Madi Michajliczenko, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
Pronouns: she/her
Grade: 12
Years on staff: 4
What was your favorite childhood TV show? The Backyardigans, specifically the pirate episode
What is your favorite book? Recently, I really liked “We Were Liars”
What motivates you? I really want to be a good role model for my younger sister and show myself that I made it. My sister and I were both so worried about our futures and whether or not we could do well in school, that we put lots of pressure on ourselves. I want to prove to her that a little hard work can take you farther than you think and show myself that everything I have done and continue to do it worth it.
![After winning their respective boards and collecting their awards, the chess team stands together, holding their trophies. Sophomore Prateek Nemmali (right) captained the team and led them to an overall second-place finish. “In terms of community, I feel [chess] is a nice team spirit-building thing, especially when playing in team tournaments. It’s competitive, but you feel together when you play the game,” Nemmali said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/image1-900x600.jpg)
![Posing before the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Latin teachers Matt Pikaard, Jason Tiearney, Tom Herpel and librarian Lauren Reusch interlock arms. The four acted as chaperones during a trip to Italy over spring break of the 2021-22 school year: an opportunity offered to Latin students every other year. “Enrollment numbers are now reliant on high school students. I have to change what I [do to promote Latin] because middle schoolers have no access to anyone who knows about Latin after this year. How do I explain how Latin looks to middle schoolers? How does the advertisement for Latin at the high school show itself? Having to problem solve with that has been a challenge,” Herpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-2981-2-900x675.jpg)
![Following a district announcement that Latin A and B will be removed from course registration at the middle school, teachers and students with ties to the language have been disappointed. However, some Latin students are taking strides to promote enrollment to rising freshmen. “Even if [the administration] is making these decisions based on numbers, there is a human element that should be considered. How does this affect other teachers? How does this affect families? How does it affect your financial bottom line? As Parkway moves towards a student choice schedule, we need to allow all possible options: including Latin,” Latin teacher Tom Herpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DSC_0024-copy.jpg)
![Senior Grant Meert prepares to throw a white pine Christmas tree through a netting machine. Of the many species of trees, Meert Tree Farm grows — including Scotch pine, Norway spruce, Virginia pine, Fraser fir and Michigan Scotch pine — Meert’s favorite is white pine. “Picking your tree gives people a good experience. It’s something that everyone needs to do at least once,” Meert said. “It gives customers a family memory and bonding time. I like having that time [with my family], and [we] make it a whole day.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG-6534.jpg)
![Sitting on fellow contestants’ shoulders, senior Christian Fleming celebrates his victory. Fleming was crowned “Mr. Longhorn” after a display of his occupation, talent and formal attire. “I really wasn’t [expecting to win]. I was just excited to come out on top. All the guys did phenomenally,” Fleming said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/unnamed-11.png)
![Contestants cheering in support, senior Christian Fleming celebrates winning the Mr. Longhorn title. Fleming believed his biggest competition was senior Brody Barnhart. “I wasn’t [expecting to win]. All the guys did phenomenal tonight,” Fleming said. “The best part about tonight was everything; it couldn’t be a better time. I loved interacting with the crowd and my name being called for the final five and the top two. That was nice to be under the spotlight.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Christain-.jpeg)
![Supporting his team, senior and cornerback Cameron Jehling (40, second from the left) keeps his eye on a kickoff play. Jehling felt more confident about his plays compared to his performance the previous year. “Most people think that to be a good football player, you have to go to the gym, but there’s a famous quote I use for both football and baseball that shows [otherwise]. My coach first told me, ‘a sport is 90% mental, 10% physical.’ I tried this year to be better about the mental aspect of the game instead of the physical,” Jehling said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0183-900x600.jpg)
![With the ball in hand, senior Ethan Larson (17) bolts toward the 40-yard line following a hitch play. Larson received a total of 43 yards. “This was my last year in high school, my last season, my last year to start [first-string] on varsity. I've been behind Tre Bell and Ja’Marion, a couple of Division One athletes, for my whole duration of high school. I wanted to take the opportunity to see if I could step into that spot [and] I am doing the best I can to help the team,” Larson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0538-use-this-e1666354929971-600x900.jpg)
![Senior and defensive tackle Braxton Eddy (55) busts through a banner at the beginning of the game against Parkway North. Eddy has been playing football for eight years but only recently switched from playing middle linebacker to defensive tackle. “Switching from middle linebacker to [defensive] tackle rocked my world for a second. I didn’t expect to be playing on the [defensive] line but overall, it’s been a lot better. I still play just as much as I want to,” Eddy said. “As we’re walking into the stadium, we’re all getting hyped up and ready for the game. Once we start running, it’s an unreal feeling of being by the people you practice with all week, all season. There’s no feeling like it, it’s the best feeling in the world.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0218-900x600.jpg)
![Junior and wide receiver Trenton Livingston (9) sprints to catch the ball in the game against Lafayette High School. Livingston scored 13 touchdowns and received 469 yards over the season. “My objective was to lead my team to victories and set up my team for success when they need me most. I feel good [about the season]. I feel like I come into the game without being nervous and just play to my best abilities,” Livingston said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0786-e1666355042581-600x900.jpg)
![Crouching down while awaiting a snap, junior and free safety Matthew Fichter (81) prepares himself for the play in the game against Lafayette High School. Fichter had a total of 10 tackles during the season: five tackles and five assists. “This season was like a rollercoaster, it had its ups and downs. The [greatest] moment was beating Lafayette [18-7] — it was the homecoming game, and everyone was there,” Fichter said. “My dad was a big motivation for me to play, I wanted to impress him this season.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0337-e1666355103640-600x900.jpg)
