Harker_Magazine Fall/Winter 2024 by The Harker School

HARKER DAY

MAGAZINE

Middle

Sophie Ormond.

Harker Day

Annual celebration brings families, staff and alums together.

A Matter of Honor

Honor Council reinforces and champions the school’s values.

15 Seasons of the Harker Concert Series Series brings world-class performances and master classes.

12 22

Headlines

Brian Yager draws inspiration from the grade 7 trip to 2 national parks.

About Harker

From its early beginnings in 1893 – when Stanford University leaders assisted in its establishment – to its reputation today as a leading preparatory school with graduates attending prestigious universities worldwide, Harker’s mission has remained constant: to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, inspires intellectual curiosity, expects personal accountability and forever instills a genuine passion for learning. Whether striving for academic achievement, raising funds for global concerns, performing on stage or scoring a goal, Harker students encourage and support one another and celebrate each other’s efforts and successes, at Harker and beyond. Harker is a dynamic, supportive, fun and nurturing community where kids and their families make friends for life.

HARKER MAGAZINE

Harker Magazine is published biannually, in December and June, to showcase some of the top news, visionary programs and inspiring people of the greater Harker community. This magazine and its predecessor, the Harker Quarterly, have been recognized with CASE silver and bronze awards, and three gold and four platinum MarCom awards.

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NEXT ISSUE: SPRING/SUMMER 2025

WORDS BY BRIAN YAGER `

Drawing Inspiration from Nature

Reflections from the grade 7 trip to national parks

Traveling with our seventh grade class on the newly established tour of California, it was inspiring to see the amazing resources and landscape of our home state. Over six days, as we traversed from the Bay Area, across the Central Valley, to the Sierra Nevada and back, we reveled in the grandeur of the giant sequoias, saw and explored the majesty of California’s mountains, experienced firsthand the lifeblood of the country’s agriculture engine, reflected and explored the social and political forces that have shaped, and at times strained, the fabric of America’s cultural tapestry, and studied and played in the waters of California’s complex hydrologic currents.

At the edge of our journey, we spent two days exploring the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, spending three nights in Mammoth Lakes. While there, we journeyed to the top of the mountain, viewed a dazzling array of stars at night, hiked the exquisite shoreline of Convict Lake, and learned about the dynamic and endangered ecosystem supported by the other-worldly looking Mono Lake. Throughout our journey, we straddled an amazing stretch of one of California’s (and America’s) most beautiful natural areas – the Central Sierra Nevada. These mountains contain Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks, as well as a host of wilderness areas, including the Ansel Adams, Golden Trout and John Muir wildernesses.

Standing atop Mammoth Mountain and looking west into the heart of the Sierra, the scale of the mountain range and the remoteness of its internal rivers and valleys inspired a sense of awe. It was through this area, part of which now bears his name, that John Muir discovered himself, and inspired generations to come to protect the natural realms of the world we inhabit.

Muir was famous for exploring the Sierra Nevada, especially the back country of what is now Yosemite National Park. Apparently, he often traveled alone, carrying with him on his multi-day journeys only a loaf of bread and a tin cup, with which he would drink eagerly from the myriad mountain streams he crossed. He was also known to bring along a book or two, often a philosophical work.

While he is widely known today for his role in founding the Sierra Club, and for promoting the establishment of the national parks system, Muir took some time in his life to find his voice, his passion and his purpose.

It was not until Muir was 22 years old that he enrolled in college, and his path to becoming one of the world’s leading conservationists began when he took his first class in botany.

Thinking about Muir’s life, I was reminded of my time in fifth grade, when my homeroom teacher was Ellen Robinson. As is the case with every teacher in my life, there are many things that I remember and admire about Mrs. Robinson. However, two stand out. The first is that Mrs. Robinson’s self-professed claim to fame was that she taught every student in her class how to research and write a report. By the end of fifth

John Muir provides an atypical role model, for he did not find purpose or success in the types of settings we normally contemplate, including the business world. Rather, he found his calling in the wild spaces he loved, and in his drive to celebrate and preserve those spaces for generations well beyond his.

grade, I and all of my classmates realized that she was correct. She inspired, cajoled and willed us through a rather sophisticated and grueling process (for a fifth grader) that culminated in a report whose completion filled us all with a great sense of pride. The topic of the report: California. The second thing that stands out in my recollection of Mrs. Robinson is her oft-repeated mantra of, “Be on purpose.” Whenever we needed corralling, or inspiration for working in her classroom (including filling out the many 3 x 5 cards on which we would take notes for our reports), Mrs. Robinson would only have to say, “Be on purpose,” and we would rededicate ourselves to the task at hand. Of course, as is the case with all good lessons, I realized later in my life that this mantra was not just intended to inspire us in the moment; it was a call to action for the rest of our lives. Mrs. Robinson didn’t just want us to focus, she wanted us to find, hold and embrace a purpose of our own.

Being immersed in the world that inspired John Muir while also traversing California, I found that my thoughts continued to turn to Mrs. Robinson’s words. At Harker, part of our mission is to prepare our students to take their place as global citizens. This is, in broad strokes, a large part of our collective purpose. Relatedly, we hope that our students will consider a range of life pursuits, both professionally and personally, and that within them, they will find their own purpose.

Like Muir, educators also take the long view, knowing that our efforts today set the course for lifelong journeys. In this issue of Harker Magazine, our alumni share their unique career paths and how they built upon the foundations laid during their days at Harker – whether it was an art class, serving on the Honor Council or a Harker Concert Series master class – and the impact they are having on the world around them.

The final stop on the seventh grade trip was the Monterey Bay, where we arrived to a rare confluence of migrations. Pelicans, seagulls and migrating waterfowl joined the local sea lions as they feasted on huge schools of anchovies. It was a beautiful, vibrant and fitting end to a journey across the state. This was especially true knowing that some of those same birds were born on the shores of Mono Lake, the place where we had visited only days before, and whose fate hangs in the balance. I am confident that some of our students today will have an impact on helping preserve this place, and others like it, in their own future endeavors, and we are proud to have set the course.

Photo by Brian Yager

Photo by Joshua Pinzas ‘08

HARKER DAY brings families, faculty and alums together 2024

More than 4,000 people braved the high temperatures on Oct. 5 to attend Harker Day at the upper school campus. Attendees found respite in the shade and indoors playing a wide variety games and enjoying food from a selection of food trucks, while also watching sports and live performances by Harker students.

At the quad and the auxiliary gym, families sat down for caricatures, tossed rings, threw footballs and played air hockey in addition to the many other activities. Over at the Furry Friends Forest (also known as Graduates’ Grove), children and adults cozied up to adoptable puppies, while others headed to the Patil Theater for performances by lower, middle and upper school performing arts groups. The athletic center hosted games by

Photo by Keith Tharp

the girls volleyball teams while water polo teams played at the Singh Aquatic Center.

