northwest passage special edition: senior magazine
DESCRIPTION
The Northwest Passage Special Edition: Senior Magazine, 2013TRANSCRIPT
VOL. 44 + ISSUE 11 + MAY 10, 2013
This Year in Photos // 04Destinations // 12Influential Seniors // 15 + PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MIKALA COMPTON
Shawnee Mission Northwest12701 W. 67th St., Shawnee, Kan., 66216
ASHLEE CRANE, PAIGE WALTMAN, DAVIS MILLARD, BAILEY KOPP, MIKALA COMPTON, MAC COOK,EDELAWIT HUSSIEN, AARON MESSICK, SAM BELLMYER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ASHLEE CRANEDESIGN: BAILEY KOPP
PHOTO: MIKALA COMPTONCOPY: MAC COOK
ADS: PAIGE WALTMANADVISER: SUSAN MASSY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
04 THIS YEAR IN PHOTOSSee photos that defined the school year.
06 CURRENTLY: GRAD EDITIONSee statistics, quotes and facts about the senior class
07 THE ONE THING I LEARNED IN GYM CLASSAcceptance and love are the most important things to carry with you through life.
07 A NEW IDENTITYDecisions made in high school are learning experiences.
08 GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD SUPPORTIn order to accomplish your dreams, you need to surround yourself with supportive people.
08 RACING TO NOWHEREHigh school isn’t a competition.
09 THE SHOW MUST GO ONHiding behind smile won’t get you anywhere in life.
09 NO MORE PETER PARKERA chance encounter while in Africa changed my perspective on life.
10 YOU WON'T MISS THISHigh school is the worst time of your life, but things will get better.
10 LEARNING TO DEALSome things you just can’t control.
12 DESTINATIONSSee plans for every graduate next year.
15 INFLUENTIAL SENIORSThe top 10 most influential seniors discuss their time in high school.
22 THEN AND NOWSee how media trends have changed over the years.
23 ADVICE FROM THE CLASS OF 2013Seniors offer advice to underclassmen.
24 SENIOR SONGLyrics and photos of senior Davis Millard’s performance of the senior song.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
04 NW PASSAGE // SENIOR MAGAZINE
+ MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Jerad Carson getting yelled at by Coach Barnett" — Hunter Bruders
When Andy Marshall climbed out of the window in English class junior year" — Mackenzie Daniels
Mr. Pabst's senior IB English class"— Sarah Hansen
Sophomore year we pierced a kid's ear in seminar" — Rachel Hoelting
Taking the last bow for Gypsy" — Gabby Rehor
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+01 Senior Marcus McNeace celebrates after the second-to-last game on Feb. 22 at Northwest. The Cougars won 72-56. PHOTO BY NATE COMPTON
+02 Flinching, Senior Carlos Castaneda prepares to give blood on Nov. 6 in the gym. PHOTO BY MONICA CASTELLON
+03 Sophomore Brooke Nelson dances at the Spring Special on May 3 in the auditorium. PHOTO BY MIKALA COMPTON
+04 Senior Kaitlyn Nguyen cheers during the first football game of the season at SM South on Aug. 31. PHOTO BY BRITTANY BONSIGNORE
+05 Student Council parliamentarian Raegan Wilks informs juniors Sam Gross and Connor Johnson that they are the new president and vice-president; they react to the news on March 7 in the library. Gross and Johnson have served as class president and vice president for the last three years. “[When we found out], I immediately thought of many swear words and, in my mind, I was jumping on the table,” Gross said, “but I had to keep my cool.” PHOTO BY BRITTANY BONSIGNORE
+06 Senior Jerad Carson cheers at the Bonfire on Aug. 30 in the gym. “My favorite part of Bonfire was when the whole school was screaming ‘We are Northwest.’ I have never seen so much school spirit come out of N-dub,” Carson said. PHOTO BY MIKALA COMPTON
+07 Junior McKayla Ross shoots a lay-up in the gym on Dec. 6 at the girls’ basketball game against SM East. The Cougars won 58-48. “I always feel focused and am thinking about what I can do next to help my team score,” Ross said. PHOTO BY KYLE TONG
+08 Senior Galen Gossman passes the ball to a teammate at during a boys’ soccer game at ODAC on Sept. 22. The Cougars won 4-0. “Personally, I think I could have stepped up a little more and scored more goals, but I had a solid season,” Gossman said. “I feel like from the beginning of the season to the end, we just grew so much as a team. Everyone played at a high level in the end when it really counted, and we earned ourselves a plaque for the school.” PHOTO BY NATE COMPTON
+09 Junior Andrew Moss plays the trombone during the first jazz band concert of the year. PHOTO BY CLARA DAVISON
+10 Just crossing the finish line, sophomore Carson Wapp finishes her race at the State cross country meet on Oct. 27 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Wapp earned 57th place with a final time of 16:34.60. “I was so happy when I finished because I honestly thought I was going to die,” Wapp said. “Being on the cross country team was a really good experience because I made a lot of new friends. I love the passion that all of the runners have for what they do.” PHOTO BY CARLEIGH WHITMAN
+11 Junior Kristoph Geis plays the part of Trever Grayson in the fall musical Thoroughly Modern Millie on Nov. 1-3 in the Greg Parker Auditorium. The musical’s cast rehearsed for 12 weeks prior to the play. PHOTO BY ADDISON SHERMAN
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05MAY 10, 2013
Walking with my brother for Homecoming court" — Caitlin Chen
Crying my eyes out when Laphonso won State" — Carly Johnson
Mr. Stubenrauch broke a desk trying to wake Ryan Ellis up" — Zach Protzmann
When Andrew Banks fell asleep in orchestra and we built a fort of chairs around him and turned off the lights and left him in the empty room for lunch while we videotaped him" — Sam Shreve
06NW PASSAGE // SENIOR MAGAZINE
+ MOSTMEMORABLEMOMENT
When Clark Anderson's shirt got ripped off and all you saw was hair" — Rena Soller
Going to Chicago with Orchestra" — Jackson Gulick
The J-1 field trip to KU" — Baili McPheeters
Finding out I only had four classes second semester of senior year" — Miles Manson
Dinner with Mr. Poplau" — A.J. Mendoza
SENIOR EDITION
YOU CAN'T LOSE HEART, OR GROW CYNICAL IF
THERE ARE TWISTS AND TURNS ON YOUR JOURNEY.
THE CYNICS MAY BE THE LOUDEST VOICES—BUT I PROMISE YOU,
THEY WILL ACCOMPLISH THE LEAST. IT'S THOSE FOLKS WHO STAY AT IT, THOSE WHO DO THE
LONG, HARD, COMMITTED WORK OF CHANGE THAT GRADUALLY
PUSH THIS COUNTRY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND MAKE THE MOST
LASTING DIFFERENCE,"— President Barack Obama in a
commencement speech to the Ohio State University class of 2013 on May 6.
