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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

Four couples share their love stories, and their chance meeting at West High.

Alumni share how they met their soulmates

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief August 27, 2019

Look to your right, look to your left, you never know if that person sitting next to you in class will be your forever. Four couples share their love stories, and their chance meeting at West High. Adam...

Handing a snow cone to a customer, employee and junior Audrey DeYoung fulfills her childhood dream of working at Tropical Sno Manchester, where she makes minimum wage. To reach a teenage demographic, DeYoung and her coworker created the Instagram account @trosnomanchester in hopes of having more teenagers drop by as customers. “What drew me to it was that it’s such a little shack and kind of a unique job to have,” DeYoung said. “Everyone I know goes there pretty often, so I knew I’d be able to see a lot of people from school. It annoys me when my friends are getting snow cones together, and I can’t be with them because I’m working.”

Working on their time off, a summer job profile

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief August 23, 2019

Visiting the Kinkaku-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple, sophomore Santi Lugo and his family pose for a photo. The temple, also known in translated Japanese as the “Temple of the Gold Pavilion,” is one of Japan’s most popular buildings. “It was a long trail, trees all around, and the sound of rocks being stepped on crowded my ears. When you’re walking, you’re unable to see anything until suddenly you see a gold point rising above the trees that leads to the peaceful stream below the astonishing temple,” Lugo said

Sophomore Santi Lugo gains perspective about the world through travel

Lilly Francis, Convergent Media Writer August 23, 2019

Taking in the sites of the rainy city, sophomore Santi Lugo explores Tokyo, Japan, the newest destination in his travels around the world.   “It has astonished me how modern the city is yet how...

Performing in the musical “Seussical,” sophomore Anna Stephens dances and sings on stage in a purple dress alongside two other performers, playing one of the Bird Girls, a supporting lead role. Stephens was cast in the production through a local company called Spotlight Productions. “I loved getting to be sassy and have fun with my friends on stage. The Bird Girls helped narrate throughout the story and I loved the costumes very much,” Stephens said.

Sophomore Anna Stephens steps into the spotlight

Claire LeDuc, Staff Writer August 20, 2019

Reading an article she wrote in front of her fifth grade class, sophomore Anna Stephens discovered a talent and comfort for speaking in front of crowds. With her first performance under her belt, Stephens...

Standing atop a tower that overlooks Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, sophomore Santi Helbig and his family are visited by fellow sophomore Alex Spangler and his family. Helbig was excited to see one of his best friends who he had not seen since he left for Germany. “Having him with me was a big reminder of all the people that love me back at home, and it made me so happy to be able to show him all the beautiful places we’ve been to so far. I really needed to see him after so much time away from everyone,” Helbig said.

Sophomore Santi Helbig learns to embrace his new life in Germany

Lilly Francis, Convergent Media Writer August 14, 2019

Leaving his home in St. Louis behind, sophomore Santi Helbig hopes to positively take on this new chapter of his life as he moves to Düsseldorf, Germany due to his father’s job relocation.   “I’ve...

Covered in whipped cream, Spanish teacher Eileen Kiser hugs sophomore Zoe DeYoung in the cafeteria. Kiser braced for impact before DeYoung pied her to raise money for Friends of Kids with Cancer. “Mrs. Kiser and I have a really close relationship, and we were both really hoping that my name would be drawn so I could pie her. When my name was drawn, we immediately looked for each other, and we were so surprised,” DeYoung said.

Spanish teacher Eileen Kiser fights with hope after her daughter survived a life-threatening cancer diagnosis

Abby Bach, Staff Writer May 20, 2019

Putting on her goggles before getting pied in the face, Spanish teacher Eileen Kiser’s goal is to help raise money for Friends of Kids with Cancer. Kiser’s passion for helping kids with cancer stems...

Deleting social media from her phone, freshman Claire Folkins clears her mind for her upcoming finals. Folkins deleted social media to minimize her distractions so that she would be more inclined to study and stay off of her phone. “I really wanted to separate myself from social media so I could be more present when I'm with my friends and also so that I wasn't distracted when I was studying,” Folkins said.

From Facebook to face in a book

Mia Catlett, Convergent Media Writer May 20, 2019

Taking her head out of her phone and into the books, freshman Claire Folkins plans to put down her social media beginning Friday, May 17 to prepare for second semester finals. “I was replacing the...

Alumna Celeste Rudd sits with Lisa Gardner and Sheryl Wharff at the 2018 Women of the Channel Leadership Summit East in New York City. This event is where female leaders advance their careers and strategic goals. “My interest in software stemmed from the desire to make a meaningful impact on society as well as my love of softwares constant need for adaptation to market needs and potential to make an incredible living. I am never bored and I know that what I do is impacting people in a meaningful way daily,” Rudd said.

Alumna Celeste Rudd making an impact through the software business

Sarah Lashly, COPY COACH May 20, 2019

From selling enterprise-grade scalable software to providing consulting, alumna Celeste Rudd has been promoted to Americas Alliance Manager for Micro Focus since joining in March 2016 as an Account Manager...

Making her way into the splits on silks, junior Callie Hummel begins to pose for the circus class. Circus Harmony at the City Museum offers classes between practices and performances. “We tried a hoop first that was hanging down from the ceiling, and then we did silks,” Hummel said. “It was something different and really fun.”

Juniors Callie Hummel and Natalie Larsen choose hoops over high heels

Susie Seidel, Convergence Media Editor May 17, 2019

On Prom night, many students make their way to the dance floor and hang out with friends. For juniors Callie Hummel and Natalie Larsen, their night was spent making their way across tightropes and hanging...

Lining up to make a play on the defensive line, senior Ryan Gansen attempts to make a tackle. Gansen used football as a way to prepare for life in the Army. “It was a bit of a contest for a while between the Marine Corps and U.S. Army. In the end it came down to the army having more opportunities and different routes I could go,” Gansen said.

A salute to senior Ryan Gansen

Tre Bell and Drew Boone May 17, 2019

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,”...