More than 200 Harker alums and their families visited the alumni area, enjoying food prepared by Harker’s kitchen staff. That afternoon, Greg Cox ’11, Kailee Gifford ’17, Arman Gupta ’09 and Nikhil Panu ’13 were honored at the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Following words of admiration from Harker athletics staff (including a special appearance by former upper division head Butch Keller), each of the inductees spoke of their appreciation for the support from their families as well as Harker’s athletics staff. (See page 32 for more.)

Harker Day was part of the second-annual Alumni Reunion Weekend. For more details and fun photos, see our gallery on page 34.

Before the Homecoming football game, Eagles fans filled the bleachers at Davis Field while the pep band provided music. Pre-game festivities started with the third-place tug-of-war contest between the Classes of 2027 and 2028, with 2027 emerging the winner. Crowd favorites the Junior Cheerleaders and Harker Eaglets received enthusiastic cheers before the Eagles took the field by running through the “gauntlet of spirit.” Following the choir’s renditions of The Harker School Song and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the

Photo by Keith Tharp

coin flip saw the Eagles take possession on the opening drive against Anzar Academy. Harker took control of the game early, going up 20-0 by halftime.

The crowd enjoyed halftime performances by the cheer team and Harker Dance Company, and students cheered on their respective classes in the tug-of-war finals between the juniors and seniors, which was won by the Class of 2025. As halftime came to a close, this year’s Homecoming representatives walked proudly onto the field. Harker went on to win the game with a score of 35-0.

Photo by Deborah Lord

Photo by Keith Tharp

Peggy Lao teaches art to kindergartners and first graders, loving the joy she feels when “my little students start to realize they can produce something beyond scribble scrabble.” Lao was raised in the Los Angeles area after coming to the United States from Taiwan at age 5. She lives in Los Altos with her husband, two sons (12 and 11) and daughter (7). Her chat with Harker Magazine highlighted her optimism. When stressed, she leans into the discomfort: “It’s learning how to manage it and getting through it that’s going to help us come out stronger and better on the other side.”

When did you first really feel like an adult?

My first year of teaching (not at Harker), two fifth grade girls as tall as me started a fist fight. I looked around for someone to do something until I realized that I was the adult. So, I closed my eyes, took a breath and inserted my body in between the two!

What is an experience you’ve had that you don’t believe anyone else had before?

In grad school, I went through a nine-month phobia treatment for rodents. I went from not being able to touch any pictures of mice to having a golden pet mouse named Obadiah.

What do you dislike that everyone else loves?

I have given arugula so many chances and I wonder why I keep trying!

What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?

In high school I wanted to be an entomologist because I loved my biology class bug collection assignment so much.

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest and why?

Wassily Kandinsky, the father of abstract art. He heard music when he saw colors and he painted what he heard. Having taught music before I started teaching art, I would love to pick his brain about his musical/artistic journey.

What is your most treasured object, and why?

My collection of personally handwritten/drawn cards and letters I have received from current and past students.

Classroom In the

Every year I teach my classes a chant/ song I created called the “Line Dance Song.” Students learn and memorize the name and orientation of 12 different lines using their arms to physically depict each one.

Peggy Lao

performing arts

Performing arts groups had a stellar showing at Harker Day, and the upper school Conservatory’s circus- and vaudeville-themed interpretation of the Bard’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” continued the fall show season on a whimsical note. Upper school fall choral and winter instrumental concerts also impressed. The grades 7-8 play, “Rodeo,” told the story of an aspiring cowgirl, and grade 6 entertained with their production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame Goes West.” The middle school’s jazz band, orchestra and choral ensembles delighted at their December winter concerts. For more fall performing arts photo highlights, visit our gallery at https://news.harker.org/gallery-fall-2024-performing-arts/.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEBORAH LORD AND KAREN JIMENEZ

A Matter of HONOR

Student group reinforces and champions school’s values

he bus dropped Jonathan Xue at Harker’s upper school around 7:15 a.m. after a long ride, leaving the ninth grader with a quiet campus to explore. The library wasn’t open yet and with time to kill, Xue gravitated to the room of his calculus teacher, Mr. Silk. Xue asked his teacher for a math puzzle to work on.

Thus began a routine. Sometimes, they talked math, other times Xue did homework. Sometimes, they just talked.

Long before he became the upper school’s mathematics department chair, Anthony Silk had the kind of career you might find in a novel – Navy commander,

test pilot, cruise ship social host, aerospace engineer, software developer…. And Xue, with many interests, enjoyed discussions about the world around them.

Silk soon realized that they had something in common: a strong sense of honor. Silk, faculty chair of Harker’s Honor Council, valued Xue’s perspective and thought others might benefit as well.

“You care about a lot of things,” Silk told him. “These are the thoughts and perspectives we need on the Honor Council.”

A student-elected group independent of the student council, the Honor Council comprises 8-10 students and three faculty

WORDS BY DAVID KIEFER

representatives. The Council serves as the eyes and ears of the school, establishing behavioral and ethical standards that students live by. What kind of school do I want to leave behind? For Xue, it was a school that valued academic integrity. Now a senior, Xue has played a role in achieving that.

Silk arrived at Harker in fall 2003 and soon got involved in the Judicial Committee, a student-run panel that heard disciplinary cases at the request of the students and recommended consequences.

Silk felt the council’s goal was not to judge other students, but “to promote honor in the school.”

Kevin Williamson, dean of students,

HONOR CODE

While we recognize the diversity of personal definitions of honor, we pledge to uphold the principles of the Harker community at large. This code outlines our collective and fundamental principles that apply even where rules do not exist. Therefore, we affirm that, within our community, we have a right to and are responsible for

• Respect: Valuing the thoughts, feeling, property and identities of every person

• Honesty: Representing ourselves and our work truthfully

• Accountability: Accepting ownership of our actions and decisions toward each other and the school.

By upholding these rights and responsibilities, we, the Harker community, nurture trust within a safe, healthy and clean environment in which we are comfortable learning and exploring.

explained that the original Judicial Committee was created as a hearing board for disciplinary referrals from his office. “It served the greater community. [We wanted to have] the kids be involved in the decision-making because it was really about helping students understand right from wrong.” The committee would submit their recommendations to the upper school head, who discovered that kids tended to be harder on their peers than the faculty would have been. The

name was changed to Honor Council in 2008, and in the next few years the focus shifted to outreach and policy recommendations, with a diminished disciplinary role. Today they will only hear minor cases, if the student requests it, or if Williamson feels it would be helpful to consult with them.

Honor Week is held each fall, with daily themes that match the assigned values of each class: accountability, respect, integrity and kindness. Beyond Honor Week, these values are highlighted and emphasized throughout the year in grade-level meetings.

A ninth grader, for instance, learns to be accountable for getting to class on time and learning their locker combination. A sophomore can focus on treating others with respect despite

Photo by Chuck Witschorik

differences in viewpoints. A junior, in a final boost toward college acceptance, must understand academic integrity. And a senior, on the cusp of independence, needs to portray kindness to build a supportive environment for their future.

