![“I’m the vice president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), the co-president of the Women in Healthcare club, and [am also in] of ABC club, NHS first aid, the diplomacy club, and other volunteering activities [in my community.] My main goal in these clubs is to be actively engaged in the school and give back to the community. [Through these opportunities,] I’ve learned to be a better organizer and planner, especially with my roles in MSA and Women in Healthcare. I think these skills will be valuable towards the career path I choose. I’m particularly interested in the medical field, which is why I co-founded Women in Healthcare. As a freshman, I was the chief financial officer of the Muslim Student Association. This year, I’m the vice president. We’ve worked hard to improve the organization and make the club more fun and interactive for everyone. It’s been great to see the club grow, with a lot of new freshmen joining. Balancing all of these activities with my schoolwork can be challenging at times, but the whole team helps with the workload. A misconception others have about the MSA is that [there is minimum involvement.] One time I went to stamp the MSA flyers to get approved down at the office, and the woman was hesitant about it. She asked how many people actually come to our meetings, so I explained that we usually have 35 to 40 people. Parkway West includes lots of diversity and it [helps strengthen] our community.” – Yusra Khan, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/1f5dbf90-8b69-452a-a610-22726c8a6ed9-1200x800.jpg)
![Cutting into a celebratory cookie cake, the secretary of the Indian Club and junior Swati Kumar kicks off the first meeting. Club board members introduced themselves and reviewed what future meetings would look like. “[I am] excited to see how far we could take this club. Indian culture is overlooked many times, so being a part of educating and celebrating it with others [is] so fun,” Kumar said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_0093-1-1-900x675.jpg)
![While taking a selfie, freshman Samir Shaik and his friends try on face masks. Skincare, a prominent part of South Korean culture, was focused on during the club meeting dedicated to the country. “[My friends and I] wanted to try something different in this club. They offered us facemasks and we were just like, ‘Of course we’d [try them]’. I had never tried a face mask and [neither had] some of my friends. So it was a mess trying to put them on, but it was so fun,” Shaik said. “I just love that this moment was captured in a photo.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/selfiephotoshopped-900x600.jpg)
![The Blue Brains team members juniors Katherine Hanses, Joseph Britt, Isaac Porter and Anushka Dharmasanam and seniors David Meisinger and Rick Biswas pose in front of their robot and awards at the Speedway signature event in Indianapolis. The awards include their trophies from smaller competitions and World 2021, as well as a small trophy gifted to the team for their performance by robotics sponsor Chris Donaldson. “The trophy was for just being a good team, because this was our first big signature event outside of the virtual ones we did last year,” Hanses said. “[At this competition], we had six matches on the first day, and we won five. We got knocked out in the quarterfinals.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/5430A_SpeedwayPit-900x675.jpg)
![With an effort to raise money for their Thirst Project fundraiser, juniors Salma Ahmed and Sarenna Wood sold their bracelets during lunch Jan. 31. They plan to reach a total of $6,000 dollars by the end of the school year, all of which will be donated to the national Thirst Project. “Being able to sell our bracelets and raise money for people in need makes me feel great, and it is such a great opportunity to help others,” Wood said. “Watching people [that] live in poor countries faces light up when they see that people are donating money to give water is very emotional, and I think that the world needs more of these people.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG-0042-e1582041495396-900x657.jpg)
![After their meeting, the Advocacy Club members stand with Missouri Senator Jill Schupp for a photo. Schupp was invited to share her ideas, teach the students about her job and allowed them to ask questions. “For a long time, we have been wondering if we would ever get a chance to speak to a person within the government to make a big impact,” Jaladi said. “I think that getting to speak to [her] answered just that. It was such a cool experience.“](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/USEDSC_0022-1-900x600.jpg)
![Highlighting the importance of access to feminine hygiene products for all, sophomores Anna Newberry, Mira Nalbandian, Santi Lugo and Mason Paul model their future club plans. Newberry believes inaccessibility of products can lead to health issues, embarrassment and even a lack of belonging. “I want to stock bathrooms with feminine hygiene products to help reduce stigma and embarrassment that can come with having a period,” Newberry said. “I know [I] haven’t come to school before because I was embarrassed and wanted to go home, or I was in pain or didn’t have what I needed to have. I feel like everyone has a right to be here, and I feel like no one should feel like they can’t come to school.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/gowitflow-900x600.jpg)
“[Honors Biology] is one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. The most challenging thing is [the] little time [we get] in between units....
“What is real will prosper. If you don't believe in yourself, what you strive for won’t come true. [I’ve been playing football] for three...
“[This] season has been amazing so far. Most of the team has been playing together for over four years, so our chemistry is great, [and] I...