![Scrolling on eBay, sophomore Ryder Williams searches the app for different shoe styles. Williams credits the impact his completion of business and finance courses have had to gain his financial success, as well as his Personal Finance teacher, Andy Croley. “Croley helped me a lot in getting to know more about profit and where to put the money. [He] also [taught me] how to store my money, ways to invest it [and] that I should always have emergency funds,” Williams said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ryder-fea-3-1200x800.jpg)
![“I started [cheering] 10 years [ago and] I would do camps as a kid. I really like cheering at ‘Friday night lights’ [football games] and getting the student section hyped up. Tryouts were really stressful because my sports overlapped each other so I spent a lot of time at home practicing. Learning the material took four days, and then [the] actual tryouts were only maybe an hour [long. My favorite memory] from the season so far is my first Friday night lights game. [Cheer has taught me] that hard work pays off and I'd [tell someone who’s considering trying out] that it's really fun if you put in the work. You need to believe that you can do good and if you put in the work, then [the results] will turn out better than you expect.”- Emily Jordan, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/DSC_6874-Payton-Dean-1200x798.jpg)
![“I've always been into [doodling] with pencils and ink. I used to watch YouTube drawing tutorials and [tried] to copy them. I had so much fun with that, but I felt like I was never [that] good [at art]; it made me lose motivation to draw. If I don't feel motivated to draw, I don't force myself to. I want drawing to be fun for me. I feel like every time I start again I'm better than when I left. People can [create] art really fast but I'll sit there for hours and not be [finished] with the smallest [detail.] I learned to have patience [and] take my time. I used to try to get [fancy] materials. I was so stuck in the mindset that I needed [more supplies] to get better. I would get it and then feel discouraged because [my art quality] would be the same. Be patient with yourself. You don't need fancy materials to [make astounding] art. You can just use a wooden pencil and draw an amazing piece. I enjoy making beautiful [pieces] that have a message [behind it.] It's rewarding to see hours of work pay off as the final piece comes together.” - Morgan Summa, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0034-1200x800.jpg)
![“I started boxing two years ago [and it] positively impacted my life by getting me in better shape and getting me healthier. [It] changed my lifestyle because back then, I didn't have much to do, [but] now my life is more busy and whenever I'm bored I can just go to boxing. [My favorite part of being at the gym] is sparring, because I like to [fight] people. [While training for a match] we do a bunch of sparring, cardio work, running and sprinting. [Becoming a professional boxer] is an option but I don't think it's my major goal. But If I ever decide I want to, then I guess I'll work way harder and make sure that when the time comes, I'll have enough skill to become a professional boxer. Before I step into the ring for a fight, I get nervous and think about what everyone who’s watching is going to think and if the outcome isn’t what I want it to be. During [my first fight] I won the Golden Gloves Championship of St. Louis, and it was the best moment of my life. If you lose, move on and work harder, it’s nothing to be ashamed of [because] everyone will sometimes lose.” - Musab Safi, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MDB_2629-1200x800.jpg)
![“My proudest moment was probably getting the lead role [as the narrator] in our school play, ‘Puffs’. I thought I wasn’t going to get a role and I was kind of nervous. I was doubting myself. But then when I got it, I was excited and proud of myself. The play was a ‘Harry Potter’ parody. It’s all about the Hufflepuffs and the crazy seven years of magic school. My favorite part about being the narrator [was] probably the rehearsals and all my long lines that [were tongue twisters and] [used to] mess up. It was really funny and it helped me know what I need to work on [in aspects of my acting]. I was excited to see how far I got [during the show dates] and I’m excited to see [how far I go] in the future.” - Kanya Livingston, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/DSC_0231-1-1200x801.jpg)
![“I went through a sport-ending injury. There was a lot of time where I questioned coming back to my sport because of how separated I felt from my team and all the complications that came with my surgery and physical therapy. It just felt like a lot was holding me back and that I shouldn't even attempt to come back to my sport but [I had to] push past that. I've been playing soccer for 12 years. If I wanted to come back and play soccer, which I love, I had to rush past the pain and the mental part of not being ready to come back. I value hard work and always push myself to the limit because, if you're not putting in 100% you won't get anything out of it. You have your highs and lows but it's up to you whether or how you react to them, and [the circumstances] will get better. This is just a period in your life, [and it’s] tough. But you have to work really hard. You have to [do what you] want to get past it to feel better.” - Hanna Jacquin, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Option-1--1200x800.jpg)