English ORSocial studies?
Scantron OREssay test?
Math OR Science?
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Out of 408 total students in the graduating class, 64% are staying in Kansas to attend college
now trending at nw:YOLOSWAGTHESTRUGGLEFADEDFOREVERALONEYAKLETSGETWEIRD
GETITDONESCOOTERTRUMERICAFIRSTWORLDPROBSTTTWITHEYBLOCKPARTYREALTALK
''H ey, I need you to do me a favor,” I told one of my only good friends in my gym
class, just days before my final week of being a Cougar.
“Sure, anything,” she said. “I need you to look out for” — we will call her Katelyn — “for me when I’m gone,” I said.
My friend looked confused at first, but then she realized exactly what I meant.
Let me preface this story by saying that it took me until the very end of senior year to learn the importance of tolerance and acceptance.
You see, Katelyn was what some would consider a “strange” girl. She seemed socially awkward, and although she was extremely friendly and always excited to talk to anyone, she was an outcast. A pariah, just because she was a little different from everyone in gym class.
“I hate gym class so much,” she told me the other day.
She then proceeded to tell me all the names that the girls at school called her, and to be honest, I wasn’t shocked by their cruelty: I know how vicious teenagers can be, but in the end, I couldn’t imagine what Katelyn had been going through since she began high school.
I told her that it was awful what had happened to her, and that she certainly didn’t deserve it. My best advice at that moment was to ignore it, which I’m sure she had already been doing that since the beginning of the year. I assured her that it would get better, but I’m sure it was hard for her to believe that the torture would ever end.
While I have never been the victim of constant or particularly vicious bullying, I know what it’s like to be different. Coming into school knowing hardly anyone was one of the most terrifying things I have had to do. I was afraid to put myself out there, simply because I didn’t want to be that “strange” girl.
And I will be the first to admit that I was,
at one point, a bully. Maybe I wasn’t pushing people around or calling people names, but I have occasionally joined in when making fun of someone who was a little different, or at least not stepped in when I saw a person struggling with bullies.
I’m not sure if it was getting older and maturing, or if I just had a sudden epiphany and change of perspective, but this year, I have realized just how important each and every person is in the world. Everyone is put on this Earth to fulfill a certain goal, and we have all been made differently and given specific talents to be able to accomplish these goals.
While Katelyn might not be the “coolest” girl in school, I know she has many talents that I didn’t see on first glance. I only learned more about this amazing girl through talking to her. It’s a shame that I am the only person in that class who talks to her, which is something she brought to my attention last week.
I just want all girls and guys who are struggling to find their place in this school to know that it really does get better. Freshman year was the most troublesome year of highschool for me by far, and, even as a senior, I still haven’t figured it out completely. But before you even know it, you will begin to find a place, and life will get so much easier. It just takes time and patience.
And to all of those who bully or judge, I just want you to know that you can overcome the urge to tear those around you down. It may seem like it’s something you need to do to fit in, but trust me when I say that getting along with everyone and making friends with every person that you meet is so much more spiritually satisfying.
I can’t express how important acceptance and love are in high school. I’m just disappointed that it took me all four years at Northwest to realize that every life is precious, and every person that you know has a story that is worth hearing.
THE ONE THING I LEARNED IN
GYM CLASS+ Ashlee Crane + Mikala Compton
A NEW IDENTITYOn the first day of high school, I was terrified. I was coming from
a Catholic school that I’d been attending since preschool. I’d been with the same 75 students for nine years, and that was all about to change. Only about 15 of us were moving on to Northwest.
I spent my middle school years obsessing over movies that portrayed high school as a shark tank, and I mentally prepared myself to be the bait. The only thing I thought I knew about high school is that it would be full of cliques and that I’d be struggling to fit in.
That wasn’t the case at all. I started to break out of my shell. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and started talking in all of my classes. Soon I had somewhere to sit at lunch and friends to hang out with on the weekends. I was expecting high school to be cliquey, but it actually helped me see that my grade school was cliquey.
High school helped me escape from my old identity and form a new one. Almost no one knew anything about me. It took some time but I learned to be comfortable in my own skin and was accepted for being me. As a timid, soft-spoken freshman, I never would have imagined that I would be on Prom Court or considered someone that underclassmen could look up to.
For better or for worse, I’ve changed. I’ve made decisions that I’m not proud of and some that I can look back at and smile. I’ve learned how to make friends with strangers. I’ve learned how to find the beauty in something ordinary through photography, how to be a leader and that gaining something you’ve wanted is ten times better if you work towards it and wait patiently to get it.
I’ve learned how to make tough decisions, how to pray and how to love. I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel broken and that you can’t be anyone’s savior, no matter how much you wish you could be. I’ve learned that you don’t need a boyfriend to feel whole. I’ve learned how to hold my feelings in, and let my feelings out. I’ve learned that the friends and family that will be there for me and help me through any situation are the most valuable relationships. I’ve learned that important people can let you down. I’ve learned that you won’t always receive an apology, and that you have to forgive people who hurt you even if they aren’t sorry. I’ve learned that it’s best to try and have a positive attitude. I’ve learned to enjoy the moments while they last.
I’ve learned that life goes on — and that’s exactly what is about to happen. Four years later, the cycle is starting over again. We’re all moving on. We’re all recreating our identities. We’re all about to learn a new set of lessons. Just remember to learn from decisions you will make. Our decisions do not define us, but they do shape who we will become.
When I nearly passed out on stage during Black Comedy." — Matt Styers
Passing chemistry." — Alex Phelps
Tackling Tyler Sliva in 9th grade English."— Zachary Schmidt
Marching band winning Raytown Marching Festival junior year." — Toni Ruo
Landing my first backflip at a basketball game." — Ashton Revis
07MAY 10, 2013
08 NW PASSAGE // SENIOR MAGAZINE
+ MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT
Going to school on a late start day freshman year" — Jorge Amunatigui
When two girls thought I called them cute when I was actually talking about the small oranges called 'cuties'" — Zachary Bair
A certain organization misprinted the name 'Cook' on the back of their shirts to something...less appropriate — Mac Cook
Ripped a hole in my yoga pants on my butt and didn't realize it" — Kailee Evatt
RACING TO NOWHERE
+ Mac Cook
GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD SUPPORT
+ Edelawit Hussien
"I f you’re the kind of person who senses there’s something out there for you
beyond whatever it is you’re expected to do - if you want to be extraordinary - you will not get there by hanging around a bunch of people who tell you you’re not extraordinary. Instead, you will probably become as ordinary as they expect you to be”.
I read theses words while browsing through author Kelly Cutrone’s autobiography. These words have stayed with me. I began freshmen year as an awkwardly shy girl whose main goal was to fit in and find herself.
