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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

Smiling in a sea of Longhorns, Fox 2 reporter Ty Hawkins joins junior Darren Young during the morning Oct. 3 pep rally. The last time West was featured in this segment was 2011. “[I hope people see this and think] if you come to [Parkway] West, you will have the time of your life because there are so many fun activities to do that make it feel like you belong here. I was surprised so many people attended, but it was a lot of fun,” Young said.

Rise and shine

Payton Dean, Opinions Editor 3 days ago

At a time when many students would still be sleeping, Parkway West students joined together to build school spirit prior to varsity football’s home game against Lindbergh. The event took place on the...

West High seniors and families listen as a representative of The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, Teresa Steinkamp, leads a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) workshop. This session, held in the library, provided guidance on financial aid, scholarships and student loan options. “This event is very beneficial for any seniors who are applying to or considering applying to colleges after high school [because] the cost of college is on the rise for seniors and parents,” college and career counselor Chris Lorenz said.

From questions to clarity: Seniors and parents attend FAFSA session

Zainab Al-Jaff, Staff Writer September 26, 2025

On Sept. 16, seniors and their families gathered in the library for an informative workshop on the college financial aid process. The event was hosted by The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and designed...

Senior Kamori Berry walks across the field during halftime at the Homecoming football game on Sept. 12. During the pep assembly earlier that day, she was pronounced Homecoming Queen. “I thought it was nice that the crowd [started] cheering right away. I know [my friends] were really excited for me, and my family was happy because typically non-white people don't win,” Berry said.

Golden traditions

Ayah Zayed, Staff Writer September 17, 2025

This year, West High celebrated its 2025 Homecoming Court nominees. Students share many experiences leading up to Homecoming, such as spirit week, Powderpuff and the traditional Homecoming football game...

Football clutched in her hand, senior Maggie Leahy leaps past the end line and into the end zone as her fellow teammates rush to celebrate the touchdown. The juniors had been leading the scoreboard, but Leahy’s touchdown had turned the tide. “It was a really fun atmosphere to be in. Everybody was happy to be there because it was homecoming. We had a little rough start, but we figured it out in the end,” Leahy said.

Powder Puff, Powder Play

Pathfinder Staff September 12, 2025

On Sept. 11, 2025, the junior women challenged the senior women to the annual friendly, but competitive, game of flag football called Powderpuff. This is a West High tradition that occurs every year during...

Posing outside Missouri State University, students take a group photo following the MSHSAA Speech and Debate State Tournament. The competition spanned two days, adding up to nearly 60 rounds between the team. “This was all of our first times at States, and that made this experience unique 一 no one knew what to expect. Getting one last tournament with this specific team and our seniors was sentimental, but I’m excited to get going again next season,” sophomore Aagi Gudipati said.

Voices of the herd

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief May 13, 2025

From April 24-26, 15 students traveled to Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., to compete in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Speech and Debate State Tournament....

On May 3 at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Chesterfield, Mo., seniors Emily Kate Beach and Jack Mullen celebrate together after being crowned Prom Queen and King. Prom court nominations were announced to the school via Instagram on Apr. 22. “We got an email from Taggart that we were on court, and then all the people on court started texting each other ‘good luck,’” Mullen said.

Crowned: A look at your 2025 Prom King and Queen

Payton Dean, Opinions Editor May 8, 2025

Sitting in front of a sea of peers dressed in flowing gowns and perfectly-tailored suits, the eight members of the senior prom court wait patiently to see who will represent their grade as Prom King and...

Pitching the ball on Apr. 14, senior Henry Wild and his team play against Belleville East. Wild was named scholar athlete of the year by St. Louis Post-Dispatch after maintaining a high cumulative GPA and staying involved with athletics for all of high school. “It’s an amazing honor. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to represent my school [and] what [it] stands for,” Wild said.

Driven to excel

Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor May 5, 2025

Every year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognizes a group of students attending high schools all over St. Louis based on their prestige in academics and athletics. This year, senior Henry Wild was chosen...

The Glory of Missouri award recipients stand with their certificates after finding out which virtue they were chosen to represent. When discovering their virtues, some recipients were met with contented confirmation, while others, complete surprise. “I was not at all surprised to get Truth. I discussed that with some of the other people who were getting the awards as well, and that came up as something I might get. Being in journalism, [Fellowship of Christian Athletes and] Speech and Debate, there's a culture of really caring about truth as a principle that I've tried to contribute to as well. I was very glad; [Truth] was a great one to get,” senior Will Gonsior said.

Bringing glory to Missouri

Samir Shaik, Multimedia Editor-in-Chief April 30, 2025

Ice-cold water sits in a bucket waiting to be dumped on the next brave volunteer. For the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, people used a variety of vessels, including bowls, coolers and excavators to dump water on themselves. “Make sure you don't just use a bowl because that's lame. You need more water,” sophomore William Tanudyaya said.

Back with a splash

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief April 29, 2025

Across the nation, a trend of pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over people's heads has gone viral on Instagram. For context, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” originated over a decade ago in 2014 and was...

Eight seniors were named 2025 National Merit Finalists in February. The finalists in the top row starting from the left: Stephen McAllister, Saachi Kandula, Felicity Jackson, Sid Kaparthi. In the bottom row starting from the left: Mino Wang, Prateek Nemmali, Will Gonsior, Sasha Tripathi.

Eight seniors recognized as 2025 National Merit Finalists

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief April 21, 2025

This year, West High upheld its history of success within the National Merit program as eight seniors advanced to the status of 2025 National Merit Finalists. Since 1955, the National Merit Scholarship...