The dream of fighting to keep America safe has never faded for senior Ryan Gansen. Since he was in the eighth grade, he has wanted to serve in the United States Army.
“Ryan is an innate leader,” Ryan’s mother Katie Gansen said. “He is dedicated, loyal, intelligent, intuitive and self-disciplined. While his dad and I were not fully on board with his decision initially, we have come to proudly support him.”
Ryan has integrated weightlifting and conditioning into his daily routine and plays football and lacrosse, working to mentally and physically prepare for army life.
“I’ve stayed in sports, and it has helped me learn to deal with people, stay in shape and hone in all of the skills that will be necessary for service,” Ryan said. “I’m just preparing myself constantly for the situations I could encounter so I can be as successful as [possible].”
Ryan plans to enlist in the army and is very passionate about risking his life for the country.
“It’s the most meaningful career I could think of,” Ryan said. “I feel it’s my responsibility to give back to the country that raised me and gave me the opportunity to be who I am.”
There are many risks associated with joining the army, but Ryan’s plans are on hold until he completes college.
“I cannot imagine any parent of a soldier not feeling apprehensive about their son or daughter joining a branch of the Armed Forces,” Katie said. “It is a concern that keeps me awake at night. At my times of uncertainty and unrest, I always circle back to the fact that my son is a true patriot. Ryan’s love for America and his desire to fight to keep us free is his ultimate dream job.”
Brother and sophomore Josh Gansen trust the courage that his brother has to become stronger and to stay determined for the challenges ahead.
“He’s persistent; when he puts his mind to something he won’t give up on it, and he deeply cares about our country,” Josh said. “I am a little worried. I don’t want him to get hurt, and I want him to come back okay, but I know he’ll be alright.”
Ryan is very confident in his ability to defend his country and is looking forward to what the future holds.
“I have known for a long time that I wanted to go this way with my life. There are lots of opportunities for me to help,” Ryan said. “I am very grateful to everybody who has supported me.”
![Alongside club sponsors Andrea Horn and Tim Burkard, assistant principal Kate Piffel prompts a discussion at the first Black Student Union (BSU) meeting. She accepted suggestions for BSU from members like BSU Leader and junior Tanatswa Zirengani, who moved from Zimbabwe in 2021. “Moving here and transitioning into a new school [and] lifestyle, [BSU] became [a place] where I could be myself and talk about issues that I felt comfortable talking about back home. BSU [also] gave me the opportunity to venture into the post-high-school experience, telling me [some] things to expect,” Zirengani said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0120-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Junior TJ Polack plays his saxophone solo at halftime for the 2024 marching band show, ‘Coloring Book.’ This year, Polack was one of two soloists in the marching band. “[Polack] is very hard on himself. [His saxophone solo] sounds amazing [and] everyone [cheers] for him; [still], somehow, he thinks it’s a bad performance and he's down. What he does is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence as a person [and] a lot of musical skill to be expressive, and he's doing an amazing job,” drum major and senior Dominic Perez said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/462488499_2973926416100522_5057718068659607183_n-1200x925.jpg)
![Sophomore Isaiah Meese smiles after his Eagle Scout Ceremony. Meese has participated in the scouting program since first grade, learning new aspects of life and growing a community of a second family. “I almost didn’t do [boy scouting], but I'm glad I eventually did start doing it. I regret that I wasn't [working towards Eagle Scout during COVID]. It might not always seem like the most rewarding thing, but if you put your time into it, there's a good chance you'll get quite a lot out of it: friends, new activities and hobbies, or just more experience,” Meese said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_1004-1200x800.jpg)
![Junior Justin Lutz arranges his collection of basketball sports cards. Lutz started his first hand at entrepreneurship with an online store on eBay, dealing and trading in the sports card market. “I was already collecting sports cards [before], so I knew a lot of these players and I understood the market. I ventured into other sports, but I really stayed with the ones that I knew the most, [like] basketball. It’s really important to focus on what you know because it's so much easier than starting completely from scratch in a market that you don't understand. Find something that you're interested in," Lutz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Untitled-design-2.png)
![Standing in front of the American Sign Language program’s mural, junior Brooke Hoenecke signs with freshman Darren Young. Hoenecke began cadet teaching for ASL this year alongside working towards earning her seal of biliteracy. “I was in ASL class when I received the email [that I qualified for the seal]. I was jumping up and down with my teacher and the rest of the class. One of the reasons why I took cadet teaching this year was so that I could prepare for the Seal of Biliteracy and be immersed in ASL,” Hoenecke said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hoenecke.jpeg)
![With a keen eye for detail, senior Natalie Lashly writes her signature onto the senior hand wall. After some encouragement from her friends, Lashly applied to make the hand wall with her Lorax-inspired design. "I thought the [bright] colors would be fun. Our quote on the wall is 'Let us grow,’ based on the 'Let it grow' song [from the movie]. [I was hoping that the design would] make the cafeteria feel more exciting," Lashly said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0099-1200x801.jpg)
![Walking onto the field, freshman Erastus Adewusi wears a pink jersey in remembrance of cancer awareness month. With the number seven on his jersey, Adewusi reflects on his life in Nigeria before moving to America. “I [used to wake up] at 5:30 a.m. and school would end at 5 p.m. [versus] now,” Adewusi said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0029-1200x800.jpg)