I quickly became a “yes” girl. Want to join Interact Club? Yes. Want to run Track? Yes. Want to write for newspaper? Yes. Want to start a club? Yes. Want to be in NHS? Yes. Want to volunteer here, here and here? Yes, yes and yes.
These are only a small selection of all the clubs and organizations I was involved in. My willingness to explore these groups within Northwest has helped me surround myself with a diverse group of friends.
They say that you are a combination of all the people you surround yourself with. I attribute my maturity, success and happiness to the people I have met over the past four years. There is no better place to show my gratitude than my senior column.
International Baccalaureate Diploma students: The past two years of this grueling program have sure been a roller coaster, but I wouldn’t take back the all-nighters, the study sessions or even the mental breakdowns. I can say with certainty that I would not have survived without all of you. I now know true friendship is staying up until 2 a.m. with your friends so that they can do well on a test the next day.
Room 151: I can honestly say that I have met the most welcoming and genuine people in this room. I will never forget the memories from worknights. Room 151 will always be the room where people accept you with open arms in spite of all your weirdness. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to meet you and work with you to publish The Passage, The Lair and smnw.com
Interact Club: I have been involved with Interact Club since the first day I stepped into Northwest. I attribute most, if not all of my leadership skills, to this club. I am thankful that I had the honor to collaborate with my fellow classmates on projects that not only benefited our own community but also the world.
Friends and Family: It is difficult to put into words how thankful I am for the people closest to me. There is nothing more important as a human being than having a good support for the good and bad times. I want to thank you all for helping me grow from an awkward and shy freshman to a confident and fearless adult who is ready take on the world.
By surrounding myself with a good group of people who believed in me, I was able to accomplish my goals and ambitions. The advice that I would like to leave behind for underclassmen is that one of the most important aspects of success is the elimination of negativity. If someone does not believe that you are able to succeed, you should not accept their negative energy.
W hy do we go to school? Is it to make us richer as people, to train us for
society, to train us for the workforce? What are we supposed to get out of an education? New perspectives, a “good” grade, an assigned worth? For a long time, I thought I had the answer.
Rewind to day one of my junior year. Going through those doors, I thought
I was pretty smart. I knew what I wanted out of high school: an “impressive” resume and a pathway to a “top” college. Since high school began, I was told that this is what I wanted. It seemed like everyone from my parents to my teachers to my peers to even the media had drilled it into my head that this was a recipe for success.
Then something changed. I began the IB Diploma program in
August of my junior year. If I wanted to get far in life, I felt that I had to “challenge myself.” For me, that meant taking on a rigorous workload in school as well as being committed to many things outside of school. But none of this was actually making me happy. I was stressed out all the time. I felt pressure to spend lots of time on school work and lots of time on
extracurricular activities. This made me feel like I wasn’t giving enough attention to any one thing. Suffice to say: I wasn’t happy with my plan.
I made the choice to leave the Diploma program. It was one of the best decisions I made in high school. This column isn’t about IB, AP or any activities. This column isn’t trying to tell you what you should do with your time in high school. This column is asking where we are as a culture and how we got here.
We have become obsessed with competition. Everyone is focused on being the best. The best student, the best athlete, having the best resume. Being the best for ourselves is always something we should strive for. The problem comes when we are told that there is an identical “best” for every student. It seems that everything underclassmen are told is about how to be more competitive.
I’m a debater, so I’m used to healthy competition. Are college admissions competitive? Sure. Does that mean everything before college should be a race? No. If my original plan is what works for someone, they should do it.
That’s the beauty of having choices. Like I said, I take issue with the notion that we should all strive for the same goal. Being hyper-competitive just doesn’t work for everyone. But that’s the direction high school is moving. Students are being told they need to race for the same goal, but for many, this means racing to nowhere.
You’ll have to do things in life you don’t like. Stress is unavoidable. But you don’t have to put yourself in these situations. I did that for too long. My decision to change my plans to focus more on my passions like debate and journalism was
a great one. I’m much happier than I was during my first 2 ½ years of high school. The whole point is that the choice I made worked for me. High school is a time to learn about who you are and what you want.
Next time you’re worried about how competitive of a student you are, stop and think. Take some time to figure out what YOU want and do it. Don’t spend your time in high school racing to nowhere just to do what convention dictates. Decide what you want and make it happen.
09MAY 10, 2013
Dove into the pool for PE and shorts fell off" — Tyler Holcom
Tripping into IB Euro class while in heels. Then my pearl necklace got caught on the door handle, in turn breaking the necklace and having the pearls fall everywhere" — Amanda Gerber
When I was a freshman, I wore jean shorts for a week. I thought they looked nice. They didn't" — Eric Holton
When I sat in gum at lunch and my butt stuck to everything" — Lucy Ross
I ’m a good actor. I can be a jock, a journalism nerd, a video production geek, a bowler, a
wannabe frat guy, a musician, a hipster, the list goes on and on. Just name the part and I’ve probably played it. I’ve always known that I was different, that I never truly fit in with any particular crowd, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t acted like I have. I’m a chameleon, I can blend in with any of my surroundings.
Throughout high school I wanted to be liked by everyone. I tend to mirror the characteristics of the people that I am around, and am very good at it. By playing all these parts, I lost touch with the real me. I had a lot of “friends” but I didn’t consider them true friends because they had no idea who I really was.
About halfway through my sophomore year I met one of my closest friends to this day: depression. It’s weird to say depression is a friend, but if you think about it, it knew the real me and never left my side, a true friend. At first, I didn’t know what was going on. Why was I feeling sad all of the time? The only thing that I knew was that nobody could know about our friendship. I pretended to be happy, even when I was broken inside. Every day, at school, I was hiding behind a smile.
With depression by my side, like any good actor, I continued to perform. “The show must go on,” I told myself. The audience wasn’t just my “friends” at school, it was my family as well. For over a year, I kept this hidden from my parents, but after awhile, the mask began to slip.
I knew that I needed to change my life and figure out who I truly was if I wanted to end my friendship with depression. At the end of my junior year, I made the decision to move away. I wanted to get as far away from Kansas as I could, so I wound up 1,600 miles away in Carlsbad, Calif. I used this opportunity to start fresh, to find out who I really was. No acting, no pretending, nothing but the real me. I made new friends, actual friends that liked me for who I was and not for somebody I pretended to be for them. I changed my life and experienced something I hadn’t felt for a long time: happiness. The only thing missing was my family, which is why I came back to Kansas.
Through this crazy, amazing, and exhausting experience I call my senior year, I’ve learned a lot of things. I’ve learned who I am, what’s important to me, and who my real friends are. I hated high school for three years, but this year, it’s taught me valuable life lessons. Lessons that I would have never learned if I kept on acting. There are going to be people who don’t like you in high school and in life, no matter what you do or how nice you are. The most important thing is learning who you are and being proud of it. Depression will always be lurking, but it gets easier. By taking things one step at a time, I’ve learned to handle stress better and not let things get me down. I’m happy to say that after a three year battle, I’ve turned the corner and am looking forward to what comes next, whatever that may be.