“So much of the student experience is rooted in the value system that the Honor Council is in a unique position to uphold and celebrate,” said Paul Barsky, upper school head.

How so? By separating right from wrong when lines are often blurred. At what point does the tool of artificial intelligence become a vehicle for cheating? What are school policies in dealing with evolving technology? How do we define cheating in these new scenarios?

Cheating is widespread across high schools and universities, and Harker is not immune. In surveys of more than 70,000 high school students by the International Center for Academic Integrity, 95 percent

admitted to some form of cheating, 64 percent admitted to cheating on a test, and 58 percent admitted to plagiarism.

An Academic Cheating Fact Sheet by the Educational Testing Service and the Ad Council’s Campaign to Discourage Academic Cheating said:

“In the past it was the struggling student who was more likely to cheat just to get by. Today it is also the above-average college bound students who are cheating. ... Cheating does not carry the stigma it used to. ... Cheating does not end at graduation. For example, resume fraud is a serious issue for employers concerned about the level of integrity of new employees.”

The Honor Council addresses these weekly. It organizes discussions among students, parents, teachers and administrators on hot topics such as AI and facilitates action plans that may be adopted throughout the school.

Last year, Xue created a table of possible

Photo by Jessica Hu, grade 11

consequences for cheating violations.

The table was adopted as a baseline for Harker’s updated academic integrity policy, allowing Harker to standardize how these issues are dealt with and better assist students who need it. The policy is awaiting roll-out from the administration.

This was a revelation to Xue. “It really is possible to make change,” he said. “Go out there, put yourself forward, and actively drive for it. It’s actually very achievable.”

Cheating remains a worry, but the problem can’t be attacked simply. The short-term solution is creating policy or recommending punishment for a violation. But this can’t be solved with a quick stroke. Ultimately, shortcuts are taken because of the pressure students feel in a high-achieving environment.

“College admissions is the big looming worry that all these students face,” said senior Naiya Daswani, a four-year member of the Honor Council. “And it’s just getting harder. That’s one thing that has our backs against the wall.”

This is the culture change the Honor Council views with hope.

“How do we create an environment with less pressure?” Daswani wondered. “And how do we remind students that these values need to remain as high a priority as chasing academic success?”

In a perfect world, the Council would convince students to underschedule extracurriculars rather than overschedule, to avoid filling an entire schedule with AP classes, to be OK without perfect grades, and to get more sleep. But would students and parents go for it?

“It is extremely difficult to switch the mentality from grade-focused to value-focused or integrity-focused,” Daswani said. “Making these efforts in the community gets that much harder.”

When Pratusha Erraballi ‘09 was in middle school, she noticed a classmate struggling on a question on the final exam. Erraballi got her classmate’s attention and wrote the answer on her own paper so the classmate could see it. Both were caught.

“It was well-intentioned,” said Erraballi, vice president and senior counsel at Galvanize Climate Solutions, a climate-focused investment firm. “I felt bad because I initiated the offer for help, but she got in trouble too. It was a moment of a lack of self-control or weakness.”

Though Erraballi knew it was wrong, “It came from a good place,” she said. The experience

made her realize that “there’s no black and white in a lot of these situations.” Erraballi wanted to bring that sense of empathy to the Honor Council, of understanding the students’ perspective.

“These students really live their truth. They’re very comfortable with the issues they wrestle with. They feel very strongly about the notion of integrity.”

– Paul

Barsky, upper school head

“As a kid, it’s so easy to be in your own world and not put yourself in other people’s shoes,” she said. “But this really did force me to step outside.”

At a time when the primary duty of the Honor Council was hearing student cases, this was invaluable.

“A big piece of the underlying mission is to uphold the values of the school and the sense of honor for the school itself,” Erraballi said. “Who better to deliver that message than your peers.”

“Sometimes, it’s easier for students to talk to students than it is to talk to adults,” Silk said.

“How do we create an environment with less pressure? And how do we remind students that these values need to remain as high a priority as chasing academic success?”

– Naiya Daswani, Honor Council senior

The Judicial Committee gave students that opportunity. Other schools, mostly religious ones, had versions of the same, and Harker had some influence from a national organization called the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education, which describes itself as, “A valuable partner to schools fostering ethical thinking, a sense of purpose, and the advancement of empathy, equity, and justice.”

Other schools sometimes publicly shame or embarrass, but Harker chose to do things differently.

“We expect everybody to do the right thing,” Silk said. “But we want to be the group that’s explaining to everybody why you should do the right thing. We’re trying to motivate you to do the right thing.”

Kelly Horan, assistant upper school division head and former Honor Council faculty rep, pointed out that religious-based schools have a built-in honor system that’s understood based on the morals that accompany those beliefs. But Harker, as non-sectarian, is creating its value system organically.

One way was rewriting the Honor Code, which was created by the Judicial Committee of 2001-02 and amended by the Honor Council three times thereafter, most recently in 2020. It is published and posted in every classroom.

The Honor Code begins: “While we recognize the diversity of personal definitions of honor, we pledge to uphold the principles of the Harker community at large.”

“These are our values and this is who we are,” said Barsky, who takes great pride in the Honor Council. “Once we’re clear on those, then we can contribute to the life of the school.

“These students really live their truth. They’re very comfortable with the issues they wrestle with. They feel very strongly about the notion of integrity.”

Taylor Lam ’19 joined because, “Ethics is something that pervades through all aspects of life and I realized that in this area, I really wanted to help offer more of a student perspective. I would really want a student voice on my side.”

Her Honor Council experience served as a springboard to serving as an honor representative at University of the Pacific and now in UOP’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. She’s now in her 10th year of ethics representation.

“The Honor Council at Harker has played a really big part in how I’ve conducted my life,” Lam said. “The foundation that Harker gave me – leading a student-led panel on ethics, researching the reasons behind cheating – really made me look at cheating in a different light.”

At Harker, Lam helped lead the transformation from “punitive to more reflective consequences,” in dealing with student cases. For instance, writing an essay about what happens if you’re caught plagiarizing might be more useful than a punitive consequence.

“The greatest reasons we found for people to be tempted to cheat are time stress and parental pressure,” Lam said. “While it’s important as a parent to help push and guide your child in the right direction, it should never be at the cost of their morals or ethics or principles. As much as you want your child to succeed, it’s never worth taking the unethical route and having them succeed for the wrong reasons.

Photo by Vivek Moorjani, grade 11

Photo by Chuck Witschorik

“It does catch up to them … it catches up to everyone. By teaching them in high school what’s wrong and what’s right, they always will have that strong foundation of ethics throughout their professional careers.”

Millie Lin ’18 is an engineering program manager at Apple working on search features. She credits her time on Harker’s Honor Council with helping her withhold judgment.

“I’m more careful about how I think about other people,” she said. “Things may not be what they seem.”

