Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor
• January 8, 2024
In kindergarten, 2024 felt so far away, but as the year turned, many students in the Class of 2024 found it hard to believe how quickly their last year of high school came. Stepping into the spotlight, seniors are committing to their post-high school plans. Their journey will be recognized in the Senior Send-Off Map.
Windshield wipers, car bumpers and car paints of various colors adorn the Auto Collision Repair room, one of the many rooms on the Southern Technical (South Tech) campus where high schoolers from all over...
Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief
• February 18, 2023
As seniors commit to post-high school plans, we want to share their journey! Check back here over the next few months as we continually update this map.
Seniors: Check your emails regularly for...
!["Becoming a teacher evolved over time. I wanted to be a writer or in theater, [so] I got degrees in English and theater and wrote plays. Every important job involved working with kids. After college, I [worked on] shows with kids, and [everything] I loved came together. That's when I thought [becoming a teacher]. I went back to school [for] a master’s in education. [Being] 5-foot-2, I was a little scared to teach high school, thinking students [might] think I was younger than them, [so] I got a job at the middle [school] and loved [it]. I always wanted to teach high school, and [now I’ve finally done it]. I see [my students’] great writing, and it inspires me. I've written so much myself but haven't sent much out [yet]. I think I'll [focus on that] after I retire. This is my second year at Parkway West and my first [time] teaching high school, and it’s something I've always wanted to do. I love being [here].” – Marcy Rademeyer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KhanY_RademeyerM3-Yusra-Khan.png)
![“I was the girl that always played teacher when I [was] growing up. I [would set] my dolls up and stuffed animals up and they’d be my students [that I] would play school with. When I graduated high school, I went to Mizzou to become a broadcast journalist. I talked to a couple of people in the field and they all said to go wherever the jobs are. I knew I wasn't the type of person [whose] career was going to drive them around the world, and I knew I was in the wrong place, so I talked to my parents, and they [said] that I’ve always loved teaching. I went to Missouri State University, [then got a job] in a small town called Buffalo just north of Springfield and I worked there for two years. After that, I decided to get my graduate degree in math, and I had an opportunity to get a grad assistantship where I could go to school and teach. We ended up moving here to St. Louis and I taught for 10 years in the Fort Zumwalt district, and then seven years here at Parkway West. The one piece of advice I always give students is that they will spend more waking hours of their adult life in their job than anything else they do; so find something that you're passionate about and something that you love. Oftentimes as an adult, I feel like I'm saying one thing and doing another thing, but that [advice] I feel like I'm truly living.” – Andrea Horn, Math](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DSC0040-1200x800.jpg)
![“I’m a captain [of the Varsity Cheerleading team]. I think it's fun and I like leading. In practice, we stretch [with] everyone and then we make up quarter and timeout [routines] for the games. It's kind of sad [that it is my last year here], but at the same time I'm excited for [what comes after high school]. I like the pep rallies. [One piece of advice is that] you should always be kind because you never know what someone's going through. You don't want to look back at your high school years and be like, ‘Why did I do that?’ So make sure you think everything through. I want to go to college. I'm looking [forward to either going to] Arizona [for college], but also Mizzou. I want to do something [in the] medical [field], but I want to do something with kids as well. I’m kind of scared, [but I would] probably do pre-med, [and become] a [pediatrician]. I've always liked helping [others] and being around little kids. I feel like it would be really rewarding to help little kids, especially if they're hurt and to make them feel better.” - Marissa Thomasson, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG_6783-1200x800.jpg)
![Applying epoxy to a broken car bumper, freshman Ruthvi Tadakamalla assists a Southern Technical (South Tech) student in the Auto Collision Repair program. Forty freshmen registered to tour the campus and participate in hands-on experiences to give them a taste of South Tech programs. “I learned that there [are] other careers I could do besides pre-med. Before I went, I wasn't thinking that I might like them, but I did like doing a lot of the things that we did,” Tadakamalla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2.jpg)
![“My parents were really involved with school for me, they would always ask about my grades and stress the importance of school. I think that contributed to my desire to do well in school and take hard classes and I think it’s going to be very helpful for me in the future. I was really looking for a city vibe in college, and I recently just committed to Loyola so it’s gonna be really nice to have Chicago so close to me. The campus is beautiful and really close to the lake. I didn’t want a huge school in a college so Loyola is perfect. I regret not sticking with some of the sports [I played growing up]. I did gymnastics until junior year and I feel like I could have done a lot more. I feel like there's unfinished business there. Someone that impacted me growing up was my older sister Abby, she was always there for me when I needed her and always encouraged me to aim high and pursue my passions. I’m looking forward to college because I’m gonna be in a new city and I’ll get to make new friends. I’m super excited to be on my own and start my future,” - Tristan Caudill, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DSC_0005-copy-900x680.jpg)
