Fly High with A+
Students exposed to academic opportunities through tutoring and mentoring program
When students are involved in the A+ Program, going to school doesn’t necessarily mean driving to Glendale. Depending on where the student is assigned, it can mean going to a completely different school to tutor students of a younger grade level.
The program was designed to expose high school students to teaching opportunities through tutoring and mentoring. It’s also a way for students to obtain college scholarships and two free years of community college if they meet the state requirements, which consists of completing 50 hours of unpaid tutoring, having an average of 95 percent attendance throughout high school, a clean citizenship record, and maintaining a 2.5 or higher GPA.
For many A+ tutors, they gain more than just academic rewards; by tutoring, they learn valuable life skills. Constance Leonard, A+ Coordinator, sees every year how students are impacted personally by the program.
“The fun part for me is watching kids make relationships and connections [with students they tutor], and even more so, finding out about themselves; what things they’re good at,” Leonard said.
Because of the different levels of opportunity that A+ offers, students enroll for a variety of reasons. Emi Juchems (12) is one example.
“[I did the program for] the benefits, [such as] the A+ scholarship,” Juchems said. “[Also], tutoring is fun.”
Kennedy Liggett (12) tutored second grade students this year. She decided to participate in the program because she enjoyed tutoring young kids, and did regularly at a local school.
“I already tutor at Wilder [Elementary School]- why not take a class that lets me do that?” Liggett said.
Her favorite part about tutoring was getting to meet and work with kids. Liggett helped students with their reading abilities and catered to any technology needs they had. Through that and her dedication to the students, she formed relationships.
“When you leave [the students on the last day] they write you letters,” Liggett said.
There are many levels of opportunity and gains that can come from being in this program, but it is solely dependent on what an A+ student chooses to make of them.
“You get out of it what you put into it,” Leonard said.
Each year, more than half of the students enroll in A+. It has proven to be a successful program and continues to help students achieve in a variety of areas.
Cheerleading
Cheerleaders Soar to new Heights
A summer of improvement for the squad make for a new and improved school year
After a summer of hard work, the cheerleaders were ready to take on the new year. From growing closer as a squad to increasing in their ability, they had developed a new spirit and team camaraderie.
Over the summer, they competed at a week long NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) camp in Arkansas and won the competition portion. Also, eight people were nominated for the All-American team. The squad planned to continue their success as they competed at numerous competitions throughout the year.
“[We hope] to come closer, like a family, and reach our goals of competing at NCA [National Cheer Association] nationals,” co-captain Madi Smalley (12) said.
The cheerleaders competed at WSA (Worldwide Spirit Association) during the school year, but not Missouri Regionals competition or state. They decided to participate in competitions that were intended for fun, and focused on improving their ability for nationals.
First-year coach Kristen Young saw a positive change in the Varsity squad through their dedication and commitment to success during the summer and school year. She was excited about the team’s growth and hoped they continue to improve throughout the rest of the year.
“The Varsity team has come together and grown as a group,” Young said. “I’m seeing lots of improvement and teamwork along with that.”
Morgan Fahrlander (11) has also noticed a change in the team’s spirit. When compared to last year’s team, this year was better in her opinion.
“We get along better, [and] we have a better sense of unity,” Fahrlander said.
With the amount of people involved in cheerleading- coaches, sponsors, and the cheerleaders themselves- there were many opportunities to get to know and bond with others. The coaches were Will Thomas (JV), Kirsten Verhofstadt (JV and Varsity) and Kristen Young (Varsity). There were 14 Varsity cheerleaders at the start of the year, and the four senior captains were Kiersten Meyer, Lauren Lohr, Madi Smalley, and Melanie Miller. As the school year progressed, so did the amount of cheerleaders.
“We’re very welcoming to people who want to join,” co-captain Melanie Miller (12) said.
Coach Kristen Young wished they continue to be a welcoming and spirited group, helping to get students involved in school activities and events.
“I want them to continue to grow as leaders of our school, [and] to work with the Flock to improve school spirit,” Young said. “They’re in a position of leadership and can make a big difference.”