When Lin was the student chair of the Honor Council, questions arose around Wikipedia, with students copying and pasting chunks of the online encyclopedia. After accusations of plagiarizing, student-led hearings and deliberations, Lin realized stress was the commonality in a zero-sum game.

“Of all the students we heard cases for, it was never a war where you have a bad guy who’s getting justice,” Lin said. “With all the students, they were extremely stressed about it. I knew we

can’t be a group that just deals out consequences, but one that figures out how to change the culture so that people don’t end up plagiarizing in the first place.”

Not even the Honor Council can promise that.

“Sometimes, I’ll be walking with some friends, I’ll see some trash and pick it up,” Daswani said. “They’ll comment, like, ‘Oh, you’re so Honor Council.’ Any student can pick up trash, but I feel like it’s more than that. As part of the Honor Council, we’re held to a higher standard. We want to do what we want to see in the school community so that anyone who may witness that may feel inspired to do the same.”

At the end of the school year, the Honor Council has one more activity. Each senior is given two note cards with the option to write to individuals in the Harker community – teachers, coaches, or staff members – and offer words of thanks, apology or a goodbye.

“We feel that at the end, you should be reflective of your time here and how you affected people and how they affected you,” Silk said.

The root of the exercise is honesty, perhaps the foundation of everything the Honor Council does.

“Seeing the community come together … that’s the beauty of relationships and connections that we strive for,” Xue said. Long-ago discussions in an empty classroom. For Xue, they led to this.

“This is the culture,” Xue said. “This is the Harker we want to embody.”

David Kiefer is a freelance writer and former journalist at the San Jose Mercury News.

gallery visual arts

Visual arts students created dozens of paintings, drawings, sculptures and more during the first part of the year. Here are some of the many standout pieces from the classes of Peggy Lao, Gerry-louise Robinson, Sofie Siegmann, Brian Caponi and Pilar Agüero-Esparza.

Ruhi Singh grade 1 “Concentric Circle Hair”

Moqi Zhu grade 2

“Autumn Trees”

Matthew Yang grade 4 “Madhubani Art”

Maya Caballero grade 7 “Book”

Aanya Shah grade 11 “Restless”

Keren Eisenberg grade 12 “Ceramics”

Vika Gautham grade 12 “Untitled”

Deniz Ertem grade 8 “Shoe”

Zachary Fan grade 6 “Turtle”

A K I N G

art

AC C E S S IBLE

Alum’s journey back to art

Nidhi Gandhi ’11 found many avenues for her creativity when she was in high school, including performing in the varsity dance troupe, playing classical guitar in the senior showcase and taking Advanced Art and AP Studio Art.

“These [art] classes were so special because Pilar Agüero-Esparza made an effort to incorporate exposure to art institutions and events around the area. I think most curators take an interest in the arts after seeing the historical significance of great works of art,” said Gandhi, who is now curatorial and programs associate for the San José Museum of Art. “But for me, the way these spaces served our community was what really sparked my creative interest and were a reminder of art’s capacity for community empowerment.”

“It’s very full circle, getting my first taste of art at Harker and then helping choose an artist-inresidence for the Dickinson Visual Arts Endowment.”

– Nidhi Gandhi ’11

In high school, she also found community through the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. She got involved in GSA during her grade 9 year when Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage, was on the ballot.

“I was adamantly against Prop 8 and I wanted to be a voice for many of my queer classmates,” she said with conviction. “The fear that drives people to hate has always made me want to fight and I felt like I needed to be part of the solution.”

She fought hard to defeat the initiative, through phone banking, many conversations and lots of hard work. She went to Abel Olivas, adviser to GSA, for advice on conducting respectful and fruitful conversations with her loved ones, which ultimately led them to vote against the proposition. Although Proposition 8 ultimately passed, it was later overturned in court.

“Although Nidhi was a bit surprised that she had had such an impact, she was thrilled,” said Olivas, who worked closely with her when she served as president of GSA for two years. “I was excited as well since she got to experience firsthand the powerful impact of grass-roots level work.”

Gandhi has always been driven to make a difference in the world. Her fascination with how people develop and interact with the world fueled an interest in psychology. But

when it came time to choose a college, she was torn between her interest in psychology and her passion for art. After talking with her parents, she decided to attend Pomona College and study neuroscience and pursue art as a minor.

At Pomona, rather than doing lab work, she developed a curriculum for fourth- through sixth-grade students based on neuroscience research to make learning more accessible and diversify educational opportunities. When she wasn’t studying, she volunteered at various art museums — and that’s when her two worlds collided.

In school she was learning the importance of thinking outside the box while watching arts funding get slashed and redirected toward STEM education.

“I felt like museums were these amazing places for kids to learn, explore and grow, which is so critical for children’s brain development,” said Gandhi. “I grew up in a family of immigrants. The first generation is often the translator already, so my family didn’t see the arts as accessible. But when I worked in the museum and taught children how to access the arts, it all clicked.”

She had found a way to blend her interest in psychology with the art world and she hasn’t looked back.

After a few years working in museums around Los Angeles, she went back to Williams College to earn her master’s degree

in the history of art. She has since returned to the Bay Area where she is nurturing her love of art and her fierce belief in the power of community.

“I center my community in everything I do.

My prior curatorial projects and especially those at the San José Museum of Art prioritize community artists, issues and voices,” she said. “I work in the arts and in nonprofits because it’s … something I uniquely can do to give back to my community.”

And that includes giving back to Harker: When art teacher Joshua Martinez learned Gandhi was at the museum, he asked Agüero-Esparza to reach out about helping with the Dickinson Visual Arts Endowment, which was created in 2021 to support Harker’s visual arts programs and students, as well as deepen the school’s connection to the wider international arts community.

“It’s very full circle, getting my first taste of art at Harker and then helping choose an artist-in-residence for the Dickinson Visual Arts Endowment,” said Gandhi.

Vikki Bowes-Mok is a freelance writer and editor.

Alexander Calder, Untitled (To Nevelson 69) (detail), 1969. Gouache on paper 23 x 30 in. Gift of the Lipman Family Foundation 2017.17.02. © 2024 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Currently showing at the San Jose Museum of Art.

Art created by Gandhi while at Harker.

SERIES CONCERT 2024-25

15 SEASONS OF THE HARKER CONCERT SERIES: BRINGING WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES TO THE COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO HARKER’S MUSIC PROGRAMS

Since 2010, the Harker Concert Series has showcased a wide variety of world-class artists, providing music lovers in the Harker community and the South Bay with unique opportunities to see and meet performers they might otherwise only be able to see at farther-away venues or festivals. Now in its 15th season, the series also has offered unique value to students, granting them access to some of the world’s greatest musicians, be they widely celebrated veterans or up-and-coming acts.