THE SHOW MUST GO ONNO MORE PETERPARKERF or nearly my entire high school career, I have been just about the
closest thing to Peter Parker you could find: shy, nerdy, a little bit of a loner. Did I mention that I am also a photographer?
Something changed during the summer before my senior year. And no, it wasn’t because a radioactive spider bit me.
I spent a month in Africa and came back radically different. There was one moment that will always stand out to me. We stopped in a township one day to spend time with the local children and to visit the church. I sat with one of the local boys in the back of the crowded church. After a while, we both became bored and went outside to play. We ran and walked around the church and we played catch with whatever he could find. Every so often, he would grab my hand and tug on it until I picked him up and held him for a little bit. After three or four times of picking him up and putting him back down, he noticed the logo on my jacket. It was a small spider. He then spoke for the first and last time that day.
“Spider man?”This took me by surprise.“Yeah, Spider Man!”He then flung himself toward my head, wrapped his arms around
me and refused to let go. He thought I was a superhero. I didn’t need to fly or have super strength to be a superhero. I just needed to play with him and hold him and treat him like a normal kid.
Looking back on that day now, I have realized one thing: I’m done being a shy, awkward introvert. I’m done missing out on everything because I’m afraid of putting myself out there. Ever since that day I’ve been trying to live a little bit better. Live a little more like a superhero. Looking back on the on the past six years, it shocks me to remember the stuff I have missed out on. All the friends I could have made, all the cool events I missed because it was out of my comfort zone.
Has it worked? Yes. Over the past six months I have been happier and developed better friends just because I’ve started to step out of my shell and decided to be a superhero and stop being a super zero.
+ Aaron Messick
+ Davis Millard
10 NW PASSAGE // SENIOR MAGAZINE
I stand up for myself and am stronger." — Alexandra Wilkerson
I'm more aware of the world."— Ben Chavez
I have learned who I am as a person and who my true friends are." — Caitlin Beatty
Not as nervous to stand out and be myself." — Monique Ware
+ HOW HAVE YOUCHANGED SINCEFRESHMAN YEAR?
YOU WON'T MISS IT
LEARNING TO DEALG rowing up I didn’t notice the
noises too much. Or I just didn’t think my acute awareness of every single sound going on in a room was unusual. Looking back, I can recall certain events as early as fifth grade. But it wasn’t until a few months ago, after two years of therapy for anxiety and trial and error with medication, that I finally received a doctor’s diagnosis of misophonia, or selective sound sensitivity.
For me and thousands of others, everyday sounds (pen clicking, typing, chewing, nail biting, feet shuffling) are amplified in the mind and distorted to sound like nails on a chalkboard. Despite the lack of available treatment, just knowing a name and that I was not alone was a huge turning point in my life. In the past I had felt guilty or embarrassed about my “annoyances”, because the person or cause of my anxiety was
usually doing nothing wrong or out of the ordinary. I convinced myself it was something I could eventually just learn to ignore.
Because of all this, sitting behind a desk surrounded by people for seven hours a day wasn’t my favorite thing to do. Math and science, already difficult for me, became an even more daunting challenge. The thought of taking a test in a crowded room overwhelmed me and finding a seat where I could concentrate was always difficult. I often worked during lunch to avoid certain situations.
This year, I’ve tried to find ways misophonia can benefit me. I’ve found hobbies, movies and music that I probably wouldn’t have discovered if I hadn’t had to occasionally isolate myself from society. Those interests led me to find jobs at a record store and a cupcakery, and I’ve learned so much from being a small business
employee. Therapeutic meditation has led me to discover my interest in world religions, which has also had a positive impact on my life.
I was able to go through all this with the support of a few great friends, my family and some amazingly understanding teachers. Despite all this, I desperately hope 2009-2013 are not my glory years. I’ve had plenty of good times, but high school has also been uneventful and full of upsets.
The most important things I learned in high school didn’t happen in the classroom, and I know I’m not alone. If I could give myself advice as a freshman I would say that it’s never too late to start over. Learn how to deal with what you can’t, or shouldn’t, control. Optimism isn’t synonymous with naiveté, and cynicism can sometimes be a mask for unintelligence.
+ Paige Waltman
I ’ll be honest with you, high school is possibly the worst thing ever.
In middle school and elementary school, we were too young to have real nostalgia or a sense of impermanence, and so leaving was easy. We only hang onto high school because it’s the only thing we know we can’t go back to, but, in truth, high school is terrible.
In a high school, people do things that they would be put in jail for outside of it. I’ve seen assault, battery, larceny, sexual harassment of every conceivable degree, and I once saw someone sneeze into someone else’s soup. Why would you even do that? It wasn’t an accident, he laughed about it, and sneezed into the poor guy’s thermos. You might as well just sucker punch his dog, if you’re going to be that ridiculously bad of a person. Arguments like “boys will be boys” keep bullies doing the same things they always do, and high school girls are the meanest thing since middle school girls.
Our environment is all stress, from class to class. With hours of
homework and even more hours of studying, and your entire future on the line, combined with the fact that every college in the world is judging you based on your years of puberty, this is the most turbulent time in anyone’s life. We could just throw darts in the middle of the hallway and whoever shouts gets into college, and we’d achieve about the same result.
People are going to cry because they can ‘never see people again’ but that sentiment is obsolete because of the internet, so any isolation you experience your own fault. So, to the graduating class of senior year, stop crying, this place is awful. Whatever you so choose to do, nobody is going to call you a loser for doing it.
What you should remember about high school is the people, the good people, the people you like. Retain contact for as long as you can and live in a way that makes you happy. If you can perform both of these actions, you will never miss high school because the only thing that will be replaced is the hyper-
stressful environment that you’re forced into every moment of every day, combined with being forced to attend social events and hang out with people.
We can actually live in a place where we don’t have to worry about absolutely random fights breaking out at any place at any time, we can actually work at a place that pays us instead of loading work onto us 24/7 and requires us to show up at ridiculous hours of the morning. I honestly don’t care what time you wake up every morning, taking an actual academic course at 7 in the morning is like coming up with an analogy a day before publication.
Life is going to get so much better, in so many ways. This isn’t a time to cry. We can hold onto the bonds we’ve made. This is a time to realize that we’re breaking free of the prison that everyone is required to be in. We can stop trying to make the best of a bad situation and start trying to make the best of a great situation, one full of real opportunity. Trust me, you won’t miss it.
