I had my first dance recital when I was five years old. My mother likes to remind me that she thought I had the best costume: a black and white tulle dress, pink bows on my tap shoes and a feather in my...
Think you know the teachers of West High? While some of us may be shocked to learn teachers have lives outside of school, our teachers are filled with fun stories and incredible adventures. Take this quiz...
When West’s newest social studies teacher, Aaron Bashirian, graduated from college and got his degree in history, it would be almost two decades before he got to use it. Instead, Bashirian pursued his...
The hallway is silent and still except for the occasional wanderer in search of the water fountain. A second glance finds seniors Nell Jaskowiak and Deirdre Jost settled on the floor by the Latin room.
Jaskowiak...
After 14 years of educating, Spanish teacher Lauren Bernstein is leaving the field to pursue her new-found passion in SeneGence makeup and skincare sales. She started selling products for the company in...
We love our teachers, and to show them how much we admire them we commemorated them in starter pack-form. We gathered images that represent each person, as well as quotes, and put them in a quiz for all...
Pathfinder: What got you interested in teaching?
Symons: “I wanted to be a teacher since I was in high school. I realized I wanted to teach deaf and hard of hearing students, so I became a teacher...
What got you interested in teaching?
“I can’t say there was anything in particular. I played teacher/school as a kid. I think it was just always a passion and dream of mine.”
What class(es)...
Pathfinder: What is your job?
Hopkins: “I am a part-time French teacher. I do French I and French II, so I am here in the morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.”
What got you interested in teaching French?
“I...
Pathfinder: What got you interested in teaching?
Donaldson: "I had a few stand-out teachers in high school and college. What struck me is how they were able to take complex concepts, break them down...
![History teacher Aaron Bashirian plays a gig at a local fair in his hometown of Elroy, Wis. July 1998. “I would say [my music] is pop-y,” Bashirian said. “It’s a happy-go-lucky sort of pop. There are some rock elements to it but it really is just feel good, fun music.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mr.-B-Photo-001-900x600.jpg)
![Writing Greek prose on the whiteboard, seniors Nell Jaskowiak and Deirdre Jost practice their letters and accents during their independent study. Taking Greek enables Jost to better prepare for a variety of possible futures, both through the content itself and the skills she retains. “Greek actually has a whole bunch of different accent marks which is not something you have in English,” Jost said. “I feel like I'd like to take [another] language, maybe Spanish or French, in the future and having learned the Greek language with different alphabets and different accent marks might make it easier to learn that language, whatever it may be.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0002edited-1-900x600.jpg)
![Spanish teacher Lauren Bernstein promotes SeneGence tinted lotion to potential customers. After this year, Bernstein will be leaving the education field to pursue sales for these cosmetics. “This really provided an opportunity for me,” Bernstein said. “I do [feel empowered], both on the business sense of things and [the personal].”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Bernstein-makeup-900x600.jpg)
![Horn poses with her husband, her son Braydon and her daughter Mylah at Quail Ridge Park in Wentzville, MO. “I am married [to] a teacher and coach, and [we] have two kids,](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/horn-900x600.jpg)
![Senior Sri Jaladi helps a member of City Hope Shelter register for a COVID-19 vaccine notification. Jaladi has been conducting COVID-19 safety workshops at City Hope since the onset of the pandemic. “Even though people wear masks and their cots are spaced six feet apart [in the City Hope Shelter], social-distancing is not completely feasible in congregate shelters,” Jaladi said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/city-hope-300x225.jpeg)
![Posing at Longview Farm House, senior Sara Marks works with Project Unplugged’s wellness program to spread mindfulness. So far, Marks has written posts on insomnia, the benefits of journaling and the importance of self-help. “Before you can help other people you need to learn about yourself. I've found a lot of value sitting down and reminding myself of reality [through journaling],” Marks said. “I'm very blessed, and as much as school sucks, all your problems are so impermanent. When you look back, you're not gonna remember how hard this test was or this paper you wrote you're just gonna remember the people that you're with and how you felt. I think learning how to prioritize yourself is really important and then you can share the learning with others.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_4322-e1611029323946-300x317.png)