Always looking for ways to engage with the wider community, administrators launched the Harker Speaker Series in 2008 with the help then-Harker parents John and Helena Jerney. Instrumental music teacher David Hart later approached Pam Dickinson, director of Harker’s Office of Communication, with the idea of inviting top professional musicians to conduct master classes with Harker students. “Dr. Hart and I brainstormed on his idea of bringing professional musicians in for master classes for the kids and the concert idea just organically flourished from there,” Dickinson recalled.

Chris Nikoloff, the head of school at the time, liked the idea, and the first season kicked off during the 2010-11 school year. Using the connections gained from his experience as a professional musician and his education at the Eastman School of Music, Hart assembled a lineup of top artists, opening the inaugural season with a dazzling performance by his friend, Grammy-winning jazz piano prodigy Taylor Eigsti. Since then, the Harker Concert Series has showcased performers from across the wide expanse of classical and jazz, including violinist Frank Almond (who performed with the Lipinski Stradivarius, constructed in 1715), Canadian singer and songwriter Laila Biali and the renowned PROJECT Trio.

Hart has continued to seek artists for the program, alongside current series artistic director Jaco Wong, who arranged last year’s appearances by the San Jose Chamber Orchestra and the Aaron Lington Organ Quartet. In addition to their ability to deliver a captivating performance, artists are also sought out based on their enthusiasm for educating young musicians. “My passion is in education and finding artists that would also have those passions,” Hart said. “I wanted to make sure they would work with our students at high levels, so it’s always been a goal since the beginning.”

This philosophy has helped the Harker Concert Series develop a reputation among top-flight performers who share Hart’s and Wong’s dedication to music education, which has led to appearances by high-profile artists such as Kronos Quartet and the choral group Chanticleer. The wider community also has taken notice, as Harker’s concerts provide opportunities for local music lovers to enjoy concerts they might normally need to travel farther to see. The opening of the Patil Theater in 2018 further bolstered the HCS’s profile.

“That itself attracts many world-class artists, because they’re constantly looking for cool communities and places to perform,” Wong said. He also noticed its appeal to attendees outside the Harker community, remembering one concertgoer who attended a show during the 2022-23 season. “She didn’t have a kid who goes to the school. She doesn’t know anyone who works here. She just saw it on a local arts calendar, and she loved it, and she ended up coming back for all the concerts that year,” he recalled. “We have such amazing resources as a school to not only benefit our own students, but also bring what we can provide to the community, and that’s really beautiful.”

For students, the master classes offer a unique opportunity to interact with and learn directly from professional musicians, which grants insight into the techniques and processes devised and used by top-level performers when playing live as well as composing. These interactions are crucial to

what Hart called a “music-rich environment,” which includes quality everyday instruction and a wide range of performance opportunities both on and off campus.

“Another pillar for me is getting young people around great musicians,” Hart said. “And to be honest, [what Harker offers through master classes] is truly special. It’s unbelievable that we have the facilities that attracts these groups, but also that we can support bringing a whole ensemble to work with these kids.”

During violinist Nancy Zhou’s visit in December, she worked individually with a group of violinists, one of whom was junior George Yang. “She gave me a lot of new insights,” he said. “I was expecting that someone would bring a different perspective into my play-

ing, which she did. It was very inspiring.”

Senior Alex Zhong, who also attended Zhou’s master class, performed a duet with senior Andre Lu and found the feedback they received “super informative. I was definitely a little bit nervous heading in because she is very renowned, but I think I definitely learned a lot … and I think she really helped us in communicating better with each other.”

Sawyer Lai ’23, who attended the master class with Kronos Quartet in her sophomore year, currently attends Stanford University and performs with the university’s Fleet Street Singers. Her experience in the master class imprinted many principles she continues to employ. “Being able to get feedback from professionals who dedicate their entire

lives to performance was a life-changing experience, and it fundamentally shifted my perspective on how I think about practicing and performing music,” she said. “From Kronos, I learned the importance of telling a story through my music and communicating emotion through my playing.”

“One of the most memorable experiences was when Taylor Eigsti and Dana Stephens visited Harker,” said Anika Fuloria ’21, who is now pursuing a minor in music at Stanford, where she performs as a double bassist with the Stanford Orchestras and Stanford Philharmonia. “At the end of the master class, I had the chance to show them a jazzy piano-sax duet I had composed. Although we

didn’t spend much time on it, I vividly remember Taylor playing some of the melodies and offering fresh reharmonizations. Having a Grammy winner sight-read my piece was unforgettable.”

Master classes also introduce students to wider performance opportunities or more challenging material they might not work with in their everyday instruction. “I think [students] kind of think of one world which is, ‘I’m going to perform

“HAVING A GRAMMY WINNER SIGHT-READ MY PIECE WAS UNFORGETTABLE.”

– Anika Fuloria ’21

“BEING ABLE TO

GET FEEDBACK

FROM PROFESSIONALS WHO DEDICATE THEIR ENTIRE LIVES TO PERFORMANCE WAS A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.”

–

Sawyer Lai ’23

in musical theater. I’m going to go perform in an orchestra,’” said upper school music teacher Jennifer Sandusky. “I really think they start to push past their own sort of self-imposed labels when they work with these really wellknown professional musicians.”

Sandusky remembered one particular instance with Laila Biali, who arrived in the classroom with a complex series of charts. “She brought in a whole bunch of charts and arrangements, most of them pretty difficult,” Sandusky remembered. “She workshopped with Downbeat in particular … and there was such a beautiful give and take and improvisation work that was done with her. “The kids really latched on to that sort of energy, the kind of focused, positive energy that needs to happen to get to that point,” she continued.

Competition in February, recalled the time PROJECT Trio read a piece he had arranged for their flute-saxophone-double bass configuration. “The piece itself was quite challenging for piano and, in hindsight, was unrealistic for the trio to sight-read,” Cha said. “However, the group gave insightful, constructive feedback that helped me rewrite parts to play to each instrument’s strengths. After the reading session, I reworked the piece into one that I am now much happier with.”

Through their interactions with visiting artists, students also learn about other ways to pursue music throughout their lives while maintaining other careers. One important lesson imparted to students is that “it’s OK if you don’t become a professional, but we want you to do music for the rest of your life because it will enhance your life in so many different ways,” Nace said. “And with my singers, I say to them, you know, there are many professional ensembles where the singers, that’s not their day job. They may be a neurosurgeon, they may be a lawyer or a judge.”

Experiences such as these can also instill a lifelong love and appreciation for the arts, regardless of a student’s post-high school career path. “If we can inspire the students even to go to band concerts and support their friends who play in a band, and to cultivate [a desire to] go to concerts and get inspired artistically on a regular basis, we have done our job,” said Wong.

Visiting performers have also at times worked to develop student compositions. Spencer Cha ’22, a pianist minoring in music at Stanford who won the Stanford Concerto

According to upper school vocal teacher Susan Nace, simply witnessing singers and instrumentalists in top form can be eye-opening for music students. “The thing I observed most of all is, they can’t believe what the human body can do. They can’t believe what a musician can possibly do,” she said. “Some of them have only been singing or playing an instrument for maybe even less than a year. So they get to see where their instrument can go or where their voice can go, and I think it becomes very inspirational and very aspirational to the kids.”