+ Sam Bellmyer
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38 M
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52 U
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55 U
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57 U
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58 U
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8
9
10
11
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1314
15
16
17
18
19
30
20
21
23
22
24
25
26 2728 29
31
32
34
35
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
46
45
47
48
49
50
51
52
5354
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62
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2
Colle
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ABI
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N UN
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Laur
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2 A
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4 B
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5 B
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6 B
RIGH
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UN
IVER
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Lucy
Ros
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7 B
ROAD
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8 B
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9 C
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10 C
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ntho
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11 C
ENTR
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REGO
N CO
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UNITY
COL
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12 C
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UNITY
CO
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ELo
vell
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13 C
OLOR
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STAT
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IVER
SITY
Jo
sh G
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14 C
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15MAY 10, 2013
BACK: KIRK BADO, ANNA KING, CLARK ANDERSON
MIDDLE: LUCAS LOWRY, EDELAWIT HUSSIEN, JAYLYN JENKS, CAITLIN CHEN, A.J. MENDOZA
FRONT: AMY HEIN, ANNA KIENE
CLASS OF 2013's
+ PHOTOS BY MIKALA COMPTONINTERVIEWS BY ASHLEE CRANE + SARAH EGGER
16
+ FAVORITESPORTSMOMENT
When the power went out at the football game this year, and we waited for it to turn on again in the pouring rain." — Laura Assmann
Winning State and having Harry Shroeder lift me up and shout 'Immortality!'" — Kirk Bado
Winning the first game at volleyball sub-state with my team senior year." — Madeline Becker
Freshman year football, we came back and beat Lawrence." — Nathan Brunner
LUCAS LOWRY+WHAT ACTIVITY DO YOU DO THAT BEST DEFINES YOU?The involvement that I have with orchestra is probably the most defining of me because, I know that sports teams talk about having families within their team, but in orchestra I really did find a family and I’m in here every morning, before school and after school, and so my work with orchestra leadership team and my time spent with [orchestra director] Jeffrey Bishop has come to define me and shaping my character over these past couple years in high school.
+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT YOU'VE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?Probably that you can always find a good friend somewhere. And for that matter, you can find a good friend anywhere. You may not be expecting it or looking for
it, but you can definitely find one and there’s someone out there that will be perfectly suited for you as a best friend, and you never really need to feel alone because there’s always some sort of community that will adopt you, whether it’s journalism or orchestra or a sports team, I think there’s acceptance out there for everyone.
+IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH THAT YOU DIDN'T DURING YOUR TIME AT NORTHWEST?In the long term, I think I kinda regret not joining the GSA and kind of getting involved with that because even though I came out junior year, I was never really involved with that organization and I think it would have been really cool to kind of lift that up and make it more prominent in
the school this year like it has been in past years.+WHAT KIND OF LEGACY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND AT NORTHWEST?I guess I would want them to remember me as not the guy who takes naps during lunch. But maybe as the guy who always put himself out there to make friends, or was always willing help anyone, like in the orchestra community, to sort of lead that and bring everyone together in orchestra as a family.
+IF YOU COULD SAY ONE MORE THING TO THE CLASS OF 2013, WHAT WOULD IT BE?I guess I would say that they were an amazingly and surprisingly supportive welcoming, overall friendly group of people and that if they continue to show that kind of friendliness and compassion towards everyone they meet in life, they’ll do OK.
ANNAKING
+WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM PLAYING BASKETBALL?I think that I’ve learned several things from it. First of all, the sense of the word “family,” outside of your actual family members. Because these four years up here have been amaz-ing as far as my team, and for example, had we done awful this year, I would have still loved playing because I was playing with great people who want to be there and have total respect for each other. And, I guess, through not play-ing last year, I learned a lot [about] perseverance and endurance, like you just have to wait and keep working, and the reward will come eventually.+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?The biggest lesson that I have learned is to get
involved with what you like, and never hesitate to talk to different people and to ask questions and to do different things.”+WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?I think what I’m most proud of is coming back from my ACL tear. And the other thing that I’m proud of is being able to play two varsity sports and keep up with my school work and my grades because I did work hard to do that, and I’m really happy that I was able to do so.+YOU WERE VOTED AS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SENIORS OF THE CLASS. WHO INFLUENCES YOU?Coach Dickson has been a big influence just because he is an amazing coach and just gives so much time and energy, and it just makes you want to put that much time and energy back into what he is doing, just to match him.
+HOW DO YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THE FUTURE?High school has prepared me for the future by giving me different experiences and putting me in different settings. Like, for example, with group projects, you’re not always going to get to be with the people you want, so you have to work with other people, and that’s a little bit like life. And, like in life, high school has thrown different things at me, like tearing my ACL and things like that, that I can’t prepare for, and you just have to figure them out.
+IF YOU COULD SAY ONE MORE THING TO THE CLASS OF 2013, WHAT WOULD IT BE?I think I would just thank everyone for the great journey that we’ve been on together for the past four years, and wish everyone luck in the future, where ever they go, that they are happy and successful.
// International RelationsPolitical Science
Undecided
// History or International RelationsUniversity of Alabama
17
Winning all four matches at the Gardner Quad." — Mikey Daly
Boys' soccer winning over Olathe East when everyone said they would lose." — Paige Cook
Laying out a 320-pound lineman." — Jonathan Bruntzel
Freshman year, I played for the sophomore basketball team. We were down 14-2 at half to SM East. We came back to beat them by about ten." — Mackenzie Daniels
Ran a 5K in less than 20 minutes." — Alex Dang
CAITLIN CHEN
AMY HEIN
+WHAT ACTIVITY MOST DEFINES YOU?Probably track. I think part of that is because it would be the thing that I have put the most time into at Northwest. Pole vault definitely; I wouldn't say that is the thing I have been most influential in necessarily, but I think for me that is the biggest thing that I do in my life right now.
+WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM POLE VAULTING?Everybody has bad days, and you can't freak out just because you have one. You have to persevere. If you give up, you are not going to get better, which is something that applies to everything. +WHAT DID YOU GET OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL?Confidence, that is the biggest thing. When I started out as a freshman, I wasn't shy, but I was definitely not the outgoing person that I am today. Freshman year I never would have guessed I would have been on
Homecoming Court or been a captain of any sport. I gained a lot of confidence from the leadership roles I have achieved and from getting out there and seeing the people who have gone before me.
+WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL?Probably all of the things I did with [National Honors Society]. I think just because it was an honor to be elected to such a leadership role, but on top of that, I think I did a good job with getting better and more service opportunities. I think that is what I am most proud of.
+IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISHED YOU HAD DONE IN HIGH SCHOOL?I wish I had stepped out of the box a little bit more. I only did one club, which was National Art Honors Society. I mean, I did two sports. It’s not like I was uninvolved; I was probably more involved than some people ever are in
high school, but I wish I had put myself out there a little more. I think it could have helped me more now with confidence. I just wish that I had understood how fun high school was freshman year and hadn’t looked at it as a job. High school isn't just about taking classes and suffering through tests; it’s about meeting new people, and winning or losing competitions. I wish I had learned that it wasn't all about academics.
