Friends and family come together to support the Morgan-Hopkins family
Courtesy of Kennedy Silverberg
The Morgan-Hopkins family sits together for a group photo. The family of eight lost their home to a house fire Feb. 2. “This makes you realize the little things in life that you don’t even realize you are blessed with, as simple as a toothbrush, a change of clothes, toiletries, food or personal and memorable belongings. Always appreciate what you have been given,” alumna Madison Hopkins said.
February 6, 2019
Following a house fire at 3 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, the Morgan-Hopkins family was left without food, clothes or a place to stay. The family and their pets made it out safely, but are now in need of restaurant gift cards and self-care items as they recover.
“As a friend of the Hopkins’, I want to step up and give all I can and encourage others to do the same because it’s so rare and unexpected for this to happen to someone,” junior Anika Zepeda said. “It’s only best if everyone tries to do anything they can to give back to a family who just lost almost everything.”
A Go Fund Me created Feb. 4 raised more than half of its $20,000 goal in two days.
In addition to supplies rounded up by Nancy Knickerbocker on Facebook, supplies and donations of gift cards and toiletries can be dropped off in the main office at any time throughout the school day. Donations are also being accepted at Henry Elementary school.


![There are more than 20 open cardio machines at Crunch Fitness. I enjoyed the spacious environment at Crunch, a sentiment that was shared by sophomore Sanjana Daggubati. “[Going to] Crunch Fitness was the right decision because [it] feels more professional. Crunch’s workers are laid back, but not to the point where they don't care,” Daggubati said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_5242-1-300x225.jpg)
![The narrow lens contrasts with a diverse reality; whitewashing means altering or concealing something to make it more appealing to white people. The word “whitewashed” as it is used today has caused identity crises for thousands, if not millions, of students. “I have been called whitewashed before, and it feels very sad. [It’s] just hard because it makes me not know who I am. You don’t get a lot of backlash for [saying it], so I think it’s a throwaway term for people who aren’t affected by it. When you are the person [who] is being called whitewashed, over time, it builds up,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5740-1-300x200.jpg)
![Dressed in the traditional uniform of the US Air Force, sophomore Eric Thomas stands in front of the US flag. Thomas joined Civil Air Patrol on Jan. 14, 2024, and has since risen rapidly through the ranks. He is currently at the position of Chief Master Sergeant. “Not everybody gets a chance to wear a uniform as prestigious as [the] United States Air Forces[‘]. Having the ability to wear it is truly an honor, [because] it lets me represent some of the core values that I am required to uphold while in the program," Thomas said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC_0003-300x200.jpg)
![Gazing out the window, sophomore Rishi Dasaraju observes the new changes being made to the St. Louis Lambert Airport. During Thanksgiving break, Dasaraju traveled to Texas for a cricket competition. “I think [the changes] will help efficiency because right now luggage is always delayed. Adding more local elements instead of only franchises is a great idea,” Dasaraju said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/IMG_6559-2-2-300x214.jpg)
![Setting up the activity for his first meeting, Financial Literacy Club founder and sophomore Yash Bandiananthaiah writes on the whiteboard. For the first meeting, Bandiananthaiah created an interactive experience for members to immerse themselves in. “To me, the most important thing during a meeting is to make sure we are all engaged and participating, and [I do this by] always making sure we have a hands-on activity,” Bandiananthaiah said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC5306-1200x798.jpg)
![Hand raised into the air, senior Lauren Anstrom watches as her graduation cap flies along with the caps of all her peers. Anstrom hopes to leave behind the legacy as someone who was kind, hardworking, and always supportive of others. “Tossing my graduation cap honestly felt surreal. In that moment, everything hit me at once with all the excitement, relief and a little sadness too. It felt really emotional [because] this was the end of such a big chapter of my life, but also exciting knowing that everyone was about to start a completely new journey,” Anstrom said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_3031-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Blair Hopkins enters City Coffee & Creperie in Clayton, Mo. for breakfast with her Honors French 4 students and AP French 5 students. Both classes went on a field trip to a fair trade chocolate factory in St. Louis to begin their unit on Côte D’Ivoire, a major producer of cocoa beans. “My ideal school would just be the Magic School Bus — you would always learn about things by going someplace and learning hands-on, being able to see it yourself and asking people questions. I think [learning is] always so much more memorable if you can experience it firsthand,” Hopkins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC2795-1200x798.jpg)