This month, the Pathfinder Editorial Board has chosen to reflect on their experiences in room 3000, as well as set goals for the new year. Understanding the power of journalism, we are honored to share our stories of growth with you.

Ruthvi, Editor-in-Chief

More than anything, the first half of this school year has left me feeling extremely grateful to be a part of such an amazing team and program. Journalism has held a really special place in my heart throughout the years, meaning more to me than just a class. I often think back to a couple of years ago, when I was watching as Serena Liu, Emily Early and Elizabeth Franklin led our program. They made it seem so easy, leading with compassion and exemplary organization. They published pieces nonstop while maintaining quality and striving for inclusion. As I entered this year, as a senior and an Editor-In-Chief (which is truly crazy to think), I wanted to model their leadership—the kind that I feel inspired by. I hope that throughout this first semester, I have set that kind of positive example and lived up to their legacy fractionally. 

Beyond leadership, however, I’ve been honored to cover so many amazing individuals, from senior AJ Lewinski, who is entering the military after high school, to senior Katie Byergo, who will attend Iowa State University to play Division 1 Volleyball. Each voice in our community embodies the West High spirit, and through the next semester, I hope to continue to engage with more students, embracing our community. Being a part of this program has also helped me recognize the full extent of the power we have as journalists. When I first started writing my piece “Acting for autism,” I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my writing journey. After interviewing a teacher within the special education department and speaking with deeply passionate science students, I learned a great deal more about the autism community, including the specific ways a White House statement was affecting them. This opinion piece helped me understand that journalism could break down confusion by allowing individuals who would normally go unnoticed to be seen. Using the lessons I learned from this piece, I will continue to question the world around me as I write next semester. I recently published a podcast with Rishi Pidikiti. While this is very much out of my comfort zone, as someone who doesn’t have much experience with multimedia, I have learned a lot about adapting to change, experimenting with a different form of storytelling and working with another writer. 

As the new year begins, I hope to continue to expand beyond my comfort zone and dip my toes into the multimedia world. As a senior with the Pathfinder, this next semester will be my last chance to establish my own legacy, as well as get room 3000 set up for our next wave of superhero storytellers. But, it’s not just the people in room 3000 that have a responsibility to speak up for what they believe in and engage in dialogue about the problems they witness; each individual can embrace the power of journalism by simply going out and talking to others. There is so much to be learned in this world, and I, for one, am excited to see what the new year holds!

Yein, Editor-in-Chief

Wrapping up 2025 is a bittersweet moment for me. I realize I’ll never be able to have the same experiences again, from the excitement of a new school year to writing about the changing leaves of fall. Yet these feelings only exist because of how special and important Pathfinder is to me. This past semester has been an amazing time—from watching new Convergence Journalism 2 (CJ2) students begin writing stories to guiding our editorial board members in their new leadership positions, all while navigating my own new role as Editor-in-Chief. In my own personal journey, the support of our team inspired me to finish the new site design and create new stories like the “Phoning in” video and “Beads of resilience” feature story, adapting both with the feedback of our team. As the semester ends, I’m growing closer to graduating both from school and from Pathfinder. But there’s still so much more I hope to accomplish with this team. I know I owe it to Pathfinder to be able to set up a new generation of leaders for success. I already know that this team is so talented and more than ready, but I hope to be able to leave an environment where they can flourish creatively and boom with confidence in every word they write. 

As we look ahead, I feel an even larger duty toward the work we do. Journalism isn’t just about filling the screen with words, but about choosing stories that matter and telling them with intention. If anything, this semester has shown me how crucial it is to slow down, ask harder questions and challenge ourselves to be precise in every word, every angle and every decision. We owe that to our readers, but we also owe it to ourselves. Pathfinder’s identity and legacy are built through the collection of our journalists and their voices. What we do now becomes the foundation for future Pathfinder journalists to build off of. And that’s why, as I face the new year, I hope for myself and for our team to become journalists filled with urgency for truth and purpose. We only have so much time and so many stories we can write. With this goal in mind, I’m so excited to see all that we will accomplish next year, but until then, thank you so much for an unforgettable semester! See you next year!

Sage, Features and News Editor

Hi, everybody! In all honesty, this past semester has been a lot, and I know I’m not alone in all the late-night grinds and early morning brainstorms. While the road to success is difficult, being on a team, in a classroom and in a school with all of you makes every second and every story worth it. Regarding the news section, I’m impressed! We had a ton of great news pieces, and the variety was an amazing thing to see. Features have been booming this year. One of my goals was to release more staff features this year, and we’re already killing it with pieces like “Constants to changes” and “Beads of resilience”! For both sections, I’m looking to see how the pieces diversify even more and how our skills as writers will develop.