+WHAT IS YOUR LIFE GOAL?To find a life goal. No joke, I do not know what I want to do with my life. I think that is OK right now, just because there is so many things that I like to do, and I don’t know where I want to be in ten years. My life goal is to find a dream because I really don’t have one right now. I’m just keeping my options open right now.
+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT YOU'VE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?That it’s really beneficial to be involved in everything, but at the same time, to not be overly involved because that’s kind of what I did. I got so jam-packed with everything, and it kind of takes away from other things.
+HOW DO YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THE FUTURE?Well, I did the IB diploma program last year, and honestly, college-wise, I think that’s prepared me so much. I’m going to know how to study, I’m going to know how to work, and it’s going to be great, I’m going to know how to balance everything. I think that high school has prepared me to be social and to network because I’m a big networker, like I’m
involved in all these different clubs and activities, and I’ve gotten to know different people from different walks of life, and so I think that will help me with my future because I know how to do that, so I can take that and make it applicable to my daily life.
+WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BEING INVOLVED WITH STUDENT COUNCIL?StuCo has definitely made me overall a better person; like I try to be an example. It’s helped me with my leadership skills and my communication skills, for sure. And on top of it, I’m the publicist and so it’s helped me get into the field that I want to study, because I’m doing Strategic Communications and that’s a lot of mass media and that’s what I do as publicist.
+IS THERE SOMETHING IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED IN?Academic Decathlon and Robotics. I just think those things are so cool. They’re so outside of my comfort zone but they are so interesting, and it takes so much intelligence and dedication that it’s very intriguing.+WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?I just want to make a difference, honestly, in everything that I do. That was my goal in high school: to leave an impact on the school and overall, my life goal is make a difference in something.+WHAT LEGACY SO YOU WANT TO LEAVE AT NORTHWEST?I want to be remembered as a person who gave Northwest
their all. I mean, I’ve put so much time and dedication to this school, and love. I adore SM Northwest, and I just want to be remembered as a person who was really involved here and tried to make it a better place.
// Strategic Communications andPolitical Science
University of Kansas
// UndecidedKansas State University
18
+ HOW HAVE YOUCHANGED SINCEFRESHMAN YEAR?
I've become myself again." — Melanie Bohling
My priorities have changed and the important things in life are much clearer now than freshman year." — Erica Chaltas
I'm taller... probably... God, I hope so." — Shannon Doughty
People thought I was a girl as a freshman." — Ryan Ellis
ANNA KIENE+WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN COLLEGE?I really love kids, I have a passion for kids. And my mom is a teacher, and all of the blood-line ladies on my mom’s side are elementary teachers. That’s not why I chose it, but I thought it was cool, and I just love kids and seeing them learn. +WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU?My favorite activity at school would be StuCo because it’s really fun and [allows me to be] involved in everything. But outside of school, I would say my youth group because they have really influenced me in a lot of ways. I love my youth group.+HOW DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCE YOUR LIFE?I think my faith is honestly the biggest part of my life right now and it’s influenced me in the way of a lot of the decisions I make and the scenarios I put myself in. Also, just the way that I treat people. The Lord has given me his love so that I can love other people. I just have a
really big passion for hanging out and loving other people and just encouraging people. I think the Lord has just shown me how great he is throughout high school; I’ve learned so much about him and how great he is.
+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?Don’t let yourself be defined by what others think of you because it’s not worth it. And don’t waste all of your time trying to please others because it’s just going to end up hurting you. And don’t regret anything that you do.
+IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND RE-DO HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?I think I would take a foreign language. I mean, I took Spanish, but I think everyone is like, ‘Oh, Spanish is the easiest language, I’m going to take it.’ And also, I think I would have taken photography or art classes. I really wish I could draw. I’m literally the most unartistic person in the world.
+YOU WERE NAMED ONE OF THE TOP MOST INFLUENTIAL SENIORS IN THE SCHOOL. WHO INFLUENCES YOU?I would say [English teacher Marc] Gibbens. He has influenced me in the way that, his teaching style, I love it. He’s so enthusiastic, just the funnest, and makes you want to learn and that’s how I want to be when I’m a teacher.
+WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS A FRESHMAN? DID YOU ACCOMPLISH THEM?I’m pretty sure I made the goal freshman year to get all straight A’s, and obviously that did not happen. I think I made the goal to just be involved. I was really
shy freshman year because obviously as a freshman you’re kind of insecure and intimidated, so I think that I definitely did get involved in stuff. I didn’t get straight A’s, so that’s kind of disappointing, but whatever.
+WHAT KIND OF PERSON DO YOU WANT YOUR CLASSMATES TO REMEMBER YOU AS?The person that wasn’t judgmental towards anyone but just really accepted them for who they are and loved them; and just as the person who represents Jesus and God in everything that I do. Also, just someone that people aren’t afraid to come up to and talk to and not intimidating or anything.
CLARK ANDERSON// Criminal Law or Politics
Johnson County Community College
// Elementary Education
+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?You can’t live your life with regrets, so you’ve just got to do what you want. That’s a good lesson, and [I learned that lesson] by being me.
+WHO INSPIRES YOU?I like that [graduate] Isabel Zacharias girl, she was pretty smart. She had a good outlook on things. Also, there’s a student teacher here, Keaton Vander Hart; we hassle Mr. Vander Hart a lot, but he’s still a great teacher, and he still comes to class every
day with a smile. I wish I could have his resilience. +HOW DO YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THE FUTURE?Well, when I first came to high school I wasn’t a very outgoing person, and by that I mean I didn’t talk to a lot of people, but I don’t know, I think [high school] has given me a character. +IS THERE AN ACTIVITY OR AN ORGANIZATION THAT YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH AT NORTHWEST?Student Council, definitely. I always thought StuCo was a group of eight or nine people that
met in a room, but that’s actually like 60 people in a room. They have a lot of influence around the school and they make a lot of cool events. And they get booths at lunch; I would want to work at one of those.+WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR AT NORTHWEST?I don’t know how long I’ll be remembered for, probably not a while, but I just want to be remembered as a guy who was a pretty nice guy. I also want to be pretty memorable for being the student news and as a pretty interesting person. I don’t know
if that’s true, but I would like it.
+IF YOU COULD SAY ONE MORE THING TO THE CLASS OF 2013, WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS FOR THEM?I would just like to say, you know how in movies, people are really mean in high school, I thought that was really weird because in this school, there are a lot of nice people. It’s full of a lot of really nice people. Like you know in movies, you see people who play football, they’re always mean to the nerds and stuff, but everybody is really cool at this school.
