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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

For years, the tradition of painting a senior mural on one of the walls in the cafeteria has continued. Senior Darcie Morgan’s mural for the class of 2023, titled “Westopoly,” was selected by the senior class vote.

Exploring the possibilities

Anna Claywell and Lia Emry April 18, 2023

We encountered six diverse artists who explore various art forms beyond the traditional classroom setting. These individuals bring their unique perspectives and styles to the creative process, using their...

Beaming after winning the regional competition, senior Zoe Skidis stands with English teacher Andria Benmuvhar. Skidis won the school-wide competition for Poetry Out Loud, the regional competition, and went to compete at the state competition. “We went up there, and it went really smoothly. I loved listening to the other poems. It's a little harder to focus on other people's poems because you're nervous for your own, but it was still really cool,” Skidis said.

Speak Up

Grace Loethen, Staff Writer April 12, 2023

Stage lights shine brightly in senior Zoe Skidis’ eyes. Standing in front of a large crowd, about to give her regional presentation, Skidis can barely see her parents and English teacher Andria Benmuvhar....

Senior Ava Kayser cooks a meal with her nanny Angela Cupajita. Kayser's parents wanted her to learn a different language growing up and hired Cupajita to teach her.

A nanny’s love, a students legacy

Ava McLeod, CJ1 Writer April 5, 2023

With three kids under seven, doctors Jason Kayser and Sarah Garwood decided to enlist some help on the homefront. After talking to friends about their childcare needs, they decided a nanny would be a great...

Sophomore Sadie Burgess poses with her grandmother's novel "Spirited Sisters." Burgess' grandmother grew up in India and has written 20 novels with her experience.

Discovering diversity

Ava Griswold, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief March 31, 2023

After spending time with her grandparents twice a year, sophomore Sadie Burgess felt a connection far beyond Ballwin, Mo. Burgess’ grandma was born and raised in India, where she attended...

Freshman Ella Early works to publish and display her artwork and writing, which she has practiced for years. Early learned techniques from her grandmother’s art and found her talent through writing. "I remember my teachers reading my books out loud to the class and being very proud of them. I said, ‘look, guys, I wrote a book,’” Early said.

Inside her story

Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor March 13, 2023

When freshman Ella Early was in elementary school, she was often caught doodling and writing on her class notes; now, her teachers praise her for her drawings and stories. Early’s passion for drawing...

With five languages under her belt, junior Suraiya Saroar's plan to become fluent in several languages is underway. Although she is also fluent in English, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic, Saroar's first language, Bangla, is the most important to her to speak fluently. "It is especially important to me to be able to speak my native language, so I can speak to all my relatives properly and not have to worry about them not understanding me," Saroar said.

Proud to be a polyglot

Anna Claywell, Staff Writer March 10, 2023

Walking through the halls, hundreds of conversations in English surround junior Suraiya Saroar, though her mind goes from language to language. As a friend catches up to her to chat, she replies with an...

Early graduate Mia Irving moves the tassel on her cap, signifying her next move in life. After graduating, Irving plans to enter the U.S. Army while attending Lindenwood University. “[The military] told me that if I do go into the military, I’m on track to graduate at 30 to 37, so I [plan to be in the military between ages] 30 [and] 35, just so I can have everything planned out for afterward,” Irving said.

Focused on the Future

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer March 8, 2023

What began as sibling rivalry quickly became a competition between early graduate senior Mia Irving and her older brother [Amarion]. After comparing grades, athleticism, academic achievements and more,...

Beyond the Basics

Beyond the Basics

Grace Loethen, Staff Writer March 7, 2023

From sports cards to stuffed animals, these students each collect something different and personal. So personal, they wouldn’t even sell them for money.

Junior Charlie Robinson hits a glowing hot piece of metal with a hammer to form it into the correct shape for his hunting knife project. Robinson never took lessons from a professional, opting to work off his intuition. “It hasn’t always worked out, and sometimes I’ve had to look at how to fix whatever I had done, but most of the things I have made have just been me freestyling,” Robinson said.

Forging forward

Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer March 6, 2023

As hammering sounds ring through the air, junior Charlie Robinson repeatedly hits a glowing metal fragment on his anvil. While it cools, Robinson picks up the metal with tongs and brings it back over...

With the sun setting in the background, English ASC Kristen Witt and her husband, Aaron Witt, wear matching team shirts for the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival. In 2021, they ran out of time for matching team shirts and instead wore ‘West is Best’ shirts, while in 2022, they made custom couple shirts. “This year, [Aaron] decided to have them made. On the front, it said ‘Team Witt,’ and on the back, it had ‘24,’ for how many years we have been married, and it [reads], ‘24 years of playing in the sand together,’” Kristen said.

Sand-sational castles

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief March 2, 2023

Strolling along the beautiful, white sand shores of the top beach in America, Siesta Key, Fla., revisiting their honeymoon destination from 24 years ago, an elaborate sandcastle caught English ASC Kristen...