Bringing these acts to interact so closely with students and the community, Fuloria summarized, has enhanced the performing arts program dramatically “by making the arts feel tangible and accessible” to students. “It allowed us to see that our artistic efforts could directly translate into professional careers in music,” she said. “Additionally, it allowed us to experience truly exceptional live performances. Attending concerts is always a special experience, and the concert series brought phenomenal artists and unforgettable performances directly to us.”

Dickinson, meanwhile, enjoys seeing the assortment of first-time attendees and regulars at Harker Concert Series events. “I love chatting with attendees from outside the Harker community and hearing their amazement at the quality of our series and our facilities and the caliber of our students,” she said, noting that concerts have also attracted alumni, their parents and retired Harker faculty and staff. “It’s truly become the very thing we hoped for in the beginning many years ago – a meaningful way to give back and share with the greater community.”

staff kudos

Professional accomplishments of our faculty and staff.

In August upper school journalism teacher Whitney Huang ’08 was named was named a Rising Star by the Journalism Education Association, along with eight other teachers nationwide. This recognition is given to journalism teachers who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication in their first five years advising school journalism programs. Huang was observed by retired adviser Tracy Anne Sena, who told JEA, “Replacing a beloved and highly skilled director of scholastic journalism is a daunting task for even a well-seasoned teacher, yet Whitney has done so with aplomb and has made the program truly her own. Her students respect her and her decisions, and they look to her for leadership.” In November, Huang attended JEA and the National Scholastic Press Association’s fall conference in Philadelphia, where she and the other recipients were presented with their awards at a special luncheon.

Triston Brown, middle school history teacher, was selected to be one of 20 participants in the American Anthropological Association’s 2024 “Write to Change the World” initiative for the OpEd Project, an organization that seeks out history experts from diverse backgrounds and enables them to take thought leadership roles in their fields. Brown was also featured in the American Educational Research Association’s summer 2024 newsletter, which published her poem, “So They Say.”

Elizabeth Brumbaugh, Harker’s director of Learning, Innovation and Design, was selected in August to join the Google for Education AI+Edu Fellowship program. One of just 15 people chosen to participate, Brumbaugh will have the opportunity to shape how artificial intelligence is utilized in education. Brumbaugh has been exploring the possibilities for AI’s applications in education since last fall and began a pilot program for Harker teachers in the spring on Flint, an AI platform designed for schools. She has since organized introductory presentations and workshops for teachers on using Flint and School AI.

Over the summer, upper school English teacher and Jack Kerouac scholar Charles Shuttleworth released his latest work, a collection of previously unreleased Kerouac works titled, “Self-Portrait.” Co-edited with Paul Maher Jr., the book contains writings from Kerouac’s life, including journal entries he wrote in his teens, pieces of fiction and non-fiction, personal entries from the last few years before his death and selections of incomplete works. It’s available from various online booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Shuttleworth also appeared as the main lecturer at the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac festival in October.

ASE director Lorena Martinez is passionate – about her three adorable nephews, her friends, her job, and her “furry sidekicks,” dogs Vaca Khan and Roxy. Martinez grew up in San Jose as the “fun middle sister of three girls, with parents who’ve been rocking their love story for over 51 years! Life is never boring with this crew!” Her busy life includes co-advising the student council, GSA and Spirit Club, which means she’s “all about making the school year fun, inclusive and full of spirit!”

Classroom In the M iddle S chool h aunted h ou S e

Each year I add a new twist to the event, and I love keeping everyone in suspense until they see what I have in store.

What one piece of advice you would offer anyone who asks?

Always be your authentic self. It’s something no one can ever take away from you. Also, move forward with love and empathy, and stay open to new ideas.

What are two things you like to do when you finally have a block of free time?

I love crafting the ultimate playlists, whether it’s for biking, driving at sunset, or a day at the beach. And I woodwork. One year, I created my own little “Christmas in the Park” with life-size characters lit up with solarpowered Christmas lights.

Where in the world are you the happiest?

When I’m at the beach – any beach, as long as there’s sand and water. I’m convinced I must have been a fish in a past life.

What is something that you pretend to understand when you really don’t?

I definitely find TikTok a bit baffling.

What do you love most about your life?

The vibrant tapestry woven by the presence of my family and friends. Their support and companionship bring a richness and joy to my life that makes every day truly colorful.

What is your most treasured memory?

In fourth grade I injured my shoulder and had to stay in bed for two days. My grandmother was also bedridden at the time. We had a blast hanging out together, laughing and chatting. Those two days were filled with such warmth and love that I still smile thinking about them; she passed away a month later.

Lorena Martinez

DICKINSON RESIDENCY

Chinese-born, Bay Area-based artist Connie Zheng joined Harker in the fall as this year’s Dickinson Visual Arts Endowment artist-in-residence. Beginning in late October, Zheng worked with middle and upper school students on a “Seed Almanac” project, in which they created and planted artificial seeds containing their wishes for the future of the world. Students also collaborated on a mapping project that shows where the seeds will be figuratively planted. Her residency culminated in a Harker Speaker Series event that featured her in a discussion with Nidhi Gandhi ’11, curatorial and programs associate at the San Jose Museum of Art. (See our profile of Gandhi on page 20.)

Photo by Kevin Reduta

While football’s 35-0 win on Harker Day was the big story early on for fall athletics, water polo and girls golf both had historic seasons. Boys water polo shined in the Central Coast Section open bracket, earning a spot in the CIF NorCal Regional Championship. Girls water polo made it to the semifinal round of the CCS playoffs and finished the season with a 20-8 record. Girls golf earned their seventh consecutive WBAL championship. Cross country runners reached the CCS finals thanks to several standouts including sophomore Axel Szolusha, pictured at left. Tennis celebrated junior Pavith Khara’s win in the WBAL individual singles tournament. Girls volleyball appeared in the CCS playoffs, falling to Menlo in the first round but ending as co-league champions. The middle school’s flag football, boys cross country and boys swim teams all won their respective leagues. At the lower school, the JVB1 grade 5 football team finished their season as co-league WBAL champions. For more photos from the fall athletics seasons, visit our gallery at https://news.harker. org/gallery-fall-2024-athletics/.

athletics

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2024

PHOTOGRAPHS

Four Harker alums were inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame during Harker Day on Oct. 5, at a ceremony at the upper school’s athletic center. The alums were honored for their athletic achievements as well as their lasting contributions to Harker’s athletic programs. The ceremony was attended by the alums’ families as well as their former teammates and coaches. Dan Molin, upper school athletic director, Karriem Stinson, lower and middle school assistant athletic director, and Butch Keller, former upper school division head, all shared memories of this year’s inductees.

first-ever playoff points. She would go on to compete in soccer at University of California, Berkeley, for four seasons at the D1 level, playing a total of 70 games, 50 of which she played as a starter. At Cal, she was named to the PAC12 Honor Roll in 2019 and 2020 and the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic District 8 First Team, among other accolades. Gifford currently lives with her family in San Jose, where she is coaching youth soccer and writing a novel.

