![During the awards ceremony of the 2019 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Speech and Debate tournament, seniors Luke Donovan and Kristina Humphrey await their names to be announced with their placement. Donavon and Humphrey qualified for state in the duet event and placed second overall in the tournament. “I stayed in speech and debate [for four years] because the team and people from other teams in the district are like my second family. While competition can be brutal, it’s worth it to be with the amazing people in Eastern Missouri,” Humphrey said. “Speech has made me grow as a person significantly. It has given me the opportunity to spread important messages through unique ways of conveying them.” Photo by Fatema Rehmani.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0123-900x600.jpg)
![11:56 a.m.
Conversing with classmates, sophomores Fatima Shabab and Josh Rushing participate in a speed dating activity during their AP World History class. Teacher Kristen Collins (not pictured) assigned each student a historical figure to research and portray. “Suleiman the Magnificent was mine. My favorite part of the assignment was being able to dress up like the figure,” Rushing said. “[Creative projects] are a lot more enjoyable, because you have more control over how you tackle it.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DSC_0010-900x600.jpg)
“I've liked writing ever since I knew how to. I'm taking a creative writing class, so we write most of the time in that class, almost every...
![Focused on providing exceptional service, sophomore Darsh Mahapatra carefully cleans the door of a customer’s car. Mahapatra has always believed his customers deserve nothing less than the best. “[If] they’re trusting us with their car and our service, then I am convinced that they deserve our 100 percent effort and beyond,” Mahapatra said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_0018-1200x800.jpg)
Students in high school often feel overwhelmed by schoolwork, extracurricular activities and sports — especially those who strive to excel...
“I have made some of my best friends playing softball, and I love playing with [my] teammates. Whenever I'm feeling sad or when I’m not playing...