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
As the Trump administration cracks down on immigration, it scapegoats many immigrants for the United States’ plights, precipitating a possible genocide. Sophomore Annabella Whiteley moved from the United Kingdom when she was eight. “It’s pretty scary because I’m on a visa. When my visa expires next year, I’m not sure what’s going to happen, especially with [immigration] policies up in the air, so it is a concern for my family,” Whiteley said.

E pluribus unum?

Sage Kelly, Features/News Editor • May 28, 2025

I spent March 29 watching “Schindler’s List,” a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. It follows entrepreneur Oskar Schindler as he navigates the Holocaust in Nazi Germany and attempts to profit off...

Senior Michael Emerson exchanges ideas with junior Will Gonsoir in history class. They discussed immigration as the topic of their debate. “I really enjoyed the experience. I think it opened my mind to new ideas, and that’s what matters at the end of day,” Emerson said.

Pathfinder Debates: Immigration

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst • May 9, 2024

  Senior Raj Jaladi: Welcome to another episode of Pathfinder Debates, a series where we gather two different opposing views in a political debate. I'm Raj Jaladi, a senior here at Parkway...

Senior Sahana Gujja and her mom proudly hold up a diploma at her mother’s graduation. Gujja’s mom graduated from the University of Illinois Springfield under a student visa, where she completed her second master’s degree. “I remember feeling excited and happy for her when they called her name, and she walked up towards the stage,” Gujja said. “I saw her study hard for the past two years before that while taking care of me simultaneously, and I was just really proud that she was a good mother. She is a great mother, and she accomplished everything she hoped for at the same time.”

Silent Struggles of Immigrant Children

Tanvi Kulkarni, Features Editor • May 3, 2022

Anyone who has taken an American history course has heard of the melting pot analogy. Immigration has always been central to American history, and even today, America welcomes people from around the globe....

Freshman Sabrina Urdaneta and her friends pose in front of her house in Cuba. The house was where Urdaneta lived before she left for America, close to the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. “All of the walls were rusty and the tiles were falling off. The floor was dirty, but in Cuba - where I lived - my house was considered a really nice house which is crazy to think about, coming to the United States and seeing what a house here looks like,” Urdaneta said.

Año nuevo, vida nueva

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief • January 21, 2022

Most people in America would think a pink toothbrush printed with beaming, blushing Disney princesses on the side is nothing out of the ordinary. Most people wouldn’t think twice about seeing a new electric...

As Joe Biden’s approval numbers continue to plummet, does our school feel the same way?

Biden’s performance: Analysis from a student perspective

Thomas Bruns, Opinions/A&E editor • November 15, 2021

I’m sure you’ve probably seen the countless articles on CNN or Fox about President Joe Biden’s plummeting approval rating. Between a botched Afghanistan military withdrawal, an immigration crisis...

Sophomore Ahmad Kaziz works in his math class before school. Kaziz is working towards a career in the medical field by getting good grades in his classes. “The education in America is a lot more competitive than in Saudi Arabia,” Kaziz said. “That’s why I work hard and get help from my teachers every day so I can make the best of the opportunities I have in the United States.”

Sophomore Ahmad Kaziz puts America first to gain better opportunities

Sammy Hildebrand, Convergence Journalism Writer • February 18, 2020

Sophomore Ahmad Kaziz and his family made the decision to move to the United States from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, enduring a  21-hour flight that promised a future of educational benefits and the ability...

Senior Umeera Farooq goes through college application papers with her parents at the dinner table. Farooq’s parents, who immigrated to America, struggled with assisting her through the application process. “My parents have not attended college, and I’m a first-generation college student,” Farooq said. “it’s gotten easier especially because I know now I’ve grown so I can help myself.”

The struggles of second-generation immigrants in the college application process

Sara Albarcha, Staff Writer • January 27, 2020

Acronyms like ACT, SAT, FAFSA and CSS are overwhelming, especially for those whose parents are non-native English speakers. For seniors Umeera Farooq and Nayeon Ryu, this is a struggle they have dealt...

Staring ahead, sophomores Camila Angulo, senior Hira Khan, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez and senior Kinza Awais stand together at school. Although they feel mostly accepted at school, they face discrimination at times due to their religions and identity as immigrants. “It doesn’t happen as much at West, but I definitely get it sometimes where it doesn’t happen to my face. I’d rather have people say it to my face, so I can give them a chance to explain themselves, and I can have a chance to explain myself,” Khan said. “I’ve heard behind my back, whether I’m sitting in class, or just in the halls, that someone either will point out that I look different or has said something to me. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of terrorist jokes made at me.”

Seniors Kinza Awais and Hira Khan share students’ stories of immigration

Sabrina Bohn, Managing Editor-in-Chief • December 10, 2018

While most students would groan at the thought of an English project, seniors Kinza Awais and Hira Khan used the opportunity to address a topic they care about by creating a video raising awareness about...