As a football player, Greg Cox ’11 was named First Team in the North Coast Section Bay Football League in 2010 and set Harker football records for most tackles in a game with 25 and most tackles in a season with 115. Recognizing his talents and contributions, his teammates voted for him to receive the Eagle Award in his senior year. His athletic acumen extended to baseball as well, playing four years for Harker and receiving another All-League recognition. Cox continued to pursue sports after graduating from Harker, playing baseball for four years at Swarthmore College, where he made the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team in his senior year. He later returned to Harker to serve as an assistant baseball coach from 2016 to 2019. He currently lives in Soquel, where he works as a software engineer.

A standout soccer player, Kailee Gifford ’17 earned First Team All-League honors in her ninth grade year and, after her sophomore year, she had scored 32 goals across both seasons. She later turned her attention to football, playing as the Eagles’ starting kicker in her senior year as the first choice for extra points and kickoffs, as well as specializing in onside kicks. One of Gifford’s field goals scored Harker’s

Arman Gupta ’09 played varsity football at starting quarterback for four years, spending three of those years as varsity captain. His many accolades at Harker included MVP awards in 2007 and 2008 and an Offensive MVP award in 2006. He also was named the First Team All-League quarterback in the NCS Bay League in 2008 and was the first-ever starter from Harker in the Charlie Wedemeyer Silicon Valley Youth Classic All-Star Game, playing safety. Gupta had the rare honor of being named Harker’s Athlete of the Year at both the middle and upper schools, as an eighth grader and a senior. Gupta graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and currently lives in San Francisco and works in biotech investing.

Boosted by the basketball talents of Nikhil Panu ’13, Harker became JV conference champions in his ninth grade year and was led to the three CIF CCS semifinal appearances. In his senior year, he was named First Team All-WBAL and was the 2012 Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship Winner. He also played varsity tennis for three years, acting as captain as a junior and senior. Panu went on to play basketball at Johns Hopkins University, which was the Centennial Conference Champion for the 2013-14 academic year. In the 2014-15 year, the team set a slew of new school records, with 25 wins, 16 conference wins, a 17-game win streak and the team’s highest-to-date national rank (10). He is the founder and CEO of Squadz, a sports marketplace and community platform.

Photo by Sophie Ormond

alumni reunion

A

lums from the Classes of 2004, 2014 and 2019 reunited Oct. 4-6 during the second-annual Alumni Reunion Weekend. Events were held for each class at San Jose’s Santana Row, with the Class of 2004 gathering for dinner and drinks at a special 20th anniversary celebration at Hotel Valencia. The Classes of 2014 and 2019 met just a short distance away at Maggiano’s Little Italy for celebratory dinners of their own. Members of these classes also visited their alma mater on Harker Day to meet with other alums. All three classes gathered at Hotel Valencia on Oct. 6 for breakfast with Brian Yager, head of school.

Photo by Sophie Ormond

Nicholas Manjoine teaches a variety of English electives at the upper school: American Literature, Black American Literature, Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction Literature. A native of Iowa City, he met his husband, Jeffrey, in college in Iowa and discovered they were born in the same hospital and may have met as children, as Jeffrey lived next door to Manjoine’s cousins for a while. “Small towns!” he said. Manjoine has an older and a younger brother, and a Bengal cat. A devotee of the outdoors (he loves backpacking in Glacier National Park), playing music (piano and guitar), gardening and cooking, he also teaches a free yoga class to community members in San Jose’s Japan Town area, where he lives.

When did you first really feel like an adult?

Still working on that, but it started sometime after I was 40.

What are you obsessed with?

Classroom In the

Students document their reading in non-linear ways using concept maps. They think creatively as a group about how to visually represent a passage or a chapter, prioritize the information, and then execute it as an infographic.

The novels of Marcel Proust, practicing yoga, finding performances of the Bach “Chaconne,” classical guitars, and trying to make the perfect Meyer lemon wood-fired pizza.

What do you dislike that everyone else loves?

Watching professional sports.

What do you love that everyone else dislikes?

Mahler’s symphonies.

What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?

I’m a beekeeper. I grew up having to hunt or fish once a season to make dinner for my family. I think I could still field dress a deer if I had to.

What makes you feel like a kid again?

Learning something new. I love a good “aha!” moment.

What are your best techniques for making someone smile?

A whimsical, unexpected question.

Nicholas Manjoine

class notes

Keep

up to date on the lives of your classmates.

Alumni from all classes through 1997 are listed under the years they would have completed grade 8 at The Harker School, Harker Academy, Harker Day School or Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA). For all classes after the Class of 1997, alumni are listed under the class years they would have graduated from high school, regardless of whether they completed high school studies at Harker. All photos submitted by the subject unless noted.

If you’re interested in submitting a class note or getting in touch with your class representative, please email alumni@harker.org.

1984

Colyvas was promoted to full professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

1982 & 1988

In Memoriam

Harker is saddened to announce the passings of Keil Albert MS ’82 and Tracy Airrion Pruitt MS ’88

Pranab Barman and his wife welcomed their child, Zaara, on Jan. 1

Julian Polzin was born to Thomas Polzin and his wife on Aug. 21.

Surbhi Mahendru was a guest on The Harker Alumni Podcast. You can listen to the episode with Surbhi by searching for “The Harker Alumni Podcast” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

2005

Born in Mountain View, Keil Albert grew up in Sunnyvale and attended Harker Academy and Bellarmine College Prep. He obtained his master’s in geology in 1994 and went to work at GeoConsultants Inc., a geologic consulting services firm, where he eventually became CEO while also earning certification as a professional geologist. In addition to managing GeoConsultants’ business operations, Albert was the key contact in the company’s field operations. He is greatly missed by his family in California, Colorado and Texas, his bowling and college friends and especially by his wife of 27 years, Liz Robertson MS ‘82, and their 16-year-old son, Ryan.

Tracy Airrion Pruitt passed away at the age of 49 on April 8. Pruitt was a loving husband, father and son, known to his loved ones for his dedication and effort in all pursuits, particularly toward his family and friends. Pruitt was born in Orange, Calif., and grew up in San Jose. Following education at Santa Clara University and Stanford, he went on to work in software engineering at Intel. In his later career, Pruitt was employed at Ares Management Corporation, where he became head of corporate finance within five years. He also helped found Ares’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. He is survived by his three sons and wife, Monica.