![With his eye on the ball, senior and defensive end David Burton (88) moves to make a tackle during McCluer High’s short route. Burton hopedto make the All-District football team. “This season was surprising. Other teams thought that we weren’t going to be [good] after all the [former] seniors left last year, but we proved them wrong by doing well,” Burton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0435-e1666355144769-600x900.jpg)
![Dodging McCluer High players, senior and full back Brain Campbell (7) bolts for the first down behind his blocker and junior Trenton Livingston. Previously, Campbell could not play after having surgery on his hip, so this season he planned to come back and perform better. “I’ve gotten better at responding to things and keeping my head level when others talk trash. I don’t let things get to my [head], and I work to uplift my team,” Campbell said. “This whole season was a grind. We all want to play in games, but we have to grind through practice all week. I found that I could do a lot more than I thought I was capable of.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0078-e1666355184994-600x900.jpg)
![Senior and wide receiver Jack Goedde (5) races to catch a ball thrown by junior and quarterback Joseph Federer. This season, Goedde broke two school records: 44 receptions for the season and 13 receptions in one game. “I got a text about [the records], and my first reaction was telling my dad. He’s always been supportive of my football; it was a euphoric feeling,” Goedde said. “Despite obstacles our team has had, we’re constantly getting better every week and in all realms of the game. [This season] I learned how much I value football. The closer I get to the end of the season, the more I realize that football is not going to be there forever, and the emotions I’m having about the season-ending portrays the value it holds in my life.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0463-900x600.jpg)
![Clutching the ball on a quarterback run, junior Joseph Federer hustles on the field, attempting to score a touchdown. As a child, Federer grew up watching football. “An NFL player who inspires me is [quarterback] Kyler Murray. He is a very accurate quarterback and can also make tremendous plays with his feet,” Federer said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DSC_0358-1-900x600.jpg)
![Explaining how to request high school transcripts for the college application, college counselor Chris Lorenz leads a senior class meeting for English teacher Diana Lurkins’ AP Literature class. West High transitioned the counseling department to create a single college counselor, following in the footsteps of the other four Parkway high schools. “I love working with high school [students], coming of age, moving from being a child to an adult. I’m helping individuals through that transition, which encompasses an understanding of themselves and their passions are as they leave high school and go off to do bigger and better things,” Lorenz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lorenz-900x600.jpg)
![During the 54th annual graduation commencement ceremony at St. Charles Family Arena, principal Jeremy Mitchell applauds cum laude students' academic achievement. Mitchell has been the principal at West High for the past 12 years and plans to retire after the 21-22 school year ends. “Kids are good. I get irritated by news reports and friends [who say,] ‘Oh, I couldn’t do it, how do you put up with those high schoolers?’ Are you kidding me? I mean, you guys are great. Anytime I doubt that something happens, and boom. So I think that's the lesson that has been verified and reinforced year after year,” Mitchell said. “It's fun because I have my own children, and when I'm with those kids, it's kind of the same thing. I just think the teenage years are really interesting. That's why I work here. I’ve been going to school since 1978, and it's just so fun to see the growth in students. So I think my life lesson is learned from that enjoyment.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/powmay27-900x600.jpg)
![Alumni Grant Aden and Emily Dickson take a photo with their former Latin teacher Tom Herpel to commemorate their engagement. The two have dated for six years and will be living together in Omaha, Neb. as of summer 2022. “What I'm most excited about getting married is coming back to St. Louis at some point. I think as much as I [pretend] I don't like St. Louis, we definitely want to come back to raise our family,” Dickson said. “I'm looking forward to that, and Grant wants to be a pediatrician. He's just so good with kids. I'm excited about that chapter of our lives.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_8191-e1643644632556-900x657.jpg)
![How would you describe your book in one word?
“I would describe [“Rebuilding Atlantis”] as adventurous because so much happens in the main character’s life over the course of the book,” senior Maddie Mertz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_1735-629x900.jpg)
![How would you describe your book in one word?
“I would describe my poetry book as emotional or reminiscent because [writing it] was really nostalgic for me. It encapsulates my entire life as a musician so it definitely had a lot of value to me when writing it,” senior AJ Hall said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DSC_0033-900x600.jpg)
![How would you describe your book in one word?
“I would say relatable, which is not what many people would choose. I say relatable because there are so many different things you can relate to in my book, whether that be a person or an animal that you truly have such an unbreakable bond with, or feeling social awkwardness like the little boy in my book. [Even] having a struggling relationship with your parents and having money issues or having them not throw money at issues or just stuff like that. There are so many different parts and aspects of my book that I feel like a teenage person could relate to, which is kind of surprising” senior Lauren Barron said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Lauren-Barron-Senior-Session-Leannie-Lens-35-600x900.jpg)
![Posing at Longview Farm House, senior Sara Marks works with Project Unplugged’s wellness program to spread mindfulness. So far, Marks has written posts on insomnia, the benefits of journaling and the importance of self-help. “Before you can help other people you need to learn about yourself. I've found a lot of value sitting down and reminding myself of reality [through journaling],” Marks said. “I'm very blessed, and as much as school sucks, all your problems are so impermanent. When you look back, you're not gonna remember how hard this test was or this paper you wrote you're just gonna remember the people that you're with and how you felt. I think learning how to prioritize yourself is really important and then you can share the learning with others.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_4322-e1611029323946-852x900.png)