![“Sophomore year is going pretty well. I like how there's more freedom and electives [that] you can choose rather than freshman-year electives [that are required]. I'm taking Intro to Culinary Arts, German, and Interior Design. Next semester I'm taking Design Arts. A good part of freshman year was my fashion class and [how] we learned how to sew pillowcases and then used a sewing machine. We also learned a little bit about interior design. My favorite part though, was joining the water polo team. I like how it's a tough sport that makes you train really hard, but [also helps to] push yourself so you don't give up easily. My parents kind of dragged me into it. They [suggested] that I should do it, and kind of pressured me a little bit. At first when I joined it, I hated it so much. But then, eventually, I grew to love it.” - Katie Morelli, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/KatieMorelli10-1200x800.jpg)
![“The best thing that you can do for yourself is dress the way you want, talk the way you want, and be as social as you possibly can. Just be as happy, positive, and expressive as possible, love each other, and be confident about that. [A way I express myself is through] art. I'm an artist in so many ways, I work with a bunch of different media. I write songs, I sing in a band, I play the bass, I just really love music. Every person is unique and can be an artist as long as they base their art around their experiences. [My art is about my] childhood, and social experiences [because] I know that can be a really big connector with people who have gone through things like that. I just really love being able to love [on] other people.” - Faith Kothe, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1-FaithKothe11-1200x800.jpg)
![”Sophomore year is going really well. I have gotten so many opportunities this year and [it has been] a big step up from last year. I didn't think that was possible. I [enjoy] playing guitar in [a] jazz band. It has led me to have more guitar [playing] skills. I get to learn how to play good riffs and get more familiar with the fretboard, which is something that I wasn't able to do by myself without a push. I love the guitar because all my idols play it, like Jimi Hendrix [and] anybody who has ever play[ed] guitar, like Rick Rubin. My band teacher has [pushed me] because I wasn’t familiar with any of the [chords] charts. I didn't even even know how to read music before this year, so that was pretty cool just to be forced into that and learn music theory. [Advice I have for new musicians is to] practice as hard as you can build up those calluses. Got to make it hurt and then you’ll be fine.” - Addison Smith, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AddisonSmith10-1200x800.jpg)
![“Even though I really love performing and practicing every day, my favorite part about the dance team has to be the people on the team and the bonds that I've made the past two years. That's really what's kept me coming back. I've made friendships on Longhorn Line that will last a long time and I have met my best friends through dance. This year, I'm taking harder classes than I did last year. So, my biggest fear going into sophomore year was having too much homework and having to either pull back on the amount of dance that I was doing on the dance team or quit dance altogether in order to get all my work done. Around this time last year, I dislocated my shoulder during a performance. It took me out of dance for a really long time while I tried to rehabilitate my shoulder. It was really hard for me because I couldn't move my arm at all. I pretty much lost any strength I had in my arm. I had to get it all back and it took a really long time. I had to work everyday to get my strength back. It was a struggle for me because I couldn't dance and I literally had to dance with one arm. A struggle for me right now is balancing everything that's going on in my life, like studio, Longhorn Line and homework. It’s hard because I try to make sure I get all my homework done, but also knowing all my routines and [being able to] go to practices and studio every night. I’m happiest at studio dance because that's where all my best friends are. When you go to the studio each night you can forget anything that happened during your day. It's kind of like a little escape from the rest of your life or whatever is happening at that moment.” - Lila Kayser, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DSC_0002-1200x800.jpg)
![Performing as Nibs in “Lost Girl,” junior Avery Hermann inspects a drawing of Neverland made by the show’s main character, Wendy Darling. Hermann not only acted in “Lost Girl”, but he also served as assistant director of the show. “I found ‘Lost Girl’ to be a beautiful and touching story, and I’m really glad I got to be a part of it. My favorite part of the show [was] my work as assistant director. I spent a lot of time working with every [cast member] on character, deliveries and emotional development. It was so amazing to see these brilliant actors come to life on stage in such a colorful way,” Hermann said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC_1258-Enhanced-NR-1-1200x798.jpg)
![Gazing up from the stage, junior Joseph McCurdy who played Peter Pan in the school play, Lost Girl, sits next to senior Juliana Rogers, who plays Wendy Darling, during a theater rehearsal. McCurdy’s passion for theater began when he observed a West High production in middle school. “I've been in the high school theater program since I was a freshman. I've always loved theater, but [what prompted me to join] was [when] I went to see [a performance here] when I was in middle school, and it was super cool,” McCurdy said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_6535-1200x798.jpeg)
Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, Parkway West’s theater department traveled through the life of Wendy Darling, in their newest production. “Lost Girl,”...
From down the hall, bursts of laughter and applause spill out of a classroom unlike a typical history class. Inside, instead of sitting through...