![“You wouldn’t believe how surprised people are when you say you skipped kindergarten and you're only 15 in 11th grade. I don't even have a driver's license [yet]. That usually surprises people because everyone else is 16 going on 17. I just [always] felt kind of different from everyone. [People think that I’m] not as mature and [don’t have a] strong mental capacity and some think a little less of [me] for being younger. Everyone assumed I was a young, innocent kid. [But] I wouldn't do anything different. I love where I am [and] what I do now. So maybe it would have been a bit easier. But hey, I’m here, and I can't change.” – Clayton Merz, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kmerz-1-900x600.jpeg)
!["[In my free time, I like to bake] Rice Krispie treats or chocolate chip cookies. [But that's also my job because I work at] Crumbl Cookies. I haven't worked that much yet. The environment isn’t super dull there. There are people talking all the time. [After] you work there for a few hours, you smell like the store, [like the] cookies and supplies. [Most of the time, I] fold boxes and get supplies ready [but, on rare occasions, I get to] ball the dough. The lights are really bright, there's a lot of pink, everyone talks friendly to each other and it's a very calm and peaceful job. [Personally, my favorite cookie there is] caramel popcorn. I have developed a strange addiction to that cookie." - Spencer Rahm, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kvaisivil-1-662x900.jpeg)
![“[The most influential person in my life] I would say [is] my papa. He has this disease called CADASIL where he is basically shutting down. I don't know how to explain it, but my dad likes to say that it's [similar to] a whole house. You can see the whole house is working, but you don't know that an outlet is not working. And slowly if that outlet doesn't work another outlet doesn't work. And then it's just this effect that is slowly shutting [him] down. Right now he's on hospice, and it's hard seeing and talking to him because I know that he would be there for me if I was struggling. It's hard to see him how he is now. I look up to him because he's one of the greatest people I know. He was always the first person to jump up and [say], ‘I'll help you.’ He did it with happiness, and I have a lot of good memories with him.” – Mackenzie Silva, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ksilva-1-900x675.jpeg)
![“The happiest moment of my life was my freshman year when I won state. My older brother dragged me out of the pool, gave me the biggest hug and shook me. Swimming is my source of confidence and where my whole personality stems from. I don’t know what kind of person I would be if I didn't swim. Everything I’ve learned about life comes back to swimming. [A lesson I've learned from swimming] would be to do your best, [because] you’re not going to win every game. You’re not going to do everything well, [and] you’re not going to get the best score on every test, but you got to keep moving and doing it again.” – Campbell Murawski, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kmurawski-1-900x675.jpeg)
![“My happiest memory of this job is being accepted. I was badly burnt out from the other job, [beacause] I had the whole midnight shift. I didn't see much of my wife and family throughout that time. It felt good to have a new prospect. Being on this job for 15 years, day in and day out, [you] appreciate [your] co-workers as well as the staff of the building. It's a humble career. It teaches you how to be patient, how to hold back anger and fear, it teaches you to be human. My biggest struggle is some students not caring for each other. Throw away your own trash. Report your spill. Recognize that if something is not right, let's make it right. If you see something that's wrong, see if we can fix it. I believe this is still one big happy family—if we make it that way.” – Sean Smith, Faculty](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ksmith-1-900x601.jpeg)
![“My biggest supporter throughout this year has been my dad. Specifically, when I got my first job. He’s helped me with my schedule and adjusting to balancing work, life and school. [For instance,] I remember one time we got back from a trip and I was really stressed because it was going to be my first week of work right after school. I worked until 8 [p.m.]. I was feeling stressed, so my dad sat me down at the dinner table and helped me devise a plan to manage time and keep me motivated. He’s been focused on my future and how I’m going to be successful, like saving money for a car and for college. I know that when my dad was in college he had to pay for his own college tuition. He worked multiple jobs on top of school, which made me realize that I have it so much better with easier conditions. It makes me think I can to do this, and with all his support, I now am more motivated to succeed even with the difficulties.” – Noor Mahmud, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kmahmud-1-900x675.jpeg)
![“[The best piece of advice I have received was] to let people do what they want. I think that would be the most impactful piece of advice I've ever been given, [by] my partner at the time. It's something she would say a lot whenever I would get upset. Eighth grade to freshman year was that whole period where I was really judgy and had really strong opinions on things that I shouldn't have. I was too much. I think if I met myself my freshman year, I would punch me in the face, but I think a lot of people would probably say that. I grew up in a household where [if] you’re a girl, you wear this and if you’re a dude, you wear that. And so all my ideas were just copy and pasted of [my family’s] ideas. It was just a preference that was embedded in my preteen years and that I ditched when I realized it was stupid. Look at me now. I'm not at all dressing stereotypically feminine. So I'd say that would be an example of gender roles and clothing being something I used to really be a badger on. Now I’m like whatever. I think [this advice] really helped me build character and become my true self. Because a lot of my judging people for what they were wearing was almost a projection of myself and being upset that I couldn't wear what I wanted to wear because of the way that I was raised. [I] took it out on other people that were able to do what they wanted. Getting this advice to stay in your lane was just good [for me], I took it and now I’m living better.” – Mac Winter, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3160-900x675.jpg)
![“[Something I regret is] sticking my leg in between two girls when going for the ball during the State Cup game. That’s how I tore my first ACL. I tore my other ACL when I was playing in a CO-ED game. I landed on my leg weirdly, and my knee buckled. This made me realize what’s important. I’m not always going to be able to play soccer. [Tearing my ACL] made me realize there are other things out there. It opened up my life a little bit because I used to be hyper-focused on soccer.” – Mallory Bricker, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kbricker-1-900x600.jpeg)
![“[My favorite hockey memory was] making it to the quarterfinals in the Quebec International Tournament. My teammate, Ethan, and I stayed with a family who lived in Canada. The family normally spoke French, so it was difficult to understand them. It was interesting to see how much snow there was and to learn about popular foods like poutine. I enjoy playing hockey in Canada more than in the United States [because] the icing and offsides rules are different between each country. Our team also went to a snow park. There were 15 different hills we could go down while sledding. It was like Six Flags but a snow version.¨ – Dexter Brooks, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/kbrooks-1-900x600.jpeg)
Dating all the way back to the 1970s, Parkway West football has seen its fair share of ups and downs on its chase to a state championship. With...
![Gesturing toward the club’s name on the board, Global Youth Aid co-president year Daniah Alsagheer discusses upcoming service projects with members during a meeting on Oct. 30. “We might be one club at one school, but together, we’re [part of] something much bigger,” Alsagheer said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC00949-1200x800.jpg)
Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the conflict in the Congo, the civil war in Myanmar – all of these conflicts are occurring in the...
“I do varsity cheer for school, and stunt for Cheer Athletics. [Being a sophomore on varsity] has been fun to get to know all of the upperclassmen,...