The cheerleaders stayed busy during the year by working on conditioning and practicing throughout the week. They often made plans for games and assemblies, and put emphasis on gaining school spirit in students. Their dedication to cheerleading helped the school year be the best it could be.
Boys Soccer
Boys Soccer On a One-Way Plane to Success
Players work to accomplish both team and personal goals
One unanimous goal was at the forefront of each player’s mind as they competed throughout the season: make it back to the Final Four. And then win the State Championship. It was a goal within reach for the team and they worked diligently towards it.
The players were in shape to play their best and be successful by the start of the year by weekly meeting up in the summer to practice and condition. With a combined 50 players from the Varsity and JV teams, there was an ample amount of players ready to compete.
Nick Moore (12) was excited to be a Varsity captain and lead the team through a memorable season.
“I want to have as much fun as I can,” Moore said. “But, it would be cool to be the first senior class to win a state championship.”
Beside his goal of playing for a state title, Moore also set a personal goal to make his senior season the best it could be.
“[I want to] enjoy my time and take advantage of what [opportunity] I’ve been given,” Moore said. “[I also want to] enjoy my last season [while] making memories with my best friends.”
Nick Lantz (12) also aspired to enjoy everything about his last season, from being a Varsity goalkeeper to not having to stay late and clean up after games. Throughout the season, the team was adamant about implementing fun activities and traditional aspects into games. Lantz reflected on one tradition.
“After the national anthem for every home game, we all run to each other and all of us jump and hit each other. We all just jump around in a circle and scream at each other,” Lantz said. “It hypes us up and gives us a game mentality.”
Along with mentally preparing for a game, the team would also strategically plan out how they would play so that they would be successful in winning games and reaching their goal.
“We figure out a good formation for us, so that we can be good offensively and defensively,” Lantz said. “We want to go back to the Final Four: that’s the dream.”
The season brought new experiences and opportunities for Mitch Stephens (9). As the only Freshman player on the Varsity team, he was in a position to grow in his playing ability and get to know the upperclassmen.
“It was a fun and cool experience,” Stephens said. “The senior players were very welcoming.”
By the end of the season, the team had developed a close bond among players and they had shared in many successes. This was something Stephens cherished.
“The camaraderie with all the guys and playing together are my favorite things,” Stephens said.
Both the Varsity and JV teams had an accomplished season of not only winning games, but working to achieve their goals. They lead a legacy of hard work, commitment, and dedication- just like previous years.
“The best thing about glendale soccer is it’s all about tradition,” Moore said. “We’re playing for people who’ve played in the past.”
David Odun-Ayo (12) was one of more than 1,800 high school students to receive the QuestBridge scholarship this past year. The scholarship granted full tuition at one of America’s elite universities. Odun-Ayo would attend the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
The QuestBridge scholarship has financially enabled tens of thousands of college-seeking students to attend an elite four-year university.
“Our hope is to help bring talented, low-income students into important decision-making roles in society. This is a lofty goal, and one that implies we wish to link students to opportunity from high school through college into their first job,” according to the QuestBridge website.
Odun-Ayo’s many attributes and accomplishments, that resulted from diverse obstacles in his life, helped him to win the scholarship.
When Odun-Ayo was 10 years old, his mom was offered a job here at Missouri S&T as a research assistant that also paid her tuition to get her Ph.D, so they decided to pack up and move from Nigeria, Africa to Springfield, Missouri. Moving here was a huge change for Odun-Ayo, and he experienced a lot of new things.
“I was thinking this was going to be scary; it’s a new country, and being in Africa, I’d never seen a white person before,” Odun-Ayo said. “My mindset changed a little bit. When you grow up in one country, you think the same way, and then when you move to a new place, you have to adapt to new environments. The way I view things, I was able to view things from an African point of view and then from an American point of view, too.”
Odun-Ayo overcame another obstacle in his life other than his move to America; he was was born without his right leg, and had to learn to adapt and live with a prosthetic leg. His interest in sports, such as soccer, tennis, and wrestling, wasn’t affected by his disability. Because of his want to be involved in sports, he was motivated to play them during high school.
“God has made me the way I am right now. There’s no need to sit back and be like, ‘Oh man, I should feel bad or sad about it’,” Odun-Ayo said. “If I get the chance to even play a little bit, I’m going to say thank you and run with it.”
