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
“I’ve always struggled in school. I’ve never been a straight-A student and always got the ‘you’re not stupid, you just need to work harder than others’ speech. I have an IEP and it impacts my life because being someone who has to leave the class for tests or always gets a little more time on assignments definitely is a challenge in my life. It’s hard because you always feel judged no matter what you are doing. It makes people think of you as less than you are, but in the past years, I’ve gotten used to the way my school life works. I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter and everyone has their own struggles in life. I have a great support system and even though sometimes school is a huge struggle for me it feels great to accomplish the challenges that I’ve faced,” - Audrey Leahy, 11

Audrey Leahy

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 7, 2023

“I'm very proud of my field hockey career and how far I've come in only three and a half years. I think that a lot of people have been doing a sport for years and years and they don't go anywhere with it. I feel like by talking to colleges and [field hockey] practices and managing, school, seven clubs, and field hockey four times a week, I think my time management has really grown in the past three years," - Mj Surtain, 11

MJ Surtin

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 6, 2023

"My 4th grade English teacher Mr. Paxson taught me that we need a little humor every day, and how to grow from making mistakes. My middle school math teacher Ms. Guengerich, taught me that education is both doing problems but also having fun and figuring things out. I teach because I love learning and people. I got into teaching because it's the only thing I've ever wanted to do since I was six years old. Thanks to Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Square One Television, and Where in the World Is Carmen SanDiego, I learned that learning could be fun, diverse, and interesting, and I wanted to bring that to kids from my perspective. I know I'm a better human for having taught, but it's also made me more flexible and interesting," - Patrick Mooney

Patrick Mooney, Math

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 24, 2023

“My fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Hartman impacted me growing up. She was the only person that actually believed in me, and she gave me the courage to do what I do now. I believed in myself [because of her], I felt like I never believed in myself or I wasn't capable of doing anything, but she made me feel like I could do anything in the world. With what I've been through and how I think about things, a lot of people didn’t understand me as a person. But I feel like she understood where I was coming from and the things that I was going through. My mom has gone through the struggle, and I look up to all the things that she went through growing up. People always ask me what my goals are, but I don’t believe in goals, because that's one way of failing. What if I could do more than just achieve that one goal that I set out to do? I’m gonna set objectives. What I say is what I'm gonna do, and I'm not going halfway in life,” - Trenton Livingston, 11

Trenton Livingston

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 23, 2023

“My parents were really involved with school for me, they would always ask about my grades and stress the importance of school. I think that contributed to my desire to do well in school and take hard classes and I think it’s going to be very helpful for me in the future. I was really looking for a city vibe in college, and I recently just committed to Loyola so it’s gonna be really nice to have Chicago so close to me. The campus is beautiful and really close to the lake. I didn’t want a huge school in a college so Loyola is perfect. I regret not sticking with some of the sports [I played growing up]. I did gymnastics until junior year and I feel like I could have done a lot more. I feel like there's unfinished business there. Someone that impacted me growing up was my older sister Abby, she was always there for me when I needed her and always encouraged me to aim high and pursue my passions. I’m looking forward to college because I’m gonna be in a new city and I’ll get to make new friends. I’m super excited to be on my own and start my future,” - Tristan Caudill, 12

Tristan Caudill

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 22, 2023

“My grandpa is someone who was very impactful to me as I was growing up. He wasn't the ‘let's go play catch’ or ‘let's play a game’ type of grandpa, he was the ‘sit on my lap and I'll tell you a story’ grandpa. As a veteran who served in World War II and The Korean War, he was never short on stories. As I got older, we would often spend time together driving from his home to the small town where he grew up. We really didn't have much of a destination in mind, it was more about the time together in the car. During these hours, the stories he told helped shape who I am, the value I place on family and home, and my perspective on our armed forces. After he died, I missed these long talks but value the oral history that he passed to me and I can now pass along to my children as they learn to enjoy long drives with mom,” - Leslie Lindsey, English

Leslie Lindsey, English

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 21, 2023

“I was painfully shy as a middle school student and early in high school. I didn't like to ever participate in class. Luckily I don't think it impacted me long-term in any real way, and I was able to break out of my shell a little bit by my junior and senior year of high school. I regret not continuing to train and run competitively after high school. In my senior year of track, I was still improving, but as soon as that season ended, I stopped doing any serious training or running competitively. I never picked it up again, so I regret that I never reached my peak in running. My parents had the biggest impact on me for sure, but my high school cross-country coach probably influenced my career choice more than anybody. He was the first one who planted the idea of me working in education. I had such a good experience running high school cross country with him that I decided I wanted to work at a high school in the future, and he also made the first phone call to get me a foot in the door at West. I am proud that I decided to go into teaching even though it really did not come naturally to me. I have never been someone who liked to be the center of attention or had a lot to say, so teaching was not something I really ever saw myself doing. I knew I didn't want to work in an office, and I had a great experience in my own education and some great teachers and coaches who influenced me, so I decided that teaching was something I might be able to pursue. It was not easy, but I am proud that I tried it and have stuck with it. I am looking forward to biking the Katy Trail this summer, hopefully with a few fellow math teachers.” - Kevin John

Kevin John, Math

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 9, 2023

“[The happiest moment of my life] was the first time I went to Six Flags with my cousin, Riley. We went on almost every ride that wasn't going upside down, and [what made] it memorable was that I was with my cousin, who's the exact same age as me, and it was something we did together. We were eight, and our [favorite ride] was the Screaming Eagle. I've gone with her other times, but it's special because it was the first time we ever went there.” - Alex Dodd, 11

Alex Dodd

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • February 8, 2023

“Every year, my family makes this special food for Christmas, because it's related to my [South-Indian] culture. It's called Piti, which is dough made with rice flour that's rolled into balls and then cooked in water. It forms a soup that you eat with a meat curry. My dad mainly [makes] the food, but everyone in my family is involved in the process of rolling the dough. I'm Orthodox Christian, and Christmas and Easter are the two main holidays, [so we] usually make it twice a year after church. We observe Lent during both holidays, so we avoid meat and fast for the days leading up to Christmas and Easter.” - Angela Raju, 11

Angela Raju

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • February 7, 2023

“[The best thing to happen to me this year] was meeting my cool friends. I've met them at the cafeteria, Keys and theater. [I've been] able to hang out with them a couple of times outside of school, and it was chill. They make me feel good about myself, and they got me into "Dungeons & Dragons." I'm closer with them [rather than] the people I was friends with last year. They've made my classes so much better, and it's therapeutic having them there.” - Lu Schuetz, 10

Lu Schuetz

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • February 6, 2023

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