events. “Not only will Night on the Town give parents a fun evening out, it will also help raise money for the students.” Proceeds go to provide financial assistance to students who would otherwise not be able to benefit from a Harker education, and to fund the construction of a new gym and performing arts center on the Saratoga campus. As a renowned K through Life institution, Harker’s students and programs rely on the support of parents, faculty, staff and friends to continue their outstanding contribution to the communities of Silicon Valley and beyond. Many opportunities are available for sponsoring and/or underwriting a portion of the upcoming gala.
Of course, such a grand event could not be organized without the work of parent chair Tina Najibi (Alex ‘12; Mary, grade 10) and the entire gala committee. Additional volunteer needs will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information about the show, please visit our website at www.harker. org/gala. Reservations will open in January.
Please consider joining our list of generous sponsors in making this event a success! We have several different packages, which offer varying tiers of sponsor benefits such as tickets to the show and recognition at the event and on related promotional materials. And new this year is the enhanced Harker Business Directory. For a small subscription fee, friends of Harker can be listed in the directory for one year,from January to January.
Mehta, whose previous business sold for $200 million, got the idea for Stoodle during his first year at Harker. Shortly after transferring to Harker during his sophomore year, “I noticed a significant difference from the public school I attended my freshman year and realized that there was a great opportunity to connect students from different schools to share knowledge,” he said.
Developed by Mehta, Simar Mangat ’13 and senior Divyahans Gupta, Stoodle enables students to collaborate on things such as school projects and homework assignments. Maverick McNealy ’13 was also involved in the project, but left due to his growing golf career.
When legendary entrepreneur Vinod Khosla visited Harker as the keynote speaker for the 2012 Research Symposium, Mehta spoke to him about Stoodle. Khosla referred Mehta to his wife, Neeru, who was impressed with Stoodle and its team. Neeru’s CK-12 Foundation, which provides open source educational materials to students and teachers, soon began funding Stoodle, which is already generating buzz. Just this week, Stoodle was one of about 40 companies featured at the “Education Datapalooza” held at the White House, a joint event run by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and the Departments of Education and Treasury, which showcased apps and services available to help students succeed.
“The response has been fantastic,” Mehta said. “Teachers and students across the nation are praising Stoodle.org for its helpfulness, flexibility and ease-of-use, as well as, of course, for being free.” The tool reportedly already has thousands of users since launching last month, and Gordon Jones, managing director of the Harvard Innovation Lab, recently joined the company’s board, alongside Neeru Khosla, Richard Schmalensee, dean emeritus of MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Stanford Graduate School chief technology officer Paul Kim.
“The positive buzz we have been getting from educators across the country has been overwhelming,” said Mehta. “People are loving it! Notable individuals like U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Jim Shelton have also recognized and tweeted about us! As you can probably tell from my excessive exclamation mark use, this is a very exciting time for my team and me!” he finished.
In addition to Stoodle, Mehta also has worked with head of school Chris Nikoloff, advancement head Joe Rosenthal and business and entrepreneurship teacher Juston Glass to form a startup incubator for Harker students. Mehta said his experience with the business and entrepreneurship program has been “very beneficial, mostly through the quality of individuals the school invites to campus.”
The grades 2-3 holiday show, titled “The Most Wonderful Time of Year,” packed the Bucknall Theater on Dec. 19, as the students in both grades celebrated the season with holiday songs both new and old.
Directed by Carena Montany, the show began with students in both grades singing the holiday classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” They continued with more seasonal favorites, including “Feliz Navidad,” “Little Drummer Boy” and “Winter Wonderland.” Their repertoire also featured nods to other cultures, such as the Liberian folk song “African Noel” and the Hawaiian Christmas anthem “Mele Kalikimaka.” The choreography by Kimberley Teodoro and amusing narration by students between songs kept the atmosphere light and provided smooth transitions between performances. Paul and Toni Woodruff accompanied for the singers on piano and violin, respectively.
The show ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of longtime technical director Danny Dunn and assistant technical director Carol Clever, as well as Dunn’s grade 5 technical theater students.
