Eyes closed, a musician woos the crowd with his polished alto saxophone. Each note flows to the next smoother than a serene brook, guiding in the direction of improvement. The crowd can feel the notes,...
What school did you go to?
I went to Edgar Road Elementary School in the Webster Groves School District. Then, I went to Steger Sixth Grade Center, Hixson Middle School and Webster Groves High School.
How...
Samir Shaik, Multimedia Editor-in-Chief
• February 15, 2024
On Monday and Tuesday, surrounded by 22,000 screaming fans packing every available seat at the Enterprise Center, Canadian rapper Drake and American rapper J. Cole took the stage to perform two sold-out...
What school did you go to?
I grew up in Parkway school district. I went to Green Trails [Elementary for] elementary school, [and] then I went to Parkway Central Middle School and Parkway Central High...
Cutting through the loud and excited chatter of the bustling cafeteria, Principal John McCabe’s newly-awarded doctorate certification was announced to students during lunch on Dec. 8. While his degree...
Art teacher Katy Mangrich sits in her classroom, smiling for a picture. During her time in high school, Mangrich learned several lessons that she now passes on to her son. “The biggest life lesson that...
What school did you go to?
I went to Royall Middle and High [School]. It combined [students from] Elroy, Mo. and Kendall, Mo., so that’s [the name] they came up with for the school.
How was...
Boarding a series of buses, over 32 upperclassmen embarked on their volunteering journey to Camp Lakewood, where they served as counselors for Parkway West Middle’s Outdoor School Program near Potosi,...
What school did you go to?
[I went to elementary school at] St. Joseph's Catholic School in Colorado, Mo. For middle school, I went to the Francis Howell School District. Back then, they [were]...
![Junior Jack Mullen (back row, seventh from the left) smiles with American rapper Lil Durk and the Center of Creative Arts children’s choir. Prior to the choir’s performance, Durk introduced himself to the students and thanked them for assisting him. “[He] walked down and shook each of our hands. We got pictures and talked with him. It didn't feel real. He's just a guy, but at the same time, his music is so special to a lot of people. The fact that we got to interact with the body, mind and spirit of the person who's making this art, that's cool. We felt welcomed,” Mullen said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/98D100E0-D4D0-472A-B7A3-E84C26AB21CD-2-1200x900.jpg)
![Business and personal finance teacher Evan Stern stands in front of his classroom. After facing hardships growing up, Stern learned how to deal with them with the help of role models like his dad. “We dealt with some trauma when I was in middle school, and my dad had to be responsible for all three of us while he was working full-time. I know he had to sacrifice a lot. I'm sure it was really hard for him, but looking back on it, he did a really good job . I didn't appreciate everything that he did at the time because I was so young. Now, I'm engaged and probably going to have kids of my own in the next couple of years so I [am starting] to look at things differently,” Stern said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Untitled-7-1200x900.jpg)
![Holding his two smiling daughters in his arms, Principal John McCabe celebrates earning his doctorate degree. He attended Maryville University for two years and reached his goal of achieving a Doctor of Education: Educational Leadership degree after months upon months of hard work and long nights. “I'm not going to lie, I'm glad I have another night of my life back when I'm not at school till very late,” McCabe said. “I can spend more time with my family and with my friends [who] are here at [West]. I'm really happy about that.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/mccabefeature.png)
![Art teacher Katy Mangrich sits in her classroom, smiling for a picture. During her time in high school, Mangrich learned several lessons that she now passes on to her son. “The biggest life lesson that I learned is honesty. I wouldn't say I was the best teenager, but I learned very quickly in high school to always be forthcoming and honest with my parents because it always ended up serving me better in the long run. [My parents] might have been upset with me [and the mistake I made], but I wasn't going down the rabbit hole of a lie because that was just going to get me into more trouble,” Mangrich said. “I passed [that lesson] along to my nephew. Honesty is always your best approach; just don’t lie. I say that to my son all the time. There's no advantage to lying, [and] that's a huge takeaway [from] how my parents raised me.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-26-10.10.12-AM.png)
![Social studies teacher Aaron Bashirian smiles in front of his classroom. Bashirian didn’t know he wanted to be a teacher from early on, but he found the choice to be a good one. “I started [teaching] because there was an opportunity for me to experiment with it. Fortunately, [teaching] was a good choice. In 2012, I became a teacher at Parkway at the Alternative Discipline Center, which is where they send suspended kids to keep being educated if they choose. I spent six years there and then I got drafted to West, [where] I've been for about six years,” Bashirian said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Untitled-35-1200x800.jpg)
