- June 5On to the next
- May 22The fun in finance
- May 22Photo of the Week - May 22
- May 22Spring in action: A look into West's 2026 spring sports season
- May 21French en route
- May 19Sarah Johnson
- May 19Crime, class and consequence
- May 18Athletes of West - Alexander Berryhill
- May 15What Happens Next
- May 15An empty table
![Wearing heavy Roman armor and holding a chief, senior Nick Cook talks to eighth graders about the Latin program at West High. Latin teacher Tom Herpel offered Cook the opportunity. “I had some of the students dressed up in tunics, [and Cook] was in Roman armor. I had them walking around giving flyers to people with general information about Latin, as well as allowing them to talk to kids and give a play-by-play of what we do in class,” Herpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DSC_5386-2-1200x800.jpg)
![“[I think being a teacher comes] from a place of experience, where we all enjoyed high school. It had a meaningful impact on us, which was [the case] for me. I had a lot of good mentors in high school, and seeing the opportunity, the impact that they could make, I think [that was] what inspired me. [It] definitely goes back to one teacher in particular [that] I had in eighth grade, he was a huge role model for me, and somebody who I was so appreciative of what he did for me. I figured if I could do even a fraction of what he did I feel like I would be very fulfilled [in] myself, and so there's just that aspect of wanting to do something meaningful every day.” - Kaleb Schumer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9428-1200x800.jpeg)
![“My family always [put] it in my ear that I really should be a teacher. Two of my sisters are teachers, and I’ve always [enjoyed] explaining [a range of topics]. A place I was working [at] in the health field shut down, and my mom was like, ‘it’s a sign [that] you need to go back to school to get your master’s in education,’ and so I applied at Maryville. I’m proud of my mom. She’s sort of a scrappy person, who is also a good mother and managed to raise us girls while being pretty politically active. My personal value of hard work [is something that matters most to me]. I’m a hard worker [and] I value that in other people. It’s important to me to give it your all, do your best, prepare, and work. I think my students expect to be perfect all the time, but [in reality,] you’re at school to practice and to get better, not to be an expert [from square one]. I feel like [students] sometimes value results rather than respecting themselves for their work. Work hard and be satisfied.” - Sally Steininger, Science](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/KellyS_SteiningerS1-Sage-Kelly-1200x801.jpg)
![The narrow lens contrasts with a diverse reality; whitewashing means altering or concealing something to make it more appealing to white people. The word “whitewashed” as it is used today has caused identity crises for thousands, if not millions, of students. “I have been called whitewashed before, and it feels very sad. [It’s] just hard because it makes me not know who I am. You don’t get a lot of backlash for [saying it], so I think it’s a throwaway term for people who aren’t affected by it. When you are the person [who] is being called whitewashed, over time, it builds up,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5740-1-300x200.jpg)
![Two of Pathfinder’s most recent editorial accolades shine on display in journalism teacher Lindsey Katz’s room. Pathfinder was recognized as a SNO Distinguished Site on April 24. “Praise isn’t everything, but it feels so nice to see the hard work of our staff recognized. So much more than just writing words on a page occurs [in journalism], and I am so glad people see that. I love being surrounded by such talented writers, but also such great people,” editor-in-chief and junior Payton Dean said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/DSC_4941-300x200.jpg)
![There are more than 20 open cardio machines at Crunch Fitness. I enjoyed the spacious environment at Crunch, a sentiment that was shared by sophomore Sanjana Daggubati. “[Going to] Crunch Fitness was the right decision because [it] feels more professional. Crunch’s workers are laid back, but not to the point where they don't care,” Daggubati said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_5242-1-300x225.jpg)
![Setting up the activity for his first meeting, Financial Literacy Club founder and sophomore Yash Bandiananthaiah writes on the whiteboard. For the first meeting, Bandiananthaiah created an interactive experience for members to immerse themselves in. “To me, the most important thing during a meeting is to make sure we are all engaged and participating, and [I do this by] always making sure we have a hands-on activity,” Bandiananthaiah said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC5306-1200x798.jpg)
![Hand raised into the air, senior Lauren Anstrom watches as her graduation cap flies along with the caps of all her peers. Anstrom hopes to leave behind the legacy as someone who was kind, hardworking, and always supportive of others. “Tossing my graduation cap honestly felt surreal. In that moment, everything hit me at once with all the excitement, relief and a little sadness too. It felt really emotional [because] this was the end of such a big chapter of my life, but also exciting knowing that everyone was about to start a completely new journey,” Anstrom said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_3031-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Blair Hopkins enters City Coffee & Creperie in Clayton, Mo. for breakfast with her Honors French 4 students and AP French 5 students. Both classes went on a field trip to a fair trade chocolate factory in St. Louis to begin their unit on Côte D’Ivoire, a major producer of cocoa beans. “My ideal school would just be the Magic School Bus — you would always learn about things by going someplace and learning hands-on, being able to see it yourself and asking people questions. I think [learning is] always so much more memorable if you can experience it firsthand,” Hopkins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC2795-1200x798.jpg)