His disability didn’t inhibit him from being involved, whether he used his prosthetic leg or not. Depending upon the sport, such as soccer, he used it to enable him to run, but for wrestling, there wasn’t a need for it, and he was successful without it.
Being involved with sports was just a part of what Odun-ayo was interested in. He planned to study computer engineering at Notre Dame, and was also interested in the location, lifestyle, community and history the school had to offer.
“I was in Indiana for a summer, and I love Indiana; it’s just a beautiful place to be,” Odun-Ayo said. “I love the Pacers [a professional basketball team out of Indianapolis], and I have a lot of family in Indiana. I researched [Notre Dame] a lot, and I love the campus — the Irish. I love everything about it.”
Odun-Ayo’s dedication to school and community helped him earn the scholarship. He was the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of Boys Service Club, Robotics, Science Olympiad, Peer Mediation and sports teams such as wrestling, soccer and tennis. He regularly volunteered at his church as well. His involvement acknowledged through multiple stories about him in local media and by continuous support he received from his teachers and peers.
“David is one of those highly-motivated kids; he’s always trying to do the best he can. I see him making efforts and trying to do the best he can, while getting the other people around him to do as well as he does,” Steve Yonke, one of Odun-Ayo’s science teachers, said.
Hard work and dedication were the basis for Odun-Ayo’s successes in school, but also in his personal life. He transformed a humbling past to a hopeful future.
“Coming from Africa, I didn’t have a lot growing up. Seeing my mom and what she went through — she’s been my biggest motivation; also my family, so I can get them a better life,” Odun-Ayo said. “One day in my family — everyone — is just going to be set. That’s my biggest motivation.”
His mother, Theresa Odun-Ayo, has witnessed the positive effects that moving from Africa has had on both of their lives. She said their move to Springfield contributed to the achievement of her son’s scholarship and promising future.
“It’s amazing. I never could’ve afforded to send him to such a school, but I’m just so thankful to the Lord. David is very driven, and he has always said, ‘I want to be the best,’ and he wants to give 100 percent to everything he does. I’m just so grateful to see the fruits of his labor,” Ms. Odun-Ayo said. “I’m very, very happy and excited. I know that if he keeps this up, he will go on to do great things.”
The QuestBridge Scholarship searched for people who had overcome trials in both school and personal life, and who also wanted to excel in college and beyond.
“He’s got quite a story of growing up in Africa — having a physical disability, and then doing as well as he’s doing here in America — not even having been here for ten years,” Yonke said.
Odun-Ayo applied for the scholarship after hearing about it from other Glendale students who had won it. His and his peers’ success were a motivation. It brought Notre Dame into Odun-Ayo’s reach.
“Being able to go there is just crazy and life-changing,” Odun-Ayo said.
Fightin' for Excellence
Scholar earns academic full ride to Notre Dame
David Odun-Ayo
Rally Girls
Rally Girls
Senior girls boost spirit from sidelines
Rally Girls provided more than just tasty treats for players; with around 30 girls supporting boys Varsity football and soccer in various ways, they increased school spirit and involvement.
Exclusive to senior girls, each was given a player to support. The tradition of bringing them food on game day was just one part of the fun; rally girls painted up before each game, cheered from the sideline gate, and wore a T-shirt with their player’s last name on it.
Abri Wells (12), a rally girl, was excited to become involved and take part in the traditions.
“Ever since freshman year I’ve been excited to be a rally girl,” Wells said. “I think it makes every [rally] girl’s experience a lot better because not only do they have something to look forward to during the game, but in the weeks to come.”
The girls chose how they wanted to support their player, and made their own unique traditions with it. Their investments paid off in the end, in exchange receiving encouragement and acknowledgement of their contributions from the players. Alex Briscoe, Spirit Commissioner, reflected on this aspect.
“Being a rally girl helps the girls to feel involved in the games,” Briscoe said. “My favorite part about it is getting support and thanks from the boys in return.”
Each year, the Rally Girls gain more members and participation, increasing school morale and camaraderie between athletes and their fans.
