Harker students played key roles at the Northern California Junior State of America’s fall convention in November in Santa Clara. Erica Woolsey, grade 12 and co-president of Harker’s JSA chapter, served as convention coordinator, handling the logistics to accommodate more than 700 students visiting through Northern California. Harker JSA co-president Saagar Sarin, grade 11, who serves as this year’s speaker of the assembly for the Northern California JSA, led the first meeting of the new assembly, on which senior Vlad Sepetov is seated. Attendee Daanish Jamal, grade 12, was given a best speaker award for his speech during a debate on the issue of building a mosque near where the World Trade Center once stood.

Dan Hudkins, director of instructional technology and Harker’s JSA advisor, was in attendance to take his seat on the national board of trustees of the JSA Foundation, which directs the JSA program and provides support for its activities.

The event was highlighted by an appearance by George Shultz, who served as secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan.