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
Makinsey Drake

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer

Pronouns: she/her

Grade: 12

Years on staff: 4

What was your favorite childhood TV show? Jessie

What is your favorite book? Where the Crawdads Sing

What motivates you? My passion, purpose and pride

All content by Makinsey Drake
Junior Krish Baghat and seniors Camilla Mantilla, Allie Byergo and Ella Carver took home the prize for their business, Icona Apparel. Byergo placed first in the annual Spark! competition, winning $350. “Pitch competitions have benefited me by forcing me to think critically, take critiques and practice public speaking. These events also encourage our team to stay organized, as we must be able to present our business model to judges effectively,” Byergo said. Photo by Xanthe Meyer

Spark!: an early start on work experience

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
May 17, 2023
A graphic of the 2022-23 Pathfinder senior staff.

Seniors signing off

Addie Gleason, Ashlyn Gillespie, Elle Rotter, Madi Michajliczenko, and Makinsey Drake
May 12, 2023
Reaching new heights, Watts sprints the 300 meter hurdles at the 2023 Northwest Invitational track meet. With her best time at 48.27 seconds, Watts qualified for the 2022 MSHSAA Track and Field State Championships and placed 11th as a junior. “My greatest accomplishment is competing at [the state championships]. I remember breaking two personal records at Conference and medaling in all of my events and feeling on top of the world. I knew at that moment that I had a chance to go to state. My favorite track memory is running the 300 hurdles at sectionals and getting fourth, barely making it to state. I remember finishing the race and running toward my hurdles coach [Kat] Briggs and yelling ‘Did I make it? Did I make it?’ She gave me the biggest smile and hug and said I made it to state,” Watts said.

Senior Cece Watts named St. Louis Post Dispatch Scholar Athlete

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
April 27, 2023
Nearing the halfway mark, Beveridge pushes through the last 12 miles, maintaining his first place spot. The race consisted of a 5k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon, hence Beveridge passed runners of all races as he approached the finish line. “I thought someone was on my tail the whole time so I kept my speed. The reality of the win didn’t hit me until the last three miles. I thought to myself I could really win this thing and hoped no one could pass me,” Beveridge said.

A Day of Firsts

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
February 21, 2023
Eyes to the sky, junior Romy Taylor stands center stage in the evening gown section of the 2023 Miss Missouri Teen Volunteer Pageant. Taylor received compliments from judges and the audience for her walk, a skill she believes this section allows contestants to flaunt. “[Walking on stage in a gown] shows how much grace someone can carry. I absolutely love it when I get to show it off on stage,” Taylor said.

The beauty behind the madness

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 30, 2023
The senior boys dress in suits and jerseys to cheer on the Powder Puff competitors. Senior Derrien Gatchel initiated the suit trend last Powder Puff season. “The thought process was [to pretend we were dressing for] a business trip. Since we won last year, we had to do it again this year,” Gatchel said.

Halfway There!

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 19, 2023
Before beginning their college football journey, alumni Ja’Marion Wayne and Tre Bell smile after one of their final rides together. The athletes kept in contact and encouraged and inspired each other along their new paths. “I miss everything about high school football. I wish I had another year to play with [alumni] Ja’marion Wayne, Seth Young, Tyree Simms and [senior] Phillip Jordan and [junior] Trent Livingston. I miss all of my guys and playing in front of a student section where you know every kid. It isn’t something you get in college,” Bell said.

We know you miss them!

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
November 22, 2022
Roaming around crowds of visitors, junior Kyle Parini gives looks of horror to children. Parini was assigned to the cannibal section of this year's Fright Fest experience. “[The highlight of this season] didn’t happen until my last shift, when my monster maker gave me a staff, so I chased someone with it, then two girls fell on top of each other, and I griddied over them, it was the best thing ever.”

Creepin’ it real

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
November 17, 2022
The 2022-2023 school year started on the right foot, up the same three stairwells. Now that we’re back to five, our flight to unity is descending back to the boring, spacious halls. Parkway conceptualizes what their next new project will be.

The stairs are back

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
September 29, 2022
Seniors Joey Schweppe, Zack Boland, Ali Rehman, Derrien Gatchel and Matthew Freedman pose before their first senior football game. The boys, affiliated with the Superfan account, chose a superhero theme. "We had to go all out, we're seniors now, we need to set a solid example for the student section," Gatchel said.

Taking a step forward for the class of 2023, senior and Marketing Officer Hope Green encouraged as many seniors as possible to attend a long-held tradition. Green brought her camera and school spirit to the event and captured over 150 moments from the night, sharing them with seniors the next day. "I wanted to build memories for everyone for this special year, including everybody rather than sticking with the same group of people," Green said.

Seniors Katherine Bias, Tristan Caudill, Cameron Chandler, Aly Kroner, Nora Brooks and Cate Adler huddle around the Kroner family's portable grill for late night hot dogs. Peers supplied condiments and lawn chairs to simulate a backyard barbecue. "It truly was my pleasure, nothing is better than some fresh wieners and good friends," Kroner said.

