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
“My aunt is an educator. She was education assistant superintendent in a district in Illinois. So growing up not only her but my family in general, my parents and my dad always encouraged me to do different things and seek out the best path for myself but her and education-wise, I kind of mimicked her path when it came to grad school and pursuing my doctorate. She greatly influenced me with all of that. I regret not getting involved in more like clubs when I was in high school. I played sports for the most part. In my high school, you'd have to choose between one of the two. Originally, I always wanted to be in education administration. I wanted to be athletic director. When I first went to school, it was my first go. After being in school and going to grad school and seeing the job of some of the athletic directors and the amount of time they have to put in after school, for supervising activities and other things, changed my focus to the principal route. I found the principal route gives you an opportunity to have a more, more of a positive impact on a large number of students. Everybody doesn't play athletics or do activities. Everybody does go to school. So you have to figure out ways to best, you know, make students as successful as they can in this role,” Heavens said.

Jamaal Heavens, Principal

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 27, 2023

“I first got interested in baking when I was in third grade. My aunt is a baker and she would always come down to teach me. I started out with cookies and cupcakes then as I got older, I wanted to look more into pastry baking like strudels, croissants, and macrons. I really like the science behind it, like knowing why the ingredients react or don't react with each other. Baking just makes me happy. I like to share it with people and then it's always a good gift to give to somebody or just a good way to get to know somebody if you don't know them that well. Make something for them to learn what they like,” - Haven Suzda, 9

Haven Suzda

Hannah Jacquin, Staff Writer • March 26, 2023

“Everyone here at Parkway West High School keeps telling me I am famous [from a TikTok that went viral]. They [students and staff] stop me in the hallways asking for my autograph. That takes a lot to get accustomed to, but I enjoy the noticed honor. My major at the University of Texas – Austin was a clear path. I married while in College and relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas with my husband; and later, to St. Louis, Missouri. I finished my undergraduate degree at Harris Stowe University here in St. Louis and began my first Mathematics Teacher assignment at Hanley Junior High School in the University City Public Schools. My mother, Mrs. Bernice Barbara Nash Jackson, Deceased was the greatest inspiration to become a teacher. My aunt, Dr. Myrtle Elliott Hightower, and Dr. Todd Elliott, Deceased shared in that distinction. My uncle, Dr. Elliott was a Mathematics Teacher. His love of Mathematics inspired me to show an interest in the subject. I do regret not pursuing being a High School Band Director. I love playing different instruments. I began in the Band at South Oak Cliff High School, Dallas, Texas. I have pleasant thoughts of being Majorette Captain of my High School Marching Band,” - Mrs.McNeal, math

Deborah McNeal, Math

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 17, 2023

“I worked very hard in high school academically, athletically, and in extracurriculars. Having all of that come together and getting into my "reach" college was a pretty proud moment. All of that said, I am probably most proud of something much more simple: being nice to people. I learned compassion and empathy from my mom at a young age and the importance and power of just being nice always resonated. I had many teachers along the way [that got me into teaching]. I am thankful that I became an educator. I get to learn and grow through my job on a daily basis. I get to work with students, teachers, and parents to find ways to best support the students that are the future of our community. In those ways, my job is very fulfilling and rewarding,” - Mario Pupillo, Assistant Principal

Mario Pupillo, Principal

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 15, 2023

“We have a lot of expectations now that we’re in high school; people can drive and get jobs. There are a lot more responsibilities, especially if you have younger siblings who you have to babysit. Some people have a lot of chores they have to complete on top of homework and extracurricular activities. Starting freshman year, you start thinking about college so much more. Grades now are so important. They weren't as important in middle school, but now, you have to consider GPA, all your school involvement and clubs.” - Sydney Caudill, 9

Sydney Caudill

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor • March 13, 2023

Sydney Etchason

Sydney Etchason

Ava Griswold, CJ1 Writer • March 10, 2023

“A lesson that has stuck with me throughout my whole life is to always outwork the person next to you. Whether it’s athletics or school, work hard, and work harder than the person next to you. As an educator, I know that my job is never finished and I’ve got to continue to work harder and harder to help students. I’m most proud to be a teacher when I have a former athlete or student reach out to me and tell me about their successes. That makes me feel like a proud parent and a proud teacher. My mom always talked about when I was a little kid. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I got to high school I thought I wanted to be a PE or history teacher because I wanted to coach basketball. My high school basketball coach said to do something that will make you more marketable, so you’ll more likely get a job out of college. I was always really good at English, I loved reading and writing, so I just followed that passion and advice. The best compliment I’ve ever gotten is when I get letters from my students saying how much they enjoy my teaching and that I actually helped them enjoy English class. One of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher and a coach is because a lot of the time the teachers and coaches I came from weren’t always great, and I wanted to be an example of what they were not,” - Casey Holland, English

Casey Holland, English

Ava Griswold, CJ1 Writer • March 9, 2023

“I’m passionate about school and baseball and have faced many challenges in both. With school last semester, my science class was very difficult, I felt like I had to learn the [lessons] by myself. And with baseball, when I was in seventh grade, I sprained my elbow pitching. I felt sad that I couldn’t play, but I learned how much having an injury can suck. My dad is the most influential person to me, he has taught me to work hard in order to reach my goals in baseball, school, and life. In my freshman year, I only got one B, it felt very good because I worked hard and it paid off. [I’m motivated] to do well in school, so that I can make good money when I come out of college and retire early. Right now, Rose Hulman sounds like a good college to help me reach those goals. The school has a good engineering [program], and I could play baseball there. In the future I want to be able to relax, provide for my kids and play with my dogs," -Colin Hughes, 10

Colin Hughes

Ava Griswold, CJ1 Writer • March 8, 2023

“I’ve always struggled in school. I’ve never been a straight-A student and always got the ‘you’re not stupid, you just need to work harder than others’ speech. I have an IEP and it impacts my life because being someone who has to leave the class for tests or always gets a little more time on assignments definitely is a challenge in my life. It’s hard because you always feel judged no matter what you are doing. It makes people think of you as less than you are, but in the past years, I’ve gotten used to the way my school life works. I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter and everyone has their own struggles in life. I have a great support system and even though sometimes school is a huge struggle for me it feels great to accomplish the challenges that I’ve faced,” - Audrey Leahy, 11

Audrey Leahy

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 7, 2023

“I'm very proud of my field hockey career and how far I've come in only three and a half years. I think that a lot of people have been doing a sport for years and years and they don't go anywhere with it. I feel like by talking to colleges and [field hockey] practices and managing, school, seven clubs, and field hockey four times a week, I think my time management has really grown in the past three years," - Mj Surtain, 11

MJ Surtin

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 6, 2023

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