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
Standing in front of the Missouri capitol building, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez shows her support for Syrian refugees. Kuziez visited Jefferson City with the Council of American and Islamic Relations (CAIR). “There are definitely some negative aspects to standing out, being a Muslim immigrant in a majority white high school,” Kuziez said. “At times it can get a little uncomfortable or a little awkward, but I choose to be unapologetic about my identity and about being a Muslim, Syrian-American woman.”

Sophomore Ulaa Kuziez draws from Syrian heritage to fight for social justice

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor • April 23, 2019

With a new language, culture and lifestyle awaiting her in the United States, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez and her family immigrated from Damascus, Syria to Missouri when Kuziez was nine years old. “I...

A photograph of custodian Sean Smith and his wife is displayed on the GoFundMe page started by a student to help support them as they face medical setbacks. Smith wants to be remembered by students for his smile and positivity. “You’ve all been good to us, and I want to be good right back,” Smith said. “If you need me, I got you, and no matter what you’ll always see me smiling.”

Community comes together to give back to custodian Sean Smith

Susie Seidel, Convergence Media Editor • April 22, 2019

In the early hours of the morning, one car can be spotted in the vacant lots. Already inside preparing for the school day, custodian Sean Smith greets students and teachers as they arrive with laughs,...

Business teacher Laura Glenn helps junior Walker Piles with an assignment in class. Throughout her time of teaching, Glenn has taught Accounting, Web Design and Intro to Computer Science and Technology. “The thing I’ll miss the most is working with students and sharing knowledge with them,” Glenn said. “[It’s] really exciting to see how just a little bit of what I might’ve introduced them to here has turned into a career for them and something that they are excited about.”

Business teacher Laura Glenn finds her ‘interest’ in retirement

Ridwan Oyebamiji, Features Section Editor • April 18, 2019

After 17 years of nurturing and cultivating students for their futures, business teacher Laura Glenn has announced her retirement. Before Glenn began teaching high school students, she worked as a certified...

Parris Mosley prepares to work his first shift cleaning the floor before lunch. He is also employed by Circle-K, where he works at the front desk. “I want my legacy to be changing a kid’s mind. I want them to know that you shouldn’t see the worst in people. If I do that, I did my job,” Mosley said.

Collegiate athlete, comrade, custodian and clerk: Parris Mosley finds fulfillment in each chapter of his life

Julian Shoykhet and Ross Harter • April 17, 2019

In the background of the school day, custodian Parris Mosley does custodial work around the school. But, behind stacking chairs and wiping off tables, Parris has an unexpected story to tell. “My job...

Pausing to take a photo with her new friends, sophomore Megan Gordon smiles. Gordon shadowed students during her week in Uganda. “To see how they teach was so interesting, because the kids are so well-behaved. They teach in English, so I sat in and we learned about animals and their babies,” Gordon said. The teacher gave them an activity, then left the classroom for five minutes. Everybody was sitting in their seats doing the activity like perfect children. That never would have happened in the States.”

Mission Compassion: Sophomore Megan Gordon builds connections and knowledge through Ugandan mission trip

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief • April 16, 2019

While most students spent their spring breaks relaxing on the beaches of Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic or skiing the slopes in Colorado, sophomore Megan Gordon volunteered in Kawete, Uganda through...

Matthys-Pearce shows off a skill she’s been working on to take to the regional competition April 13. Visualization and repetition are tools Matthys-Pearce uses to help her pin down her skills during practice, along with keeping a positive attitude. “I have a script written out that I say of all my mental cues, so I don’t get in my head and worry. I do this in practice too, so it’s the same. I really work to keep it more consistent. I started it this year and have already seen a huge improvement in my consistency,” Matthys-Pearce said. “During the routine I tell myself to just breathe and enjoy it because you don’t get to do gymnastics all your life. It’s a very limited time, so you’ve just got to enjoy it.”

Freshman Paige Matthys-Pearce brings dedication and perseverance to Regionals

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • April 12, 2019

The gym is a blur of activity, a whirlwind of nerves, excitement and raw competition. In the midst of it all, standing proud in a pink and black sparkly leotard, is freshman Paige Matthys-Pearce: winner...

Senior Maria Newton swims during her practice competition at Marquette Relays during the start of her season. The swim meet is a long standing tradition for St. Louis area high school teams to participate in low-stake competitions. “It was always one of my favorite swim meets because I love to be reminded that the sport is about racing, and that is what we need to be focused on,” Newton said. “You just need to be faster than the person next to you.”

Senior Maria Newton advances to national level swim meet

Jacob Stanton, Staff Writer • April 2, 2019

The water ripples violently. Arm after arm, she braces for the finish. The buzzer rings as the people filling the stands watch each stroke intently. Senior Maria Newton’s high school swimming career...

Writing Greek prose on the whiteboard, seniors Nell Jaskowiak and Deirdre Jost practice their letters and accents during their independent study. Taking Greek enables Jost to better prepare for a variety of possible futures, both through the content itself and the skills she retains. “Greek actually has a whole bunch of different accent marks which is not something you have in English,” Jost said. “I feel like I'd like to take [another] language, maybe Spanish or French, in the future and having learned the Greek language with different alphabets and different accent marks might make it easier to learn that language, whatever it may be.”

Growing through Greek: seniors Nell Jaskowiak and Deirdre Jost gain valuable life skills through independent study

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • April 2, 2019

The hallway is silent and still except for the occasional wanderer in search of the water fountain. A second glance finds seniors Nell Jaskowiak and Deirdre Jost settled on the floor by the Latin room. Jaskowiak...

Remembering substitute teacher Robert Schepp

Claire Smout, AWARDS COORDINATOR • March 29, 2019

The community mourns the loss of Mr. Robert Paul “Bob” Schepp who passed away March 7. Schepp, who was born Sept. 18, 1934, worked as an electrical engineer for McDonnell Douglas. A science and learning...

Laura Kleffner stands on the red carpet with coworker Jason Watson at the annual Mission: St. Louis Night for the Town Gala in September 2018. Kleffner and Watson were emcees for this event that raised $450,000. “Professionally, [this was] one of my greatest accomplishments at Mission: St. Louis,” Kleffner said. “[I am] constantly [wanting to] expand the awareness [about Mission: St. Louis] but also raise more money through different avenues.”

Utilizing Mission: St. Louis to change lives

Sarah Lashly, COPY COACH • March 25, 2019

Not only did freshmen hear from alumna Kelly Quinn for Day of Service, they also heard a speech from 2006 alumna Laura Kleffner. Kleffner joined Mission: St. Louis, an organization that provides education...

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