Just days before the holiday break, people eager for seasonal cheer flocked to the Bucknall Theater on Dec. 17 for the annual grade 1 holiday show, titled “Our Favorite Time of Year” and directed by Carena Montany.
The homeroom classes of Imelda Kusuma, Cindy Proctor, Larissa Weaver and Rita Stone gathered on stage to sing a selection of odes to the holidays, including favorites such as “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” “The First Noel” and “Jingle Bells.” Other notable performances included the Hanukkah-themed tune “Spin a Little Dreidel” and “Christmas Everyday” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, which featured a dance routine choreographed by Gail Palmer.
Accompanying the singers during the concert were pianist Melissa Lin and violinist Toni Woodruff. Technical director Danny Dunn, assistant technical director Carol Clever and Dunn’s grade 5 technical theater students made sure the show ran well from start to finish.
It was a happy, song-filled Friday at Harker Preschool on Dec. 20, the last day of school before winter break. To leave on a warm “note,” the youngsters held a sing-a-long, intended to become an annual tradition. The children sang a variety of holiday and other songs. The transitional kindergarten group performed first that morning, followed by the Acorn/Pebble cottages in the late morning and the Clover/Feather cottages in the afternoon. A good and musical time was had by all!
This story was prepared from a press release provided by Shannon Hong, grade 10, director of Public Relations for Harker DECA; photos also provided by Harker DECA.
The students of Harker’s DECA chapter, nearly 100 in total, spent the weekend of Jan. 3 at the Silicon Valley Career Development Conference in San Jose. During the conference, the students participated in a number of activities and competitions designed to build their leadership and business skills.
Harker students performed admirably in the competitions, with 21 students ending up in the top three. Placing first were Harker DECA president Monica Thukral, grade 12, in the Food Marketing Individual Series Roleplay; Ray Xu, grade 9, in Principles of Finance; Freshman Srivatsav Pyda and senior Arthur Shau in Business Team Decision Making; and Safia Khouja and Sabrina Sidhu, both grade 11, in Hospitality Team Decision Making.
Second place finishers were the team of sophomores Shannon Hong, Michael Zhao and Annie Zhou for Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan; Aathira Menon and Natasha Santhanam, both grade 10, for International Business Plan; juniors Glenn Reddy and Felix Wu for Business Operations Research Written Plan; Julia Fink, grade 12, in Apparel and Accessories Marketing; Mabel Luo, grade 12, in Business Service Marketing; Shannon Hong in Restaurant and Food Service Management; Victoria Ding, grade 10, and Sapna Suresh, grade 12, in Marketing Team Decision Making; and seniors Adithram Rengaramchandran and Rohan Kapatkar, grade 12, in Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making.
Taking third place was the team of seniors Gaurav Kumar and Adarsh Battu in Business Team Decision Making.
“At SVCDC, we were able to not only present our projects that we had worked so long on but also meet old friends and make new ones. I never expected to make it to the stage, so when they called my name I was already in shock,” said Zhao. “Winning second place together with my friends was the best part; all of our work was worth that moment of pride when we stood together on stage.”
Aside from the many competitions they entered, Shannon Hong, Sophia Luo, grade 10, and Haley Tran, grade 9, were elected to the next Silicon Valley District Action Team.
“SVCDC was an exhilarating experience. I learned new skills as a competitor and a candidate, meeting different people from all over the Silicon Valley and being a part of this wonderful community of intellectually curious and business minded high school students,” Hong said. “Standing on stage, twice, was thrilling; I hope to do even better during States.”
UPDATE: The San Jose Mercury News has a great write up on one Harker’s 30 Under 30 listees! Surbhi Sarna was interviewed on her medical devices development. Read the article, here!
Jan. 10, 2014 Several Harker alumni made Forbes magazine’s coveted “30 Under 30” lists, which showcase young movers and shakers working in various fields.
Sharing the spotlight with notable young celebrities such as snowboarder Shaun White, actress Olivia Wilde and activist Shiza Shahid are three talented Harker grads: Neil Mehta ’02, Surbhi Sarna ’03 and Ilya Sukhar ’03. The third-annual issue was released Jan. 6.
