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
All content by Nola Becquette
After three months of preparation for the first annual blood drive, National Honor Society (NHS) President and senior Nikita Bhaskar lays in one of the stretchers holding senior Jame Wild’s hand as she donates blood. The blood drive gathered 61 bags of blood to donate to ImpactLife. “I loved seeing the NHS volunteers shine. Katie Jauss, Jame Wild and [senior] Adam Lancia choreographed dances to perform in front of the donors to distract them, and it genuinely brightened the event. They let their personalities shine to help others, and I felt that's what NHS is all about. It was inspiring to see,” Bhaskar said. “Knowing that I could save three lives by donating a pint of my blood made it a no-brainer; donating was an easy choice."

[Photo] Photo of the Week - March 31

March 31, 2023
“My greatest accomplishment this year was learning new things. I’m taking an ASL class because I am deaf, and I’m also trying to be fluent in a language that I’m a part of. It has been something that has helped me, and I definitely want to be an influence on [others]. [Some difficulties I had along the way were] my grades. In high school, things are very different from middle school, so it’s tough to keep up with my grades. Because of the masks, I couldn’t understand my teacher and what they were saying. At the beginning of the school year, I had doubts that I’d graduate because I’m deaf, but I feel pretty good looking back on how far I’ve come. If you’re struggling, don’t give up. Just take one step at a time and see where it takes you.” — Elle Keely, 9

Elle Keely

Nola Becquette, CJ1 Writer
May 20, 2022
“The greatest advice that I’ve received was, ‘Every step that's a failure is closer to success.’ This [advice] has helped [me] push past tough times such as depression and mental illness. I thought about it myself. When I started my investing company, I had many failures. My inspiration is Elon Musk. He spent millions, soon billions of dollars, trying to develop Space X, and when he did, he was almost bankrupt. So the quote comes from not giving up even when failure is on your way. It [has] allowed me to see things in a better shape.” — Steven Cheng, 9

Steven Cheng

Nola Becquette, CJ1 Writer
May 18, 2022
“The biggest influence in my life would have to be my mom. She’s very hardworking and gets things done for herself and others. My mom beat [breast] cancer. It showed me how strong she is and how she can push through [hard times]. [I remember] I had a lot going on in the eighth-grade year, and she helped me push through that and be the person I am now. [Without her] I wouldn’t be doing as well as I am now because she helped me be a better person.” — Alex Hurley, 9

Alex Hurley

Nola Becquette, CJ1 Writer
May 16, 2022
“The greatest struggle that I had in my life was my cousin's death last year. He had gotten into a bad car accident, and the doctors said he died from internal bleeding. After he passed, I was becoming slowly depressed, and I just felt like I had lost myself. But, after he passed, I grew close with my brother. He helped me by just rebuilding my energy and making me feel me. We would play video games or play basketball. Eventually, I got better at accepting his death, and I felt like I could continue. Although I miss him, I’m glad my relationship with my brother grew. He helped me see the bright side of it all. I became at peace with it.” - Keshawn Butler, 9

Keshawn Butler

Nola Becquette, CJ1 Writer
May 9, 2022
“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

Noor Mahmud

Nola Becquette, CJ1 Writer
April 22, 2022
“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

[Photo] Humans of Parkway West 2021-22

Convergence Journalism 1 Staff
January 19, 2022
“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