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
“The most influential people in my life would have to be my mom and dad. They have been through so much and helped me through so much. They inspire me every day, and I can not thank them enough. I don’t know what I would do without them. They taught me how to be a better person and how to survive in this world. When my grandma died, it left a big dent in my life, [making] me feel sad and upset. I felt like I couldn’t do anything. [So] I turned to my parents to help me get through it, and they talked to me and helped me. They are two of the most hard-working people I have ever met. They started a new business, and seeing them get through all of the bumps in the road and grow the business inspired me to persevere through everything.” - Eva Frazer, 9

Eva Frazer

Poppi Wright, CJ1 Writer • May 31, 2022

“Swimming has impacted my life because I am just in my happy place when I am at the pool. I could just be sitting on the wall, and I would be having fun hanging out with my teammates. I loved swimming [alongside] my school friends and meeting new people in different grades in high school swim. My favorite part of swimming is the feeling I get while diving in at a meet because my adrenaline is pumping, and all I focus on is how fast I can go to beat the person next to me. One thing that I have been working to achieve is my 100-meter individual medley. It is a few days after I get home from Florida, so I will not get to practice beforehand, which is scary. I have worked hard this season to train for this race.” — Ava Sticht, 9

Ava Sticht

Ava Prsha, CJ1 Writer • May 31, 2022

“My biggest inspiration would have to be my father. His work ethic is amazing, and he never gives himself a break. He pushes himself to go further than he normally could. He always gives his best and tries to make my siblings and I lives as easy as possible. I admire him a lot because he is a contractor, which means he has a good amount of work to do. Whenever he works a little less on some days, he tries to push even harder the next [day] to make up for it. I try to teach my younger siblings to work just as hard and set a good example myself. I try to keep his lessons with me every day and apply them to my daily life. He is someone that I have looked up to for a long time, and he taught me to appreciate the smallest things in life.” – Tyler Grissom, 9

Tyler Grissom

Laya Krishnakumar, CJ1 Writer • May 27, 2022

“My favorite hobby would have to be drawing. I started drawing because my mom is an artist and has a career involving art, and that inspired me to create art. When I was younger, I looked up to my mom when I did art. But now that I have branched out by finding what I wanted to do and started learning independently, she serves more as a foundation than a guideline. We draw together on occasion, but it's been more of an independent thing for me recently, but I show her my art, and she gives me tips sometimes. But the best thing I’ve learned is how to deal with my emotions in a healthy manner through art, and it's helped me exponentially.” - Lucy Moore, 9

Lucy Moore

Addison Merz, CJ1 Writer • May 27, 2022

The happiest moment of my life was winning a dance competition while performing contemporary. It showed that all of my team's hard work paid off, which was cool. We trained for this competition for six months, and it was such a good feeling when we won. It was a really fun dance that we put all of our emotion into, and it was just something different that you don't normally see at a dance competition. When I dance, it helps me escape the real world, and all the stress and worry that I have goes away. Walking off the stage knowing that we just did everything good is one of the best feelings ever. I always get this moment when I think about how all the hours and hard work I have been putting into this dance routine is all worth it. — Aysha Kelly, 9

Aysha Kelly

Ava Prsha, CJ1 Writer • May 27, 2022

“Someone that made a big impact on me would have to be my mom. She has always been a great role model and took great care of me growing up. She always taught me to pick the good things to value in life and how to be smart with my choices. One thing she told me to value was the friendships that lasted and had no judgments. In middle school, she gave me great advice especially when I didn’t want to be there and was lonely. She told me to not get anxious, to stay calm and that someone who has a good soul would come without complaints. I used to complain that I didn’t feel great and would ask her to pick me up but, instead she would give me advice on how to feel better and make more friends.” – Sophie Barmak, 11

Sophie Barmak

Laya Krishnakumar, CJ1 Writer • May 26, 2022

“The most stressful thing going on in my life is grades. Teachers put a lot of pressure on me, and they constantly challenge me with homework. I do track currently, and I did cross country during the fall and swimming during the winter. So just all of that can be stressful. There’s a lot of pressure on me from my parents because I feel like they compare everything I do to my [older sister]. Lexi was the first child, [she] was like their norm, and I have a completely different learning strategy than her. She gets things done five months ahead of time. Her room is always tidy and clean, and she's just on top of it all the time. I am the complete opposite. I do things at the last minute, right before it's due. I don't keep [my room] clean until I have to. Like my life is unorganized but organized in my way. I’m happy I have my friends and family to help me with all the stress.” — Sydney Etchason, 9

Sydney Etchason

Olivia Picaud, CJ1 Writer • May 26, 2022

“[This season] my ice hockey team, the Rockets, won our state championship. This was my seventh year playing ice hockey, so it was very exciting to win. I remember there were just a few minutes left [of the game], and we were winning by two. The final score ended with 5-3. It was such a good experience with my teammates to play in the championships. My team and I celebrated our win by going out to eat pizza.”. Someone who inspired me to play ice hockey is my dad. [Growing up], he played roller hockey, a sport [similar to ice hockey] but instead, you are on wheels. Now, he is the coach of my ice hockey team and one of my biggest supporters.” - J.D. Horenkamp, 10

J.D. Horenkamp

Lacey Hubert, CJ1 Writer • May 25, 2022

"In eighth grade, I used to be depressed and in a bad place. I just wasn’t myself. I dyed my hair super dark, and I was absolutely disgusting. People probably did not know that I was so depressed and went to therapy. Every night I would go to bed feeling unfulfilled, lonely and unhappy. I feel like, over COVID, talking about mental health was more normalized because everyone was wondering when COVID would finally end. I would cry every night and have panic attacks often. I finally asked my mom to go to therapy, and I am so happy I did because I wouldn't be where I am right now without it. My biggest achievement is that now I am the best version of myself, and I am so happy. I have straight A’s and played field hockey and now soccer I am just really enjoying it. [I learned] to focus on myself and enjoy all of my time alone. I am proud of myself for getting out of therapy and being so happy now.” — Mia Lauer, 9

Mia Lauer

Ava Prsha, CJ1 Writer • May 25, 2022

“[The most influential person in my life is] Indiana guard Xavier Johnson. One day, he had a really good game. [He] didn't miss a shot [and] hit 30 points. I messaged him after the game [and told him] he did a really good job. He has a bunch of followers, so I didn't expect a response. He responded back to me and gave me some words of encouragement. After that, I started playing basketball a lot more and trying to get better. It inspired me to work harder [in life and in basketball].” — Finn Smith, 9

Finn Smith

Ava Silva, CJ1 Writer • May 24, 2022

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