To compile the prestigious lists, Forbes consulted with experts in 15 industries to select the top 30 in each category, totaling some 450 individuals (all under 30 years of age) who are making things happen. The magazine started working on the project in the fall, by choosing the categories and assembling the panel of judges.
A leading source for reliable business news and financial information, Forbes is well known for its listings and rankings. On the cover of its “30 Under 30” issue, it calls the individuals who made the lists “450 game-changers in 15 industries who are building tomorrow – today.”
Below is a look at the three Harker alums who made the “it” lists:
Neil Mehta ’02, Founder of Greenoaks Capital
Neil Mehta ’02 is the managing director of Greenoaks Capital Management LLC, a global principal investment firm dealing in private equity, venture capital, real estate and public market opportunities.
Prior to that, 29-year-old Mehta was a senior investment professional at Orient Property Group Ltd., a Hong Kong-based real estate investment and development firm financed by D.E. Shaw, a premier $20 billion global hedge fund and investment firm based in New York.
Forbes listed Mehta in its finance category, crediting him with managing some $600 million, investing in industries ranging from ecommerce to insurance. The magazine also noted that he “hit home runs” with early investments in a Palo Alto-based software company called Palentir as well as a South Korea-based e-commerce company named Coupang.
“I owe a lot to my colleagues, friends and family. We still have long way to go at Greenoaks, though,” said Mehta, adding that he was proud and impressed to see so many Harker alumni on the list.
Surbhi Sarna ‘03, Founder of nVision Medical
Surbhi Sarna ’03 was this year’s alumni speaker at Harker’s eighth annual Research Symposium, which drew more than 400 attendees. There, she shared the story of how she suffered from painful ovarian cysts in her early teens, which caused her to later become determined to create better conditions in the field of female health.
To this end, the 28-year-old founded the venture-backed nVision Medical in 2009 to develop technology to help gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer. To date, her company has raised some $4.5 million from Catalyst Health Ventures, Draper Associates and Astia, a group that assists female entrepreneurs.
“It is a great honor to be chosen as one of Forbes “30 Under 30.” I know Harker has a lot do to with my drive to be an entrepreneur and I’m grateful for all of the teachers that inspired me while I was there,” she said of her placement in the medical category.
Ilya Sukhar ’03, Co-Founder and CEO of Parse
Ilya Sukhar ’03 made the news several months ago when Facebook acquired his company, Parse, of which he served as co-founder and CEO. Currently, Sukhar runs the Parse business at Facebook, where he also works on platform products.
“There’s a lot of people I really admire on that list, so it’s a nice honor for me to be included,” reported 28-year-old Sukhar, adding “I got back to work pretty quickly, though.”
Sukhar, who is listed in the tech category, said he got the idea for Parse after he experienced the pains of building a mobile app. According to Forbes, he has since turned Parse into a critical service for mobile developers that now provides the backend infrastructure for more than 180,000 apps, including those built by Ferrari, The Food Network and Sesame Street. Facebook bought Parse in April 2013 in a deal reportedly valued at $85 million.
Now on display at the middle school campus is a wall highlighting words that are meaningful to the exhibit’s participating students – powerful words like respect, imagine and awesome.
The exhibition, which showcases photographs of various students holding up signs with their favorite words, is sponsored by Activity Avenue, a project of the BEST (Blackford Enrichment & Supervision Team) program.
“The project is going really well. We asked students, ‘What is the most important word to you?’ … We have roughly 44 photographs so far for the wall that we are developing, and more people interested in participating,” reported BJ Hathaway, assistant director of BEST.
This year’s grade 4-5 Wintry Spirit Assembly, sponsored by the Service/Spirit Club, was recently held on the lower school’s blacktop with a new format. Rather than competing for points, students enjoyed various interactive stations supervised by homeroom teachers.
The festive, holiday-themed stations included Santa’s Workshop, where students colored and stacked various cups; Pin the Nose on Rudolph; Presents Down the Chimney, featuring students playing a lightning-quick game; and Naughty or Nice, which saw students shooting bean bags and other objects into small nets.
“Oh, the weather outside was frightful, but that didn’t stop our spirit assembly!” enthused Katie Molin, lower school English and study skills teacher. “I think everyone had a great time!”