“Something I’m proud of is how much weight I have lost, and the amount of muscle I have gained back. At the start of quarantine, I was around 220 pounds, and I just wasn’t satisfied with how I looked. I felt pretty pressured by social media influencers, and that’s something that motivated me to want to change my lifestyle. At first, I would just play video games all day, and I was losing weight in an unhealthy way, but one day my friends started going to the gym, and I just thought it was finally time to change. Now, I’ve been going to the gym for almost two years, and I have lost around 60 pounds. I try to go almost every day because it’s just a part of my daily routine now, and it’s something that makes me happy. I also feel proud to see how much improvement I have made, but I’m still not satisfied with how I look yet. I want to be able to compete in the future with weightlifting, and I’m hoping to gain even more muscle than I have now.” – Michael Tigue, 11
Michael Tigue
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![“I started playing [basketball] because I saw that my brothers were playing, and I found it fun; I started playing at age eight and have continued to play ever since. [Something] I enjoy [is] the back-and-forth competitiveness of basketball that I don't get when I play softball, as well as our team bonding activities because I think it helps with the chemistry throughout our group and in the real world. I also enjoy winning and all of the competitive aspects. [Basketball] has brought great memories and people into my life, and I enjoy spending most of my time with them and cherish the memories my team has created. Getting to go out and play with my very best friends every day is just the best gift a girl can get. A big thing that motivates me is how much time and effort my coaches put in. I just want to work hard because they work hard, while also making my parents proud at the same time. Sometimes, it’s not an easy task being able to balance school and athletics, but with the right mindset and focusing on the goals that I have set for myself, it’s achievable. In high-pressure situations, I just go back to playing my own game [and the basics within the game] rather than focusing on everything around me because I trust my training and my practice. [My advice for upcoming players] is to keep going and continue to practice. Nobody is perfect, there is always going to be something to improve or get better at. There is always going to be someone out there who is doing better than you, and if you want to be the best, you have to keep going and push yourself to be better, but most importantly just have fun in what you’re doing.” - Siena Snyder, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC0571-Enhanced-NR-Ella-McNeal-1-1-1200x798.jpg)
Humans of WestSiena Snyder -
![“Debate makes you more open-minded because you’re forced to think from different [perspectives] and write both sides of every case. I think being open-minded is very important because if you don’t have an open mind, then you can’t progress as a person. I’ve grown [and] become more able to see more aspects of issues and the meanings behind them. Since I started, my speaking skills have [gotten] way better, and it feels like I can talk to people more comfortably. I love feeling like [my voice] has the power to convey my ideas to people and I make them think differently about [opposing viewpoints].” Sahana Solai, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-1.png)
Humans of WestSahana Solai -
![”The cello, I see it as an extension of myself. [When] I'm having a good day, I find it really easy to just sink into the music, [and] feel connected to the piece. If the piece I'm playing is happy, then I feel happy, and if the piece is slow paced or something sad, then I can feel that emotion. [Playing] forces me to be patient, and that has really improved the way I talk with other people, whether it's in an argument, or I'm trying to make a point. [To me], the most rewarding part is perfecting a piece, so that it's unique to you and no one else can replicate it.” - Isaah Kandula, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_6652-Max-Chung-1200x798.jpeg)
Humans of WestIsaah Kandula -
![“[I play] football, basketball and volleyball. For the longest time, I’ve played basketball but I began taking interest in volleyball and football this [past] year. Being in three sports at West is fun and it’s nice to be a part of the school’s [community] but it also can become exhausting because I’m playing year round. Finding a [good] balance between school and extracurriculars is hard, [but] my grandparents are always motivating me to do my best. They all played sports when they were younger, so they definitely give me powerful advice and help me push past the hardships. I want to become a key part of my team and be significant towards winning as well as our success. I would like to perform well and practice not just when I’m with my team, but with myself [too].” - Aiden Faber, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KaminskiL_AidenF1-Leila-Kaminski-1200x800.jpg)
Humans of WestAiden Faber -