Also, I have some shoutouts! Always, always, always thank you, Mrs. Katz, for cultivating our skills and, most of all, supporting us emotionally. Ruthvi and Yein, you two are amazing Editors-in-Chief, and we really couldn’t do it without you. Payton, Max, Maura, Rishi, Malia and Raaga, I love working with you all; you each brighten my life in a unique way. We had so many unstoppable duos this semester, but I specifically wanted to celebrate Jude and Zaina, and Jake and Elle. Keep up the great work! Kylie, Harper and Olivia, thank you for making me laugh every day. Zainab has been crushing it with stories like “Making history”; I always love reading them! Charlie, seeing your creativity flourish has been one of my favorite experiences in journalism. I look forward to seeing what you write (or record!) next. To everybody who helps make these stories and to everybody living them, I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you know that.

I think, around this time, we all find ourselves looking to the past and experiencing bouts of nostalgia, but I’ll try and end that here for today. Instead, I look forward to another year and a half with you all. Have a great winter break! Recharge and prepare for greatness (again)!

Payton, Opinions Editor

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for another year with this incredible program. My experience this year as an editor has been everything I expected and more. From sitting down and learning how to edit and provide feedback in April to editing multiple lengthy pieces at a time, I’ve gained so many valuable personal and professional skills. As a Convergence Journalism 3 (CJ3) editor, I’ve been able to step in to provide guidance and advice for younger writers and younger board members way more than I thought possible. Working with such a diverse group of journalists has allowed me to understand so many new perspectives in ways I never thought. Encompassing a leadership role while still learning myself was a daunting task, one I feel like I’m just beginning to master. To no surprise, there were faults along the way. Aside from the actual act of following style rules, learning to critique people so blatantly was something I struggled to do. As Opinions Section Editor, I feel I truly was able to gain deep insight to the minds of other students and also the world itself. Our community at West reflects how much can be accomplished when you truly take time to listen to others. Building relationships, even if surface-level, with nearly every single writer is something that I am so grateful for. 

My goal for the next year is to continue reaching out to writers to ensure Pathfinder remains a stable community. I truly cannot put into words how lucky I am to be surrounded by such amazing people with such talent every time I walk into the journalism room and have such high hopes for next year! See you next year! 

Rishi, Sports Editor

As this semester comes to an end, I want to reflect on my incredible experiences as both a CJ2 writer and an editor for Pathfinder. Experiences that at times may have come at a cost have undoubtedly played a role in my growth and were definitely needed looking back. As a writer, big changes occurred from last year as a Convergence Journalism 1 (CJ1) student to this semester, primarily through a completely different class structure. It was a structure with more freedom and responsibility for pieces, but also came with added accountability. I had to make sure that my pieces met deadlines, while not trading off the quality that I strive for. This seemed daunting at first, but with time, I was able to adapt through the support of my editors and the application of skills and processes I learned last year to my pieces. These skills helped me make sure that I could be as successful as possible regularly. 

An aspect that I have really enjoyed this semester is being able to work with another writer or team on certain pieces. This has helped me grow my collaboration skills and allowed me to get to know the people I am working with every day, fostering a greater connection between the journalists and ultimately making the program stronger. As an editor, there has been a lot of responsibility, which I am so grateful for, on my shoulders to make sure pieces meet a standard of quality and accuracy that the Pathfinder stands for. This has been, perhaps, the most difficult part of this semester because, as a writer in CJ2, I am still learning that standard and working to get my own writing up to that level. Therefore, editing was a process that was confusing and more grueling than I expected. However, as time passed, the more stories that I worked on and the more pieces that I edited, the standard became abundantly clear. Since then, the editing process has become much clearer, and I have been able to edit pieces at a higher quality as well. Much of this credit has to go to my Editors-in-Chief, Ruthvi and Yein, and especially Mrs. Katz, who have all so graciously and patiently helped me get to the level that I need to be at to make sure Pathfinder remains as extraordinary as it is. I would also like to thank the whole staff for their ability to adapt, allow change, and apply criticism to make their pieces and writing as exceptional as they can. Although I wish you could enjoy all the pieces in the sports section, I recommend giving “Road to glory” and “Masterclass in mediocrity” a read. While there is still much to grow on for me as a writer and especially as an editor, I am proud of the progress I have been able to make because of this program. 

Next semester, I hope I can continue to build on the connections I have made with my peers this semester in journalism and continue to learn and progress as an editor to make sure that Pathfinder is successful. Finally, next semester as a journalist, I want to continue to grow by attempting a variety of stories and raising the level of quality in those pieces. Again, thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way, from photographers and writers to editors and readers. I hope everyone has a great break! See you next year!

