After spending time with her grandparents twice a year, sophomore Sadie Burgess felt a connection far beyond Ballwin, Mo.
Burgess’ grandma was born and raised in India, where she attended...
At 9 months, I sat in my mom's arms and drank from a bottle. My grandparents and aunt traveled to China to help my mom. On Oct. 31, 2006, my mom adopted me in Chongqing. In November 2006, after three flights...
![“My freshman year [was my hardest] because that was the first year of high school and it was when COVID-19 hit. It definitely [shook] things up, and it's also the year that my dad's illness basically took over my life and changed it beyond belief. My dad was immunocompromised, so I had to constantly focus on [questioning whether I was sick and if it were contagious]. It was a lot for anybody to handle, let alone a teenager. During that time, I didn't have my drivers license, [so] I couldn't escape it. I [was really] spending a lot of time outside playing golf and focusing on college even though I was that young. My main motivation is showing that I can be good at something but still do better. Leave it better than you found it. That's sort of been [my motto ever since] my dad passed away because it changed my perspective. Death doesn't seem so far; It seems so close. You want to make the most [out] of what you want to do in your life.” - Kylie Secrest, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SecrestK12-1200x800.jpg)
![“Try your hardest and don’t give up. My parents and friends inspire me the most. My friends keep me happy when I’m at school, and outside of school. My parents give me courage to work through problems and they teach me passion [along] with confidence in my life. There's definitely times when I need them, [but] there are also times when I need one more than the other. A time where I needed them [the] most was when my grandpa died. I needed my friends and family for different moments during that point in my life. I’d say it helped a lot [because] they showed me that they loved and cared for me. I’d like to think [that] I show my friends and family that I [also] care about them. I’m always there if they need to talk to me, and I try to never leave their side [because] you never know what someone is going through. You just have to be patient and [be] positive with people.” - Dylan Davies, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DSC_0034-1200x800.jpg)
!["My favorite part of being on the softball team is definitely just having fun with all the girls. It’s so fun talking to them about everything and especially school-wise, because they’re older. So they can kind of help and answer questions because most of them have been in the same position. I would say I look up to all of them. I feel like they [are all] role models for the freshman. I think the hardest thing about playing softball is definitely the mental side of it. It's really hard not to [bring yourself down], but I think you just have to be confident and that will help a lot. When I have a slump, it's really difficult to get out of it. The upperclassmen, coaches, and my parents have helped a lot with my [struggles] . I feel like you just have to surround yourself with the right people that will help you." - Kennedy Shea, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-7629-1200x800.jpg)
![“My biggest joys are my family and friends, especially my brother, Miles. [Miles] brings me joy because he is my little brother, and he is a light in my life. [He] is my motivation for a lot of things. I love being around my friends; they make me happy. After school, we hang out or get something to eat and we sit and talk. That's my favorite thing to do, talk to my friends and be around them. We all support one another with everything that we're interested in. Being around my friends brings up my mood whenever I'm sad. The people around me are my passion in life.” - Mya Rangel, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/myarangel-900x600.jpg)
![“My favorite place to be is my lake house because I grew up spending my summers there. I go there every summer with my friends and family. I've made a lot of friends that also have summer [lake] houses there. I have strong relationships with some of the friends I made there. I consider them my family. My favorite memories are going wakeboarding with all my friends there and spending the whole day on the lake,” - Casey Bowman, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image1-6-900x600.jpg)
![“Every year, my family makes this special food for Christmas, because it's related to my [South-Indian] culture. It's called Piti, which is dough made with rice flour that's rolled into balls and then cooked in water. It forms a soup that you eat with a meat curry. My dad mainly [makes] the food, but everyone in my family is involved in the process of rolling the dough. I'm Orthodox Christian, and Christmas and Easter are the two main holidays, [so we] usually make it twice a year after church. We observe Lent during both holidays, so we avoid meat and fast for the days leading up to Christmas and Easter.” - Angela Raju, 11](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Angela--900x600.jpg)