Senior Joseph Denklau and juniors Derrien Gatchel and Matt Freedman stand in front of the Olympic Rings in Olympic Park. They stayed in the Atlanta, Ga.'s heart, allowing them to attend a variety of local events and visit tourist attractions. “We walked everywhere. We started the first night walking 1.5 miles to Waffle House because Matt put in the wrong location for our order. It sounds like an inconvenience, but honestly, that showed us where everything around the city was since it’s all relatively close together. It set off the trip with a good feel of the city,” Gatchel said.

Welcome to Atlanta, DECA Internationals

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
June 2, 2022
Senior Bryce Drake winds up at one of his last at bats before the District finals. The boys closed off the season with a 22-6 record. “It was a great season to call my last and we all improved so much. Going out against south was hard to take, but we gave it our all and I see great things in the future for this team. We had great team chemistry and I’m so thankful for my four years with these players,” Drake said.

Photo of the Week – May 20

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
May 20, 2022
Junior Gabi Badami smiles, expressing with pride in her bisexuality. Badami says she has struggled with her identity since elementary school, so she channels her struggles into artwork and goals for her future. “I’m proud of who I am, confident in who I want to be and excited for what I know I can do,” Badami said.

Coloring the rainbow

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
May 10, 2022
From sharing the same aisle to sharing the same passion, Megan and Madison Cauley fuel their twin flame through art. Since elementary school, the girls have grown their artistic spirit side by side and are now both looking to go into animation. “Madi is one of my biggest inspirations and motivators, there's always something we can learn from each other,” Megan said. (Photo courtesy of Madison Cauley)

Kindred spirits: Sisters Megan and Madison Cauley share an artistic passion

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
March 1, 2022
Utilizing editing softwares, junior Basil Metroulas creates his own album covers. Metroulas is able to suit the mood of the album at hand through images he found and designed. “I try to have the general aesthetic of the album be represented by the cover, like you can hear the music just by looking at the cover.” (Photo courtesy of Makinsey Drake)

Junior Basil Metroulas releases his fourth at home studio album

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 20, 2022
Senior Kyle Schultz and the band practice indoors at Parent Preview at the VIP Hotel due to the rain. Schultz, a bass drummer, proudly wore his tournament uniform, consisting of a red shako cover, a red hipcape and a red undershirt. “I was standing at attention listening to the winds play their rendition of ‘For Good’ from the musical ‘Wicked, it was amazing, one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard performed live,’” Schultz said.

Senior Kyle Schultz marches away six days in California with the Bands of America Honor Band

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 18, 2022
Singing “I’ll melt with you” by Modern English, social studies teacher Mel Trotier performs at Circa Pub & Grill in front of hundreds of people. The “Circa All Stars” band members rotate between 10 musicians every three or four songs. “We’re all very flexible. It was a random Saturday night and we decided to perform just for fun,” Trotier said. “The audience sings along and there’s always a group of people dancing.”

Teacher and coach by day, musician by night

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 13, 2022
Photo of the Week

Stacking cans of food for Chazen vs. Wayland canned food drive, seniors Bryce Drake and Aamon Naig work together to load the cart. Chazen vs. Wayland is a longstanding campus tradition between social studies teachers Jeffrey Chazen and Annie Wayland; Wayland defended her title as champion and Chazen added to his now 14-year losing streak. "We all put our best foot forward and spent a couple of hours filling the carts, it felt great to be a part of something so neat and we all had a fun time doing it," Drake said.

Photo of the Week – Dec. 10

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
December 10, 2021

The Method Behind the Madness

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
November 20, 2021
Senior Kyle Schultz awaits the homecoming pep rally performance. Rallies and halftime performances helped Schultz in preparation for the series of Bands of America Honor Band performances. “Performing in front of hundreds of people is normal to me now. When I was a freshman in color guard, I would get really nervous, but now there's nothing better than being able to show off what we’ve worked on and everyone gets a kick out of it,” Schultz said. “I’m so used to playing when it’s loud at big school events, so when I’m in the quiet setting of a competition it feels a lot more tense.” [Photo courtesy of Sophia Johnson]

Drumroll Please

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
November 18, 2021
Celebrating his one year sobriety mark, Trevor Shukers and his fiancée Courtney Jaboor smile with their two children: Hailee [6 years] and Sutton [20 months]. Hailee was diagnosed with autism in the middle of last year. “My three girls have all helped me find a purpose for life,” Shukers said. “I believe Hailee is part of God's reason for helping me and giving me another chance, she needs me. Little does she know I need her more than she needs me. The girls have given me a life better than I could have ever imagined.”

Alumni Trevor Shukers’ journey from addiction to inspiration

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
September 29, 2021
Junior Aly Kroner and her family help arrange the flags on Forest Park’s Art Hill. More than 7,500 flags were displayed in honor of each life lost as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “When commemorating the lives of everyone who died that day I wish people paid more attention to the third plane headed towards Washington that crashed on the field. Everyone died in that plane and we need to honor those brave people just as much.”

