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...
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...
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,...
From sports cards to stuffed animals, these students each collect something different and personal. So personal, they wouldn’t even sell them for money.
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...
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...
Hidden in a nook on the first floor, math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend enthusiastically teaches his last year of classes before retirement. His booming voice resounds off the blue...
Checking running a marathon off his bucket list, senior Luke Beveridge powered through the sixth annual Honoring our Heroes Marathon. Alongside the rolling hills and plains of Rolla, Mo., Beveridge passed...
The National Speech and Debate Association is an American student debating organization where students can compete in competitions covering various topics. Whether they are senior novices or a sophomore...
Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• February 1, 2023
Dec. 9, school librarian Lauren Reusch was sitting at her desk when principal John McCabe and student photographer junior Abbi Vanvalkenburgh walked into the library, holding balloons and an edible flower...
![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.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DSC_0160-900x600.jpg)
![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.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20221112_174031-1-Edited-900x675.png)
![Math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend explains how to graph algebraic equations in front of the class. Townsend teaches algebra, calculus, and computer science. "I love teaching calculus [because] calculus [is] more challenging [and] more interesting to me. Granted, if you're a good teacher, you find ways to make [all math] interesting for your students and you challenge yourself to do it differently all the time,” Townsend said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Townsend-900x721.jpg)
