On Saturday, March 2, 2013, the Panda Express on Manchester Road near 141 will be sponsoring Class of 2008 alumni Rebecca Sheppard and her foundation, Building Foundations of Hope.
Started after she visited Uganda for six weeks in the summer of 2012, Sheppard felt truly inspired and knew that she wanted to do more to help the people and the children that she met in Uganda.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was certianly not prepared for what I saw,” Sheppard said. “The breathtaking view and scenery juxtaposed to the immense poverty and the pain of its people is simply poetic.”
The organization focuses on helping children that have been made orphans to readjust to a normal life and to see how beneficial a family unit really is. Instead of having a single woman from a nearby village take care of the kids in the orphanage, Sheppard wants to invite families to raise the children on the compounds.
“The reason for this,” Sheppard explained, “is to provide a model for these children to strive to and make them feel a part of something. Children will be able to stay in the program as long as they need to. If the want to go to college, we will help them apply; if they want to learn a trade, we will get the training. We want to give children power over their own lives.”
The Panda Express on Manchester will give 20% of its profits on Saturday from 12:00-8:00 and donate it to Sheppard’s charity. It is very easy way to help Building Foundations of Hope to receive the funds they need to give aid to the orphaned children in Uganda.
“One thing I want to share with you,” Sheppard says, “is that you don’t need to be older or succesful to make a difference in the world. You just have to want to and then act on it. So come eat Chinese food and save the lives of children! It’s a win win!”
In order for the proceeds to go towards Building Foundations of Hope, you must present the cashier with a flyer, which can be picked up at the door as Sheppard passes them out, or you can pick up your own in Ms. Collin’s room in 3418.
For more information of Building Foundations of Hope and how you can get involved, please visit their website at www.bfoh.org
![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. "[The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jeff] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![Principal John McCabe announces that Jeffrey Chazen has won Teacher of the Year. Chazen was discussing freedom of speech with his AP Government class when the door opened and administrators rushed in. “[I was] extremely happy and humbled, but mostly shock[ed]. I've been here longer than any other teacher, so I know most of the people on the list of Teachers of the Year, and they are amazing teachers themselves,” Chazen said. “It's just nice to be on the list with them, including [social studies teacher Kristen] Collins, who is the only other social studies teacher who has won Teacher of the Year. It was nice to bring something back to the social studies department.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0021-1-2-1200x801.jpg)
![Striking a pose following their group dance, the 2024 Mr. Longhorn contestants welcome their audience to the show. Throughout the night, the nine competitors participated in an occupational section, skits for the talent portion and a fashion attire show before finalists were interviewed. “It's a fun time getting to hang out with my friends and doing [our] acts. I think I'm most excited for my performance with [seniors Bart Connors, Gavin Hamlin and Colin Hughes]. I like that I get to dance a little bit. I don't think I'm very good, but I'm gonna try my best to put on a show,” contestant and senior Henry Wild said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC_9759-1200x798.jpg)
![Kicking off dress rehearsal, Mr. Longhorn contestant and senior Carson Hughes goes over the group routine alongside other competitors. With just two days of practice, all participants learned the entirety of their introductory dance, chose an occupation to embody and crafted skits for the show. “The best part of this [whole thing] was learning the dance and just practicing with the guys. We [have to] try not to laugh the whole time, but we're having a lot of fun,” Hughes said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_5112-1-e1732164157549-1200x812.jpg)
![Blending together a concoction for a science experiment, science teacher Joel Anderson scares his students by bringing excitement and thrill into his classroom for his annual Halloween show. It took about six weeks for Anderson to set up his classroom for the show. “It’s pure terror. I came up with this idea a couple decades ago to do something fun for Halloween. So I pretend to be this mad scientist [that creates] a Frankenstein-like creature [with the class], learning a little bit of science along the way and [then ending] with a laser show. It’s just for fun; entertainment value,” Anderson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0021.JPG_-1200x800.jpg)
![Standing with girls cross country team mascot Pump the pumpkin, senior Sydney Etchason laughs with her teammates. Before the team’s senior night, Etchason undertook an odyssey to recover the pumpkin, which had been stolen by boys cross country. “We went through practice, and then a little birdie told me that it was in [senior] Emmett [Vernon's] car. I [offered Vernon] $50 to give us our pumpkin back, and we got Pump back,” Etchason said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0002-1-1200x800.jpg)
