2023 Senior columns

University of Arkansas Pre-Dental One thing I have learned over the past 17 years is I’m really bad at making decisions. To make matters harder, once my hardcore perfectionism sets in, I’m even worse at sticking with them. Ever since I was little, every situation has been pre-planned in my head. If situations don’t align perfectly with my vision, I quit and do anything to make sure peo...

St. Louis Community College - Meramec Undecided I live my life based on five simple instructions printed on a small note card in blue ink. My freshman year therapist gave me this list as a reminder to do all the necessary things to take care of myself. They were a crash course to keep me afloat for the time being. Now, three and a half years later, I still glance at the note card every morning...

Washington University in St. Louis Journalism I’ve been a KSD student for all 13 years of my education. While I’ve appreciated the clubs, traditions and communities it has to offer, the greatest mark Kirkwood left on me was from the teachers and staff. I’d like to use this as an opportunity to thank them.  Keysor Thank you to Mrs. McCracken for introducing me to the friends I have known the longest. Thank y...

University of Missouri Nursing Every night I put my laptop to bed. No, I don’t tuck it in and read it a bedtime story, I prepare it to rest after a long day of work. I close out all my browsing tabs, quit my apps and clear my downloads. The only thing I don’t touch is my notes app.  I discovered the notes app on my laptop by accident. I used to write everything in my planner, but the rep...

University of Missouri Journalism Even though I was born in Webster, I have always considered Kirkwood my home. I have lived in Kirkwood most of my life and attended Kirkwood schools from elementary to high school. During my time in elementary school I didn’t do much other than play with friends but I never had anything I was really passionate about or spent all my energy on.  Middle sc...

College: Ball State University Major: Pre-Dentistry As an 8th grader at Nipher Middle School, I had big aspirations of making the varsity field hockey team my freshman year of high school. I would often find myself begging my mom to drop me off at the high school to watch the varsity team’s games. I was very inspired by, D1 SLU field hockey commit, Megan Rice, and, D1 Georgetown lacrosse comm...

University of Central Arkansas Undecided Dear Softball, You’ve been good to me the past eight years. We’ve been through hell and back together. There were times where we connected really well and things just felt right, but there were other times where I felt maybe we weren’t all that compatible. But through it all, we’ve stuck by each other. You could say we’re soulmates. I r...

Missouri Army National Guard Helicopter repair As I prepare to walk across the stage, say goodbye to my childhood, and move onto the next chapter of my life, I can’t help but reminisce on the person I have become today. I’ve come a long way from being the girl that blew up the microwave in sixth grade because I forgot to put water in my mac and cheese, and that is a testament to both the p...

Undecided Ecology Yes, My dad is Mr. Hooker. The 7th grade science teacher. The one who was obsessed with Vocabulary.com and gave “hard” tests. The ecology nut who donned the astronaut bee-keeper suit and got stung so many times he became unrecognizable.  Being a teacher's kid has its perks. North Kirkwood Middle School was my playground. I rode wheely chairs around the halls and use...

University of Wisconsin-Madison Journalism and Psychology  My deepest, darkest confession: I’ve watched “The Vampire Diaries” a total of twelve times. When I admitted this to my closest friends, I was met with utter judgment. But with vampires, suspense and romance, what's not to love? When I would sit on the couch to watch TV, I solely watched “The Vampire Diaries” for years. I...

Every morning in the Penguin Room of KECC, my teacher would strap pink and black ankle weights to my four-year-old calves. “To weigh her down,” she told my mom. “To keep her from jumping.” My mom always says they just made me stronger.  As I got older, I experienced crippling procrastination, inattentiveness and slow processing in hyperactivity’s place. I got by in middle school by pu...

Modeling in NYC NEXT management As I look back on my time at KHS, I have more than a few fond memories to cherish. I play cello in KHS’s symphonic orchestra, am a member of The Kirkwood Call and I even picked up a sport halfway into my high school career (which is super out of character for me). However, my favorite accomplishments at KHS are the friendships I have made.  In my opinion, the c...

University of Kansas  Marketing with a minor in political science  Nostalgia presents itself in a unique form to each and every individual. It comes in waves; a song, a scent, a touch. But for me, the fondest memories are laced within the twists and turns of the familiar Kirkwood roads.  I've lived in Kirkwood my entire life, in the same house surrounded by the same neighbors. I stop ...

University of Kansas Exercise Science on pre-PA Track My parents loved art fairs, but instead of looking at art they’d spend most of their time searching for my blonde curly pigtails and brightly colored clothes. “Where’s Lila?” they would think to themselves when they looked down to find I was no longer trailing by their side. They’d frantically look for me amongst the sea of people ...

In my four years of high school, I was involved in pretty much everything. I was on the dance team for four years, a member of NHS, Class Committee, Circle of Friends, Waffle Club, The Kirkwood Call… the list goes on. But of all the extracurriculars and activities I did, I wouldn’t say my favorite thing about high school was any of that. It was my friends.  Friendships can be hard. Everyone has gone t...

Texas Tech University Architecture Senior year of high school is a time of excitement, anticipation and a little bit of anxiety. It's a time when students are looking ahead to the next chapter of their lives, while also saying goodbye to the friends, teachers and coaches that have shaped them over the past four years. For me, senior year was a whirlwind of activity. I was taking challenging clas...

University of Minnesota  Management Information Systems Honestly, I joined The Kirkwood Call not because I was interested in journalism or because I had friends in the program. In fact, I hardly knew anyone in it before I joined. My original reason for becoming a part of TKC was to make my high school resume look better. However, looking back on my decision to join, there was definitely more to...

University of Colorado Boulder Advertising and Media Design Dear middle school Audrey, It’s senior year of high school and you have somehow managed to embarrass me all the way up to this point. But cringey Instagram stories and singing videos aside, I would like to thank you. Now don’t let this get to your head, you are still insufferable, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without you....