Raaga, Humans of West Editor

My first semester as not only a CJ2 student, but also an editor for the Pathfinder has been a very special and incredible experience. I have found so much beauty in collaboration, working with a wide variety of people and levels of experience. My position as the Humans of West Editor has allowed me to work closely with first-year journalism students, creating very special connections. Oftentimes, I find myself working with another student one-on-one for a long period of time, which not only fosters great pieces but also strong connections. Along with creating great connections, this position has allowed me to gain an incredible amount of knowledge, both about journalism and myself. Being a CJ2 student has allowed me to work closely with an older, incredibly talented editorial board. Their willingness to help me with new types of pieces and viewing my mistakes as areas of growth rather than a task to get done has truly empowered my development. I have also been able to grow personally, as I have discovered my areas of interest, topic-wise and really honed my style of writing. 

Along with personally and professionally growing, this semester has sparked many new goals for me, specifically with my role as Humans of West Editor. I believe the Humans of West section of the Pathfinder is more than just quick stories through quotes; it’s an opportunity to see the raw, unique personalities of the people that make up West High. This is why one of my main goals for the next semester is to cover those who are a part of the activities and who have achieved the accomplishments that are not spoken about as greatly as they should be. Yet, those who should be celebrated for advancing lack the personal coverage they earned. Along with prestigious awards, I would like to shine a light on the clubs and activities unique to West, because they’re truly what make us who we are as a school. From the Cybersecurity Club to the Cancer Awareness Coalition to the Improv Club, there are so many people with unique talents who must receive equal coverage. The beauty in the diversity that West High offers is truly one of my favorite things about our school, so expressing that through journalism coverage is compulsory. I absolutely can’t wait for next semester, and I hope everyone has a great new year!

Max, Multimedia Editor

Pathfinder is such a unique part of West High, and I am so grateful that I have been able to be a part of this program. All of our Editors, Editors-in-Chief and writers have worked incredibly hard this first semester to make our site one of the best in the nation. We recently had the honor of being named as a finalist for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Crown Award, which is just a testament to all the hard work and dedication put forth by all of our staff. 

Specifically, in the multimedia sections, we have had some fantastic additions over the past few months, with new episodes of Athletes of West, new videos, like “Beyond the field”, photo galleries, like “Scoring for a cause”, and more. An extra shoutout should go to our adviser, Mrs. Katz, who is always getting new gear and putting in countless hours to better our program. With the strong start we’ve had so far this year, our second semester and beyond can only get better.

Malia, Arts and Entertainment Editor

To start, I want to say how grateful I am for the incredible first year I’ve had in the journalism program. Every single person I’ve worked with—our editors-in-chief, Yein Ahn and Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Mrs. Katz, the editorial board members and many others—has been helpful and welcoming. As the Arts and Entertainment Editor, I’ve realised the indispensable role the often-undermined section plays. A&E articles allow students to memorialize the thoughts, opinions and voices of the student body at a moment in time; it allows for expression, encourages writers to try new experiences, like listening to music or visiting a small business or take a deep dive into something they’re familiar with. In particular, the local nature of many of these pieces means they have real sway, directing the West High community on what’s worth a visit, purchase or listen. 

This semester, I’ve been so happy to see the A&E section continue to grow, with unique pieces like Raaga Golla’s Crunch Fitness review, Charlie Brady and Max Chung’s physical media video and Sanjana Daggubati’s Dave’s Hot Chicken taste-test helping to bring light to local issues and opportunities. In the coming year, I hope to bring more focus to the music section of A&E; Charlie plans to carry us into the new year with his deep-dive into “Dark Side of the Moon,” but with lots of renowned albums celebrating anniversaries in 2026, there are so many opportunities for album reviews. By expanding coverage in the music section, we’ll keep A&E stories fresh and varied. I hope everyone has a warm and safe holiday season, and I’m so excited to see you back in January!

Maura, Photo of the Week Editor, Social Media Manager

This semester of journalism has been one that I will always remember. Getting to know the rest of the staff has been so special, and this editorial board has taught me more about journalism in one semester than I thought I would ever know. Getting the chance to work with this staff after being in CJ1 last year has been one of the most welcoming and rewarding experiences, especially as I watched our site grow. I have such gratitude for our Editors-in-Chief, along with Mrs. Katz, for pushing us to be the best we can be, along with now graduated Cindy Phung, for mentoring me and inspiring me to continue in journalism. 

As the Photo of the Week Editor, I’ve reached many new photographers in the program who I hope to see nurture their talent and keep pushing themselves towards success. We have such talented people working together, and have had such diverse coverage in our media, which I hope to continue throughout next semester. New CJ1 students have such talent and drive to succeed, and I look forward to watching them grow.