Alex Loh works in Global Compliance at TikTok Shop and is a Reserve JAG with the United States Air Force. He and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their son Liam Nicholas Loh in August (named after Alex’s cousin, Nicholas Chuang ’13). They live in Saratoga with their daughters Cadence, 14, and Mina, 2 (and next door to Nicholas!).

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

Jeannette

Ivo Salemink was married on June 21.

Matt Vucurevich and his wife have welcomed a son.

Kathy Peng was a guest on The Harker Alumni Podcast. You can listen to the episode with Kathy by searching for “The Harker Alumni Podcast” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

On July 12, Roberta Wolfson published her first book, “Refiguring Race and Risk: Counternarratives of Care in the U.S. Security State” with The Ohio State University Press. An academic work of literary and cultural criticism, this book turns to novels, memoirs, and other cultural works produced by Asian, Black and Latinx American authors and artists to debunk the false sense of national security rooted in positioning people of color as embodiments of risk. Roberta demonstrates how these works disrupt racist security regimes and model alternative strategies for managing risk by crafting stories of collective care and community building.

Estelle (Charlu) Willie lives in Fairfield, Conn., with her husband, Sam, and two children, George, 4 and Charlie, 2. The boys are excited to be in preschool together this year, with Charlie starting his first year of preschool and George in his last year.

2007

Anjali Gill welcomed a baby, Nile, in November 2023.

Joanna Xu had a child in February.

2008

Whitney Huang was named a 2024 Rising Star by the Journalism Education Association. You can read more about Whitney’s award in our Staff Kudos on page 27 and online in Harker News: https://news. harker.org/journalism-director-named-rising-star-by-journalism-education-association/

2009

Arman Gupta was inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Harker Day. Read more about him and the other inductees in the special Hall of Fame Alum Profile on page 32.

2010

Stefan Eckhardt and Sarah Salzman got married in Vermont in July (photo above), with Arjun Mody as their officiant and many other friends from Harker in attendance to help celebrate: James Feng, Yash Khandwala, Sachin Mitra, Akum Gill, Jackie Ho, Adam Perelman, Sarah Teplitsky, Ashish Mittal and Priyanka Mody ‘12

Alison (Axelrad) Ung was hired as Harker’s assistant middle school division head. Alison had taught history and English at the middle school since 2019 and is excited to be in this new role at Harker.

2011

Greg Cox was inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Harker Day. Read more about him and the other inductees in the special Hall of Fame Alum Profile on page 32.

Adi Parige was a guest on The Harker Alumni Podcast. You can listen to the episode with Adi by searching for “The Harker Alumni Podcast” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

Photo

Anne Lee Photography

2013

Nikhil Panu was inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Harker Day. Read more about him and the other inductees in the special Hall of Fame Alum Profile on page 32.

Catherine Manea received her Ph.D. in astronomy and is now doing research sponsored by the National Science Foundation at Columbia University.

2014

Namrata Vakkalagadda, Karnika Pombra ’15, Nikhil Kishore ’15 and Shireen Moshkelani ’11 (not pictured) reconnected as full-time students at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Namrata, Karnika and Shireen all recently graduated as part of Booth’s Class of 2024, and Nikhil will graduate in 2025.

2015

Leeza Kuo is back in the Bay Area after finishing veterinary school.

Juhi Gupta recently returned from four months of travel with her partner and dog – from van life-ing across Canada, a road trip through the Basque Country, several stints in European countries from Malta to Switzerland and a first trip to the African continent (visiting Ghana), bookended by another road trip back from the Midwest to the West Coast. She currently works out of San Francisco at the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, where she supports the preservation of cultural art forms across California and the country. She also writes about music and nightlife for SF/ARTS, and DJs in San Francisco under the moniker Lil Sur.

Please

2016

Chandler Nelson completed a Master of Science in applied marine and fisheries ecology and now works as a fishery specialist at the New England Fishery Management Council.

2017

Kailee Gifford was inducted into the Harker Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Harker Day. Read more about her and the other inductees in the special Hall of Fame Alum Profile on page 32.

2022

On March 24, several Eagles attending Cornell reunited for classmate Anishka Raina’s dance performance for the Big Red Raas. Pictured from left to right are Gigi Chan, Raj Patel, Vayun Tiwari, Anishka, Alina Yuan and Andrea Thia

2024

Michelle Wei had an eventful summer. Her senior research in March, for developing a way for computers to more quickly solve complex second-order code programming problems, earned her the third place prize in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. That led her to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where in June she received the Regeneron Young Scientist Award and a prize of $50,000. Then, in July, she traveled to the Netherlands to compete in the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics, winning a silver medal as a member of the U.S. team.

2021-2023

Harker’s college counselors, Nicole Burrell, Martin Walsh, Kevin Lum Lung and Andrew Quinn, visited San Diego on a work trip and enjoyed a visit with University of California, San Diego, students

Shreya Srinivasan ‘21, Smrithi Sambamurthy ‘23 and Jessica Zhou ‘23

Class representatives serve five-year terms coinciding with reunion cycles. If you’re interested in learning more about the role or volunteering to represent your class, please email alumni@harker.org.

2002 Yasmin Ali

2003 Jess Killips

2004 Karan Lodha

2005 Shikha Mittal

2006 Meghana Dhar

2007 Lucas Motro

Joanna Xu

2008 Senan Ebrahim

2009 Stephanie J. Guo

2010 Niki Agrawal

2011 Hassaan Ebrahim

2012 Will Chang

Kristi Sun

2013 Katz Sundarraj

2014 Connie Li

2015 Allison Kiang

Nitya Mani

2016 Stephanie Huang

2017 David Zhu

2018 Dolan Dworak

Gloria Guo

Melissa Kwan

2019 Olivia Esparza

Riya Gupta

Mahi Gurram

Matthew Hajjar

Kelsey Wu

2020 Lauren Beede

Bennett Liu

Anika Tiwari

2021 Olivia Guo

Kristin Tong

Helen Zhu

2022 Gigi Chan

Alexa Lowe

Irene Yuan

2023 Annmaria Antony

Dhruv Aron

John Cracraft

Zain Vakath

Please send your updates to your class representative or email them to alumni@harker.org.

The Harker School

San Jose , CA 95129

Harker_Magazine Fall/Winter 2024

HARKER DAY

MAGAZINE

About Harker

Drawing Inspiration from Nature

Reflections from the grade 7 trip to national parks

Top Stories

Recent

HARKER DAY brings families, faculty and alums together 2024

Peggy Lao

performing arts

A Matter of HONOR

Student group reinforces and champions school’s values

HONOR CODE

gallery visual arts

A K I N G

art

AC C E S S IBLE

GET FEEDBACK

staff kudos

Professional accomplishments of our faculty and staff.

Lorena Martinez

DICKINSON RESIDENCY

athletics

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2024

alumni reunion

A

Classroom In the

Nicholas Manjoine

class notes

up to date on the lives of your classmates.

1984

1982 & 1988

In Memoriam

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2022

2024

2021-2023

final frame