Senior Laurel Rakers' father, Lyle Rakers, has been fighting Lou Gehrig Disease (ALS) for the past four years. ALS is a nervous system disease that breaks down muscles and impacts physical function.
“[Lyle]...
Rolling up to school with her hair tied in braids and the wind in her face, senior Paige Wehrmeister rides her Lance Havana 125 cc engine scooter.
“I drive [my scooter] sometimes, depending on...
Seventh-grade Molly Bailey sits in the backseat of her family car, focused on her laptop. Her midterm finals stare back at her as the scenery of the Western U.S. zooms past. Boxes filled with clothes,...
In early May, junior Lexi Lutz interviewed to be a part of a program for the Montana Wilderness School, a non-profit organization based in Bozeman, Mont. that provides wilderness education for teenagers....
The car glides down the road; the engine purrs quietly. The speaker system is blasting a song. The driver, senior Kayvon Rezaei, drifts into the parking lot, never hesitating, the car's smooth movements...
Wheelchair scuffs and dents line the walls, adapted chairs and assistive devices remain scattered around the house, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) awareness bracelets and tokens pool in random dishes....
One afternoon in late July, junior Joudi Kaziz and senior Ahmad Kaziz piled into their cousin's car and caught a 13-hour flight from Chicago, Ill. to Qatar, their final destination being Istanbul, Turkey.
The...
Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief
• April 21, 2021
Between arguing for refunds on cancellations, traveling to San Antonio, Texas and rehearsing with her friends and family, freshman May Trejo-Vasquez has been in crunch mode for the biggest event of her...
![Senior Laurel Rakers and her family hosted a fundraiser to raise money for ALS tests and experiments to help find a cure. Their goal was to raise over $105,000 and they surpassed it. “[Reaching our goal] was amazing. We had an amazing turnout this year and it means so much to me and my family that all of these people come to support and help my dad,” Laurel said. “It’s honestly insane how many people come and support us each year.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/rakers-e1635796561822-900x837.jpeg)
![Senior Paige Wehrmeister stunts her Lance Havana 125 cc scooter as she smiles for a picture. After riding her scooter for over a year, Wehrmeister has picked up some tips and tricks. “A [scooter] is pretty simple to ride so it only took a couple of days to get that part down but it took me a couple weeks to go the speed limit easily because I was scared at first. Having passengers also makes it a bit trickier because their weight can be a challenge when they don’t lean with you, especially on the turns,” Wehrmeister said. “It’s [also] a good thing to keep your fingers hovering near the brakes so you can have a fast reaction when you need to break fast.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/unnamed-e1635520030934-675x900.jpg)
![Freshman Skyler Gulino and freshman Molly Bailey converse and laugh at their second lunch. Now that she has been in person for three months, Bailey is feeling more a part of West than she did last year. “In eighth grade, I was [a part of] the virtual Parkway West (middle school campus) program. I hadn’t actually and physically been in person since about November of 2019, my seventh grade [year],” Bailey said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/skyler-Bailey-900x629.jpg)
![After waking up at 4 a.m. and summiting the first mountain of the day, junior Lexi Lutz (third from the left) pauses to take a victory picture with her team at the peak. To get to this point, Lutz traveled through miles of technical terrain along a steep slope with eroded and loose rocks. “We summited three peaks that day and rested in between the peaks, because it shielded us from bad weather,” Lutz said. “The first peak was great, and it was a beautiful view; I was hardly tired. [Throughout the day], we traveled across so much land and my legs felt stiff and tired. The walking felt endless but I felt really accomplished and connected to nature when I got back down.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/20210624_-900x675.jpg)
![Overlooking the iconic Pinehurst golf course, Kylie and Jamie Secrest pose for a picture in the fairway of the 2020 World Teen Championship. This tournament was strictly invite-only and Kylie excelled, achieving 37th in her age group, her dad right by her side. “This was one of the last times my dad was able to caddie for me before he was unable to do so due to his ALS,” Kylie said. “I loved him caddying for me. He always knew what to say [to me] when I got upset and he was able to see me grow throughout my golf career.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/secrestfin.jpg)
![Ahmad and Joudi take a quick photo with their mother and older sister, Leena, during the hot air balloon ride. Leena lives in Dubai where she works as an Instagram influencer, and this was their first time seeing her in almost three years. “I was shocked to see her because I hadn’t seen her in so long. When we saw each other, we both kind of ran towards one another,” Joudi said. “She was in Cappadocia for the [music] festival because [a brand] reached out and invited her so that she can post about it.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/6FC860B0-AA37-49A7-893C-8B166EC93A3F.jpeg)
