2025-26 John Near and Mitra Scholars Annual Recognition Event Tuesday, April 28, 2026 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nichols Hall, Upper School Campus ~please RSVP below~ You are cordially invited to join the 2026 Chen Lin mentors in celebrating and honoring the scholars in this year’s John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund and the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities. This year will also include the inaugural Legacy Scholar award, presented to Olivia Zhu ’11. This milestone event marks the culmination of the scholars’ yearlong research journey into their chosen subjects, which includes a brief presentation from each scholar on their project. Join members of the administration, the scholars’ proud mentors and others as we congratulate them on the completion of their passion projects. A reception will follow the presentations. We look forward to seeing family, friends and some of our past scholars at this celebratory event. There will be a very special photo opportunity for parents and their students. Please use the button below to let us know you’re coming. Warmly, Brian Yager Head of School Jennifer Gargano Assistant Head of School, Academics Paul Barsky Upper School Division Head Please RSVP John Near Scholars Natalie Barth The Death of Romantic Comedy: Streaming, Social Media, and Modern Dating on the Demise of the Romcom Golden Era Mentors: Julie Turchin, Meredith Cranston Farhan Ansari From Manifest Destiny to Lebensraum: The Transnational Origins of Nazi Expansionism Mentors: James Tate, Meredith Cranston Sofia Shah Why Western Intervention Failed in Afghanistan: Between Intervention and Interpretation Mentors: Bronwen Callahan, Amy Pelman Ananya Pradhan What is with the Program?: The Decline of Women’s Participation in Computer Science in the 1980s Mentors: Donna Gilbert, Connie Hollin Yena Yu Maps, Disinvestment, and Greed: Redlining’s Role in Intensifying the Financial Crisis of 2008 Mentors: Carol Green, Amy Pelman Mitra Family Scholars Linda Zeng On the Border of Virtue and Vice: Chinese Migrants and the Political Economy of Mexicali Mentors: Chris Gatto, Connie Hollin Joy Hu “Ici on noie les Algériens”: Repression and French National Memory Surrounding the Events of October 17 Mentors: Byron Stevens, Connie Hollin Anoushka Chakravarty Drawing a People’s History: Modern Hindu Supremacy and Hegemonic Identity in the Graphic Narratives of Amar Chitra Mentors: Mark Janda, Amy Pelman Ariel Zhang “You’re a man, Orlando!”: Performing Gender and Undoing the Self in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Mentors: Beth Wahl, Meredith Cranston Social Media facebook.com/harkerschool instagram.com/harkerschool youtube.com/harkerschool Contact Us 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose 95129 communications@harker.org Need more spirit wear? Shop the Eagle Store at https://eaglestore.harker.org/ Copyright © The Harker School 2026. All Rights Reserved.