University of Arkansas
KIRK BADO
+WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL? The most important lesson I have learned in high school is that there will be a lot of brick walls in your life. Brick walls that pop up, at least for me, in the forms of injuries and time restraints and things like that. But those brick walls that are blocking you from getting something are not there to impede you, they are there to show you how much you want something. +WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM CROSS COUNTRY?It really changed my life because that’s how I’m going to college — through running. I never dreamed it would be like this. We are very blessed and lucky with our coaching; these are guys that have a big passion for what they are doing and a passion for us and want to help us get better. I think the biggest thing I have learned from it is that excellence cannot be the goal but needs to be the standard, and that it is all individually driven. It is so much greater to win our state championship with my team than any individual race. It has taught me a lot about people, and about goal-setting, it taught
me so much about how to be a better person. The lessons I have learned from Cross Country are too numerous to count; they made me the person that I am. +WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL?I am very proud of seeing my teammates around me be successful. I quit a lot of things in high school like forensics, debate, StuCo, journalism, and I really enjoy seeing others be successful. I think the greatest success for me personally is the last two years in cross country. My accomplishment that I’m very proud of is winning the state meet my senior year and going out with that. Looking beyond the material stuff, my biggest success is all the bonds I have formed with all of these people, through cross country and through KUGR, because my dad likes to say that life is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. It’s about the relationships that we make and the bonds we form. +WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD DONE IN HIGH SCHOOL?I have missed out of a lot of opportunities socially, maybe even academically, because I
was so focused on cross country and doing well with running. I can’t go hang out after school because I have to go running, and that wears out on some of my friendships. I’m not friends with people who I would like to be. That being said, I don’t think I have had the typical high school experience, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Those experiences have changed me and made me who I am. My biggest regret is getting too caught up in the moment and not looking around me and
appreciating it. +HOW DO YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THE FUTURE? I think a lot of high school is just like what we are going to face in the real world. It might not be 7 hour days when you change places, but socially and the people that you meet and the challenges you face. The challenge of learning how to differentiate equations or the challenge of analyzing Macbeth prepares you for challenges later in life. 19
I've realized that I shouldn't let people walk all over me, and that I should stand up for myself." — Morgan Parsons
Become more lazy, yet more responsible" — Hanna Meigs
I have embraced being different." — Hannah Fromholtz
Better dressed." — Brett Skillet
I got taller, a little smarter and a lot braver." — Ashley Sanders
+WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BEING A DIPLOMA CANDIDATE IN THE IB PROGRAM?IB really fostered my time management and organizational skills. It gave me an opportunity to really expand my horizons academically, and also understand the global world that we live in.
+WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?I want to do something in life, whether it’s a career or anything else, that’s made an impact, and I know that’s kind of cliche to say, but I want to create something, invent something, produce something that makes an impact on other people’s lives.
+YOU WERE VOTED AS ONE OF THE TOP MOST INFLUENTIAL SENIORS. WHO INFLUENCES YOU?The teachers that really put in all of their time for their students. I’ve had some of the best teachers through the IB program, who really went above and beyond for their students and actually understood the pressure that there is being an IB Diploma student, and all of those teachers that actually, really made the effort to accommodate everyone.
+WHAT KIND OF LEGACY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND AT NORTHWEST?I would like to be known as the person who made an impact in the school, whether small or large, I just want younger students to build on whatever I left at Northwest, whether it’s
through clubs or journalism or anything like that. I want to leave younger students with something that I taught them, to pass on the legacy to incoming NW students.
+IF YOU COULD SAY ONE FINAL THING TO THE CLASS OF 2013, WHAT WOULD YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS BE FOR THEM?There’s a really big world out there, and there are so many different things that we can all do, and there’s absolutely nothing standing between us except for ourselves, and I would say that, if you want to do something, go out there and do it. Don’t be scared about all the obstacles in the way or anything; if you have the motivation to do it, go out there and do it. Nothing is stopping you. EDELAWIT HUSSIEN
New York University // Economics
Belmont University // Public and Political Law
A.J. MENDOZA+HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED SINCE FRESHMAN YEAR?For most of the time, all the way up to the end of junior year, I didn’t do anything at all. But then things changed, and that’s when I started to talk to people, because I’m really introverted, and I would have a lot of anxiety when talking to people, that’s why I didn’t do it too much. But though the confidence that has been given to me, I was able to go out there and do more stuff, and so senior year was really all out, and everything changed and new stuff happened, so it’s been really cool.
+WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON
THAT YOU'VE LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?To give people some slack, and to not have so much expectations on people. All of them in essence are trying to do the same thing so you can’t get mad at them if they do it in a different way. So I guess I just learned to be able to accept them more and to love them more.+WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GOAL IN LIFE?To be useful. And I guess just to not waste time. I really want to try and, before I really go out and be independent, to fill my mind up with information and to get disciplined and prepared for anything that unexpectedly can come at me. I’m pretty
comfortable with life, with what’s going to happen, so I just want to be useful for progress and for people until I die.
+YOU WERE VOTED AS ONE OF THE TOP MOST INFLUENTIAL SENIORS IN THE SCHOOL. WHO INFLUENCES YOU?Originally, Grant Foard. He is my most influential person. He, when I first started to understand what it means to follow Christ, he was there; he showed me how, he taught me. He’s been my mentor through this whole process, so he’s done a really significant portion of my growth. +WHAT KIND OF LEGACY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND AT NORTHWEST?I don’t want to be remembered, but I want to leave back behind a
good name for Christians. I know that a lot of them have slandered it and have done mean things and I definitely know a lot, and I’ve definitely been one of those Christians that was a jerk. So I want to leave behind a name that they’re not all judgmental and self-righteous. Some of them are actually humbling themselves and will love people.
+IF YOU COULD SAY ONE LAST THING TO THE CLASS OF 2013, WHAT WOULD YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS BE FOR THEM?I guess my final thoughts would be, to those that I met but ignored, that I’m sorry. And for all those that I was never able to meet, that I would have loved to.
JAYLYN JENKS
+WHAT ACTIVITY THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN DO YOU THINK DEFINES YOU THE MOST?It would be Student Council in the aspect of running events because what it is is trying to represent everyone and trying to help the community and get people involved, which is what I want to do when I get older.+YOU WERE NAMED ONE OF THE TOP MOST INFLUENTIAL SENIORS IN THE SCHOOL. WHO INFLUENCES YOU?My sister, definitely. My sister is literally the best person in the world. If I could have everyone
meet my sister, I would. She is so friendly to everyone and would do anything for anyone. In her life, all she wants to do is help people, and she never thinks about herself. I would say my sister definitely inspires me and influences me to be who I am.+WHAT WAS THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU ACHIEVED IN HIGH SCHOOL?What I’m most proud of is probably keeping it all together. I never really had a fallout or a time where I was at the lowest of my lows like people have
— I’ve literally just been me. I’ve been pretty steady of who I am throughout high school, and I think that’s the biggest achievement for me because I never want to change who I am, ever, and I didn’t in high school. I always stuck to my morals and to who I am, being respectful and happy. I think that’s my biggest achievement: staying true to myself.
+WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER OF HELPING UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN?Growing up knowing adversity and not living the typical Johnson County life, like having divorced parents and having your parents struggle, and having multiple siblings made me realize that people need help. My sister is really good at the same thing that I want to do, and she works with at-risk youth in inner city New York, and I just know that that is my calling because everyone needs help, and everyone needs a positive environment and people to
encourage them, and that’s what I want to be for people.+HOW HAS HIGH SCHOOL PREPARED YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?I guess in the sense of being around so many different groups of people, it’s prepared me to coexist with everyone and not judging a book by its cover and being tolerant of everyone. And I think that’s what high school has taught me, to just be tolerant and to go with the flow because you have to; if you don’t you’re going to fail in life.
+WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR AT NORTHWEST?Someone who you could get along with. I want people to remember me as someone that anyone could talk to about their problems or about life or anything about sports or music or movies; I just want to be remembered as someone who could always be there for you, not someone who shut out people or only talked to a certain group, like open to everyone.20
// EducationUniversity of Kansas
Ozark Christian College // Preaching Ministry
Then: 1. GREEN DAY
2. HILARY DUFF3. BACKSTREET BOYS
Blowing up the sink in the woods shop" — Elizabeth Jackson
Almost hit by a bus"— Anthony Young
I was walking with my cadet teaching class to the football field, and in front of the class walked into a light pole and hit my head" — Alex Allen
Having a teacher lean up against the urinal next to me and try to start a conversation" — Ethan Zolotor
+ MOSTEMBARRASSINGMOMENT?
22 NW PASSAGE // SENIOR MAGAZINE
Favorite book series
FAVO
RITE
TV S
HOW FAVORITE BAND/ARTIST
FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTER
Favorite superhero
Then: 1. HARRY POTTER
2. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
3. JUNIE B. JONES
Now: 1. HUNGER GAMES2. HARRY POTTER3. 50 SHADES OF GREY
THEN +NOW:trends
Now: 2. BATMAN3. SCOOBY DOO
Then:1. VET
2. TEACHER3. DOCTOR
Now: 2. IRON MAN3, SPIDERMAN
Now: 1.WIZ KHALIFA2. MAROON 53. MUMFORD AND SONS
Then: 2. SCOOBY DOO3. POWERPUFF GIRLS
Then: 1. SPONGEBOB2. THAT'S SO RAVEN3. LIZZIE MAGUIRE
Now:1. DOCTOR2. TEACHER3. NURSE
Then: 2. SUPERMAN3. SPIDERMAN
The senior class was surveyed over what some of their favorite things were when they were 10 years old and what they are now: here are the results.
When I grow up, I want to be...
1. SPONGEBOB 1. BATMAN
+ ARTWORK BY MITCH FEYERHERM
Now:1. DUCK DYNASTY
2. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
3. WALKING DEAD
I was trying to act cool in front of someone I liked and tripped on my own backpack and fell flat on my face." — Anna-Marie Pemberton
Throwing up in a recycling bin" — Hannah Fromholtz
Slipping in ice cream in a white dress." — Kylie Skelton
When I came back to school after my eye doctor appointment and my eyes were dilated, and I had to wear these crazy huge black sunglasses all day." — Grace Stutheit
23MAY 10, 2013
“Don't expect things to be handed to you.” — MORGAN ANDERSON“Don't be afraid to tell people to walk faster in the hallways.” — EMILY BORING“Senioritis is real.” — FAITH BOHLKEN“Seriously, enjoy it while you're here; I know we're all excited for the future, but believe me, you'll make some of the best memories here.” — BROOKE GOLLADAY“Dress for success.” — KIRK BADO“Relax: as stressful as senior year is, worrying through it will make it fly by way too fast.” — AMY HEIN“Learn to do things yourself (i.e. laundry).” — CLAYTON HENDERSON“Don't do IB unless you know that the college you're going to cares about the diploma.” — WILLIS KESSLER“Chill out and take a drive during open lunch.” — AARON MESSICK“If you haven't figured out where you're going to go, relax! You will.” — BRIDGETTE RIGDON“Achieve the goals that you want, not what others feel are best for you.” — ALONZO ROBINSON“Don't let anyone convince you it isn't worth it, whatever ‘it’ may be.” — MATT STYERS“Bring food to school.” — KENDALL TOREN“Always stay true to who you are, but know that you can change who you are.” — CHRIS WARTKO“To be boring is a disservice to yourself.” — JEFFREY WILLARD
words from the+WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR INCOMING SENIORS?
+WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL?“Who you surround yourself with reflects you as a person.” — ALEX ALLEN“Have no fear; fear will hold you back.” — ERIC HOLTON“Your sanity and mental health are more important than your GPA.” — AARON BULLARD“People are worth getting to know.” — PETER CAMPAIN“You can't blame everyone else for your mistakes.” — TARA CHASE “Act like you know what you're doing.” — BRIANA COLLINS“One person can make a difference.” — BROOKE COOPER“That ‘fitting in’ really isn't the most important thing.” — ANNA EWING“Don't give up: there's so much life ahead of us.” — GALEN GOSSMAN“It's hard to write a paper without reading the book.” — ANNA GUIGLI“Take advantage of all the opportunities that you have been given.” — MEGHAN HAUN“Mr. Meseke taught me how to change a tire.” — ELIJAH VAN HOECKE“Represent yourself the way you want to be viewed.” — MARY HELLMER“Don't try to grow up too fast.” — ELIZABETH HUDSON“Don't get caught up in the drama. High school isn't for everyone.” — EMILY MADDOX“Be on time.” — TRENT MOYER“Getting involved can make or break your high school experience.” — LINDSAY NELSON“Fate. If it's meant to happen, it will — for good or bad — now or later, it'll happen.” — ABIGAEL STRIKER“Don’t burn bridges.” — TIFFANY JORDAN“Very few things are worth getting worked up about. Looking back, I regret little fights with friends and staying up too late to cram because it takes away from the happy moments.” — KATE TARNE“Always have goals” — CLAIRE MARLEY
We've waited for this moment to come and goBut now that it's here, I just want to take it slowIn a couple of months we're gonna pack our bagsWave goodbye to our moms and dadsLeave everything we've ever known and head out on our own
We're gonna go our separate waysSo lets make the most of these final days
Lets show the world what they haven't seenCause we are the class of 2013Not a care in the world to bring us down I'll always love my hometown Cause it's times like these where memories are madeSo let's make them last before they fade away
When its all said and done, who will you have become?In a world full of so many wrongs did you make something right?Different faces fill different places in our hearts I'll always remember you even when we're apart
+FOR THE SENIOR SONG MUSIC VIDEO VISIT SMNW.COM
+PHOTO BY BRITTANY BONSIGNORE
+PHOTO BY BRITTANY BONSIGNORE+PHOTO BY AARON MESSICK