Choir
Powderpuff
Tackling Cancer
Raising awareness through annual powderpuff game
Junior and senior girls battled it out on the football field for the annual powderpuff game on Oct. 23, 2016. The event was organized by cabinet, and all of the proceeds were donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. Combined with money from the previous “Pink Out” football game, a total of $1,243 was raised during October, which was breast cancer awareness month.
The powderpuff game served as an opportunity for students to have fun while promoting a good cause. Senior Josie Stephens was appreciative of the unique fundraising aspect that the event incorporated for the first time.
“This whole entire fundraiser meant a lot to me because my mom is a breast cancer survivor,” Stephens said. “I liked how we focused in on a service project along with powderpuff because it brought awareness to a lot of people.”
Fundraising was just one aspect of the game; the playful rivalry between juniors and seniors brought a competitive and lively atmosphere to the night. But once again, the seniors were the powderpuff champions, winning 35-28.
“My favorite part was definitely winning; the score was a lot closer than we thought it would be,” Stephens said. “It was also really fun because in year’s past, seniors are supposed to win, but this year we actually had to work to win-- it wasn’t just given to us. That’s why it was really fun to actually have a victory under our belt and be like, ‘Hey, we actually did win and everybody knows that.’”
Girls were able to showcase their talents and abilities not found in other sports through their involvement in powderpuff. This was was something unique to it, and was an attraction to junior Makaela Ingemi.
“Me and my friend heard about it [powderpuff] freshman year,” Ingemi said. “We were really excited because it seemed like it’d be something really fun. Usually boys are the only ones that can play football, but this was an opportunity for girls to get out there and have fun with it.”
Powderpuff was effective in serving as both a service project and a fun event to be involved in this year, providing awareness for breast cancer and offering opportunities for girls to play a sport they wouldn’t usually do.
Valedictorians
Climbing for Success
Seniors reflect on the journey to being a valedictorian
From taking challenging classes to being involved in a handful of extracurriculars and clubs, this year’s 8 valedictorians were well deserving of the prestigious title. Their dedication and commitment shown throughout their four years of high school was seen by their peers and teachers as they worked toward meeting the specific criteria.
In order to achieve this, students had to take four weighted classes freshman and senior year, then five weighted classes their junior and senior year, while receiving no less than 93 percent in each course they were enrolled in.
Coming into high school, Joshua Woodman (12) knew this was something he would work toward, among other ambitions. He hoped to invest in not only his academic life, but also in the lives of those around him.
“Besides being a valedictorian, I wanted to make a difference and try to make good friends, and be there for my friends,” Woodman said. “I know that sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the academic and competitive sides, but I’ve done the best I can and grown really close to a lot of people, and I’m glad for those friends that I had and the relationships I made.”
Being involved in several extracurriculars such as Science Olympiad, Social Dance Club, Boys Service Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Honor Society (NHS), Woodman had to learn how to time-manage everything so that he would stay on track to being a valedictorian. He offered a piece of advice for juggling all of this.
“Set your goals and then focus on achieving them,” Woodman said. “If you want to be a valedictorian or you’re on track, figure out a system or plan to help you stay organized with stuff that’s going to be due. Don’t procrastinate, because you need sleep.”
Also having the aspiration to excel in various areas at Glendale, valedictorian Alexys Carroll (12) had numerous involvements during high school. She was president of Girls Service Society, a varsity tennis player every year, and a member of NHS, World Language Club and FBLA. She reflected on achieving her goal of being a valedictorian and what all of her achievements meant to her.
“It’s the reward after all of the hard work I put in over the last four years,” Carroll said. “It’s kind of like the validation that I did work hard and there’s a reward, and something that I could get out of it.”
Taking her achievements from high school into the future, Carroll was hopeful about the new challenges and opportunities that awaited her. Besides being a valedictorian, she explained how other factors could play a role in the success of a student.
“There’s a lot of kids that aren’t valedictorians but have the same qualities,” Carroll said. “I think that being dedicated, working hard and taking it upon yourself to do things will help shape a person’s future and provide opportunities during college and after.”