![“[I think being a teacher comes] from a place of experience, where we all enjoyed high school. It had a meaningful impact on us, which was [the case] for me. I had a lot of good mentors in high school, and seeing the opportunity, the impact that they could make, I think [that was] what inspired me. [It] definitely goes back to one teacher in particular [that] I had in eighth grade, he was a huge role model for me, and somebody who I was so appreciative of what he did for me. I figured if I could do even a fraction of what he did I feel like I would be very fulfilled [in] myself, and so there's just that aspect of wanting to do something meaningful every day.” - Kaleb Schumer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9428-1200x800.jpeg)
Humans of WestKaleb Schumer, English -
![“When I first started [Speech and Debate], I struggled with competing, finding time for it [and] managing my time. I focused so much on the competition aspect and trying to win tournaments, that I kept overlooking the parts like building connections with people, [and] making friends. I would stress myself out. I started planning my time for when I could do things. Practicing more helped, because the more I practiced, the better I got in competition. It didn't seem as scary or as hard as it was before. When I first started, the whole thing about debate is that you're not always going to win, and there's a lot of people that wish they were in your position just winning one time. It's best not to focus on that, and to focus on if you're improving from last time.” - Ryan Shabani, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/unnamed-2-1200x800.jpg)
Humans of WestRyan Shabani -
![“People should look forward to taking [the] Poetics of Hip-Hop class. Mr. [Dan] Barnes kind of lets us explore a bunch of rap music and [we] try to justify how it's poetry. Other students like to bring in their own music. For example, we do daily dissections. So, he hands us a paper, and whatever student is presenting, they pick the song. I think it was ‘Yale’ by Ken Carson, and we kind of just did a deep dive into that. It's just a really fun thing [we get to do]. We [have] learned how hip hop came to be, and it's just really fun. We share our music experiences, and Mr. Barnes is definitely the best teacher for that. But there's also different styles in rap. We have seen pop songs be tried to turn into rap, and it just doesn't work. It's not poetry like rap is. I think everyone should take this class, because it's a really fun English class, and it's one of the many options that seniors have here. It offers [an opportunity] to look at music in a new perspective, which has been constantly [downed upon] because of the lyrics and how vulgar they [can be], but it's just poetry. It's about the deeper meaning behind it.” - Evangeline Copeland, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/unnamed-1200x800.jpg)
Humans of WestEvangeline Copeland -
![“Winning [the Scholastic Gold Key Regional Award for Writing] feels incredibly rewarding. I dedicated a lot of time to putting my feelings into my work, especially ‘Melanin’, which was about my experience with racism and feeling like an outcast because of my skin color [and] primarily due to living in a white/homogenous area. My memoir reflects upon a time in which I lived in a small town that had close to zero people who looked like me and how that affected my mental health, especially how I felt about how I looked. But then I moved to a larger, more diverse city where there were more people similar to me and I had this moment where I realized that my features are unique and beautiful. I feel like a lot of people of color can relate to the feeling of overcoming internalized racism. It's truly validating to see my efforts recognized by the Scholastic Writing Contest especially because it gives me a platform to share my voice. ” - Farrin Rahman, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KadamO_RahmanF3-Opal-Kadam-1-1200x800.jpg)
Humans of WestFarrin Rahman -
![“Hitting that ball hard is just pure satisfaction. I’m on the varsity tennis team, and it’s funny because I actually got pressured into joining, but we actually [had] a really good season. I’ve been playing for three years now. My favorite part is definitely going to other schools and meeting other girls. Tennis is really fun and it's a good stress reliever, but something that [stresses me out] is definitely tests [at school]. When things [start to] stress me out, I just tell myself that [I] can get there because everyone will move on and [will] get there [too].” Alisha Yin, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/alishayin-copy-1200x800.jpg)
Humans of WestAlisha Yin -
!["Becoming a teacher evolved over time. I wanted to be a writer or in theater, [so] I got degrees in English and theater and wrote plays. Every important job involved working with kids. After college, I [worked on] shows with kids, and [everything] I loved came together. That's when I thought [becoming a teacher]. I went back to school [for] a master’s in education. [Being] 5-foot-2, I was a little scared to teach high school, thinking students [might] think I was younger than them, [so] I got a job at the middle [school] and loved [it]. I always wanted to teach high school, and [now I’ve finally done it]. I see [my students’] great writing, and it inspires me. I've written so much myself but haven't sent much out [yet]. I think I'll [focus on that] after I retire. This is my second year at Parkway West and my first [time] teaching high school, and it’s something I've always wanted to do. I love being [here].” – Marcy Rademeyer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KhanY_RademeyerM3-Yusra-Khan.png)
Humans of WestMarcy Rademeyer, English