Commemorating 9/11: 20 years of remembrances and reflection

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
September 16, 2021
After scoring the winning point, senior Matt Cosgrove holds the State Champions plaque above his teammates. Seconds later the crowds stormed the court in celebration. “It was just unreal. I was speechless to finally win after talking about it for more than a year. Unreal feeling,” Cosgrove said. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cosgrove)

A team above all, above all a team

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
June 4, 2021
Makinsey Drake

Authorities Discuss the hypotheticals of the 2021-2022 school year. How can you increase the likelihood of “normality”?

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
June 4, 2021
Team Blue Brains (5430A: Seniors Kunal Addagarla, Jack Wild and Levi Ladd, juniors Rick Biswas and David Meisinger, sophomores Joseph Britt, Anushka Dharmasanam and Isaac Porter) display their newly built automaton.

Worlds VEX Robotics Competition: Robotics team assembles a successful weekend

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
June 4, 2021
Freshman Santosh Sahoo fans out his five year hotel key card collection. Sahoo refers to them as pearls of memories stashed in his tool box. "As I gaze through the cards, memories come back and catch me staring,” Sahoo said.

More than just souvenirs: freshman Santosh Sahoo shares his hotel key card collection

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
February 11, 2021
Led by head coach Bob Kittner, sophomore Cate Adler (wing-back) and her team take the 2020 State Championship Cup. Numbering all of their appearances at State, Adler's team has a total of 19 wins, one tie, 79 goals for and three against. “We’ve improved so much over the years. Corona definitely made us stronger and closer as a team,” Adler said.

Sophomore Cate Adler and the Red Devils: Fourth-year as State Champs, first year with COVID-19

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
December 22, 2020
With her daughter wrapped around her on graduation day, Smith celebrates receiving her master’s degree from Arkansas State University. She received her degree in Educational Leadership in May of 2018. “It was a very proud moment. I felt accomplished and ready to move on to the next step in my career,” Smith said.

Brionne Smith: Sophomore principal, mom and multipotentialite

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
December 21, 2020
Modeling their SunnyD hoodies and T-shirt, sophomores Ethan Deulca, Chris Roy, Basil Metroulas, Patrick Chen, Chris Woodcock, Shiv Sharma, Jake Rushing and Jack Maniaci advertise a beloved childhood beverage. “[Sunny-D] is a very nostalgic drink for me. I remember going out to my fridge and getting a refreshing bottle of Sunny-D when I was little,” Rushing said.

What does the D stand for? Sophomores strike a deal with SunnyD

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
November 9, 2020
More than 1,800 colleges in the US offer a substitutional way to get an on campus feel.

A virtual reality: Juniors tour their future schools online

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
May 25, 2020
21 U.S companies are developing treatments or vaccines for the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnson & Johnson announces the preparation of a COVID-19 vaccine

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
May 7, 2020
Dr. Corey Sink poses with Building Manager Kitty Strong, English teacher Cassey Holland, former Building Manager Scott Bollman, Librarian Lauren Reusch and FACS teacher Katie Hashley. Sink and the faculty members judge West’s annual Staff Chili Cook-off. "It's a fun event we all get to do together. I love funny times like those and just getting to be with the great people here," Sink said. "I'm going to miss it."

From Longhorn to Wildcat, we bid our farewell to principal Corey Sink

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
April 15, 2020
Standing on The Arch grounds, Kim St. Onge covers the St. Louis Blues rally after winning the Stanley Cup. St. Onge wore a headset to hear the anchors in her ear. “The crowd was so loud that day that even with the headset I could barely hear the show. I was on a stage in the middle of tens of thousands of people–pretty surreal. It was so cool to see the whole city come together to support the Blues. I’ll forever think of that day as one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” St. Onge said.

10. Behind the scenes: Alumna Kim St. Onge shares her journey to becoming a broadcast journalist

Makinsey Drake, Staff Writer
January 9, 2020
“I started Spanish in middle school and had an awesome Spanish 3 teacher who made me love the language and culture," Spanish teacher Jessica Verweyst said. "He was so passionate about his heritage. He told us his life story and the challenges of living in Cuba, escaping the dictatorship to live in the U.S. and how he became a teacher. He was kind, compassionate and funny. Every day in class we laughed about our outdated textbooks and cheesy audio recordings. Like Señor Herrera, I try to take each day as an opportunity to laugh and learn as much as I can. I hope to encourage students to be curious and follow their passions. I also spent the summer in Bogotá, Colombia between junior and senior year. It was so amazing to travel so I researched other opportunities and got a scholarship as a Rotary Club youth ambassador. I lived in Ecuador for about a year between high school graduation and college.”

[Photo] Humans of Parkway West

Convergence Journalism 1
October 10, 2019