This year’s valedictorians were capable of meeting any challenge they came across, revealing their dedication and worthiness of the title. Their commitment maintained throughout high school would carry with them into their bright futures.
Girls Basketball
Girls Basketball
Players work together under one senior’s leadership
The girls basketball team was met with new challenges and opportunities this season with the loss of five players last year due to graduation. The girls had to come together and build a new team under the leadership of the upperclassmen.
As the only senior, Kaitlyn Baird (12) lead the team, aiming to strengthen the camaraderie among new and old players and make it a memorable season.
“My goals for this season were to just better some of the younger girls,” Baird said. “We came in with a lot of freshman and sophomores, so just to build them up and have them create chemistry with each other when I leave was most important to me.”
The team gained more than 10 freshman this year. With this addition, preseason training was important so that they felt comfortable with the team and were ready to compete. Gabby Mathews (11) explained how the girls prepared for the season.
“We worked a lot on defense and coming together, since we are really young,” Mathews said. “We had to work at coming close together since we all were new at coming together and playing together for the first time.”
Each player made an effort to make the season successful, and Baird appreciated this aspect. Even though there were obstacles to overcome, the season was still rewarding.
“It has its ups and downs, but I love being able to pick out what we’re going to wear on game days; I feel like it’s more than just deciding what we’re going to wear.” Baird said. “I love having the girls looking up to me and just being a role model for them. I feel like it’s really inspiring for me to know that they’re all looking up to me and that’s it; they don’t have anybody else to look up to.”
Because of the lack of seniors, younger players took upon themselves leadership roles. They worked together to help Baird carry out leadership among the team.
“My goals going into this season were to help make Kait’s senior season the best that it could be,” Mathews said. “I also wanted to make myself a better player for the greater good of the team as a whole.”
Reflecting on the challenging season, Baird offered a piece of advice for next year’s team.
“Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Even when times are tough, it doesn’t matter because time goes on and you can’t do anything to go back and win games that you lost, so just keep your heads up.”
The girls basketball team overcame various obstacles this year, creating a bond among the players that led to a successful season. With guidance from the upperclassmen, various goals were met and an example of leadership was set for years to come.
A+ Tutoring
Pitch Perfect
Singers prepare for competitions throughout the year
With a significant increase in students this year, a larger choir provided more ways for students to show their abilities and reach their goals. The whole choir worked to ensure they sang to the best of their ability, while individuals improved their voices through involvement in various competitions and advanced singing groups.
Although the choir gained a new freshman class, they had to make up for the loss of seniors. Camryn Hartmayer (12) explained the changes that occurred this year and how the choir grew from them.
“This year is different because we did lose a lot of strong singers from last year,” Hartmayer said. “But we gained a lot of really good, new, younger girls that are excited to learn, so the energy level is kind of brought back up. Everyone’s just trying to make it all worth it because it’s our senior year and make it the best year yet.”
Because the choir involved individual voices singing as one, getting to know and become comfortable with each other was a priority. New relationships were built and previous ones were strengthened, ultimately creating a closer bond among the students.
“This year Ms. Lyons has enforced a family aspect to it and really wants everyone to get to know each other,” Hartmayer said. “She thinks that it will not only help us deliver a stronger message when we sing our music, but help us become closer as a Glendale and choir family.”
Besides developing a more unified choir throughout the year, students were involved in various extracurricular singing groups, such as the all-girls group Dante Deo, chamber, and advanced choirs.
There were also District and State competitions that students auditioned for, and a competition in Orlando, FL that students took a trip in April for. Ben Johnston (12) hoped to perform as well as he did previously in competition, returning this year as the only All-State singer at Glendale.
“I’m really looking forward to All-District choir and auditioning for All-State,” Johnston said. “It’s a lot of experience and it’s a lot of fun singing with a bunch of people who are the top in what we do.”
Whether a new or experienced choir student, each worked on strengthening their abilities throughout the year, all while enjoying being a part of the program at Glendale.
“My first year of choir has been so fun,” Logan Fahrlander (9) said. “ I became involved because my sister and my mom did it and they had fun.”
The choir grew in size and capability this year, creating new opportunities for students. They showed their abilities in various ways, while maintaining a family feel among the choir.
