Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer
Pronouns: he/him
I am a sophomore and this is my second year on the staff. The Pathfinder has made a huge difference in my life by getting me out of my comfort zone with interviews and building on my writing and comprehension skills. I like to be able to connect to people on a deep level and understand their way of thinking, because it helps me understand different people’s views of the world and comparing it to my own can be really interesting. I love it when I find a like-minded individual, and we can connect really well. Another thing I am wild about is rowing, which I do as a sport outside of school, and really like for multiple reasons. One reason is that the sport is really good physical activity but is also fun, because if you work as a team, your boat goes really fast, and it feels really rewarding. I also like that the club is generally filled with hardworking and determined people who also like to have fun, and those are the types of people I can relate with well. I believe there is not much better than sitting down with a book and lending yourself to the world in it. I strive to create a similar feeling of enthrallment with my own writing.
![Board member-elect Tiffany Mapp Franklin was recently voted onto the school board as a replacement for Kristy Klein Davis. Davis was offered a job transfer in Florida and had to resign from her position. “I have been asked to run for the past two years, and I was considering it, but I also [was involved] with other activities that took a lot of time, so it wasn’t an ideal moment to run. When this vacancy occurred, it seemed like it was at the right time,” Franklin said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/unnamed-5.png)
![Working on a terrarium, sophomore Joe Cunningham studies ecology in Honors Biology 2 class. The students constructed the terrariums the class period before but spent the hour cleaning them before they sealed it. “I loved how [Mr. Cutelli] created engaging activities so we could learn the content without getting bored. Worksheets have a place in the classroom, but lessons that involve only worksheets tend to lead to less participation from the class,” Cunningham said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-09-12.35.02-PM.png)
![Wearing his new Mizzou football gear, senior Ja’Marion Wayne holds a football with the Mizzou logo out to the camera. After learning that he got the number two for his jersey number (his high school football jersey number), Wayne was gifted a black and gold chain with the number two, keeping with Mizzou colors. “I was excited when I learned I got accepted to Mizzou because playing there would allow my family to watch me, which is important to me because they got me to where I am today, and [it] would [also] allow me to achieve my goal of getting to the NFL,” Wayne said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/11.21.2021-142-900x634.jpg)
![Stacking condiments in the Hindu Temple of Saint Louis kitchen, freshman Brinda Ambal volunteers while also gaining a better understanding of her culture and religion. Ambal has been a member of her temples Youth Group since 2016. “In St. Louis I can make [Hinduism] my own. The small things arent that important, its about how you live your life and follow the religion as a whole,” Ambal said. “A lot of our Holy Texts have stories about courage and trusting yourself so that you are best able to serve others.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/image1-900x600.jpeg)