“she’s got a dream”
After high school, most students plan to go to a four-year undergraduate program, trade school or enter the workforce. However, senior Trisha Rastogi has hopes of following a different path at UMKC.
“The UMKC [BA/MD] basically condenses the traditional four years of undergrad and four years of medical school into a six-year program,” Rastogi said. “Your undergrad, traditionally four years, is condensed into two years, and then the rest of the four years is med school.”
BA/MD and BS/MD programs are rarely offered at most universities, largely due to the commitment it requires to medicine and the immediate acceptance to medical school.
“It’s very fast-paced, and there’s a lot of work to do — you do have a little bit of a summer break [at the start,] but after a while that gets cut off too,” she said. “The main complaint that people tend to have is that you don’t get to have that traditional college life where you can join all these clubs and have all these experiences because you’re mostly studying.”
Despite the dedication necessary to be a part of an accelerated program, Rastogi believes it’s worth it.
“I like the rigor of the program. I [also] like that it’s located in Kansas City. I volunteered and shadowed throughout the city, and I really enjoyed it,” she said. “My main reason for applying is that you get exposure to the clinical setting right away. You’re in the clinic, you’re talking to patients [and] things like that.”
Wanting to be a physician, ideally a neurologist or a radiologist, Rastogi also wouldn’t have to worry about going through the application process for medical school to pursue her dreams. Thus, these programs allow you to skip the MCAT, the arduous test required to enter medical school. Anticipating a decision in late Spring, she believes you should only pursue an accelerated program if you’re truly certain.
“If you want that traditional college experience, to head out of Kansas or have that exposure to different shadowing, researching, volunteering — which you can still get in UMKC, but it’s not as accessible—then go the traditional route,” Rastogi said. “If you are 100% sure you want to do medicine and you want to fast-track your path to becoming a doctor, I would recommend it.”
“she’s got a dream”
While our world develops and increasingly relies on scientific invention, senior Gaby Ayres has been determined to make a difference through her love of chemistry.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a mad scientist,” Ayres said. “I had no conception of what a chemist did, but the idea of mixing chemicals and causing explosions really appealed to me. I also wanted to have Einstein’s hair.”
Although she has always had her mind set on going into a science career path, chemistry hasn’t always been her first thought. During her sophomore year of high school, she was considering going into environmental science or medicine. Once she took Honors Chemistry with Charlena Sieve, the subject matter started to click.
“I had a lot of fun in that class, and I enjoyed the subject material and the difficulty of the problems — one aspect that first interested me in chemistry was the challenge,” she said. “I’m taking AP Chemistry this year and Dr. Shah has said multiple times that there are practically no absolutes in chemistry. Although this can be frustrating at times, it ultimately makes the subject matter more fun.”
Despite her enthusiasm, Ayres admits the path to becoming a chemist isn’t always clear.
“When I first looked into chemistry as a career I did have doubts over the math aspect of the science, but I have come to enjoy the mathematical aspect over time, and honestly I like math overall a whole lot more now than I did in when I was an underclassman because there is less busy work,” she said.
Despite small uncertainties regarding the educational side, Ayres has a bigger concern about the science based work force.
“Gender-based-discrimination is something that I have also considered as a factor when it comes to academia because factually it is less common for women to get degrees in chemistry. However thankfully, the number of female chemists is increasing so I hope that discrimination and harassment will be less tolerated in STEM spaces.”
As more females do work within the chemistry field, Ayres has had lots of women to look up to.
“Marie Curie, like a lot of STEM girlies growing up, was probably my biggest inspiration, because of her advancements in the field and her dedication to the craft,” she said. “Other chemists that are inspirations to me are Glenn Seaborg for his work to discover 10 elements on the periodic table, and Lise Meitner who helped in the discovery of nuclear fission. I love to watch YouTube in my free time and some science YouTubers I like are NileRed and Dr. Angela Collier. Dr. Collier technically makes physics videos but her videos on popular science are easy to understand and entertaining.”
At the moment, Ayres is most interested in going into theoretical chemistry but is open to all areas and plans to decide specifics once she gets to undergrad and has more experience.
“I love understanding why the world works the way it does, and the core essence of chemistry is explanations to the questions I have,” she said. “My advice to anyone going into science would be to have fun with it. The challenges of a problem will only make finding the answer ever more satisfying, and no one knows all the answers so don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
“she’s got a dream”
Sophomore Kaity Bamber plays for the St Louis AAA Lady Blues, a tier one Women’s Hockey Club, and the Kansas City Hockey Club. Inspired by her brother, she first started skating when she was five and playing hockey at six.
“[My brother] started playing hockey, so I got interested because I would see him play. I asked if I could play, and I got the response, ‘Girls can’t play hockey’. So I said, ‘wanna bet’,” Bamber said. “It is now my 11th season, and I play at a higher level of hockey than he has ever dreamed of.”
Her passion for hockey has grown due to the competitive level she plays at.
“As I grew up, I was able to play at a higher skill level than my age, and I loved the challenge of playing against people who were bigger and stronger than me and still [being] able to beat them,” Bamber said. “I love getting to challenge myself, playing against teams that are better than mine, and possibly winning.”
In her teams, Bamber mostly plays as a defenseman.
“I am not someone who scores goals. I’m not the most visible, but I start the plays,” she said. “I start what gets us into the offensive zone.”
She has started looking into and visiting colleges, trying to narrow down a huge list of NCAA and ACHA schools with majors she’s interested in.
“Their history [and] their record matters. The school itself [also] matters because education will be more important later on than hockey,” Bamber said. “I would love to play at a school that offers marketing and graphic design.”
Wanting to play for at least Division 3 NCAA or a club in college, Bamber then wants to go into coaching or refereeing if she is able to.
“The level I play is very taxing on my body. It takes a lot for me, and it’s hard work. If I wish to continue to grow, I have to put a lot of effort into my training and into bettering myself, so I may play in college or possibly farther,” said Bamber. “I enjoy getting better. I enjoy seeing my progression, but it is very hard on my mind sometimes. [But] if I get into [a] routine and it’s constant, I go through it fine and am able to keep growing.”
After a knee injury two years ago, Bamber was unable to play for a while.
“It really proved to me how much I needed it in my life, and seeing how my team does without me, I [saw] how much my teammates, friends and family needed me,” she said. “I needed hockey, and it will continue to be part of my life as long as it can be.”
The hockey community has grown more in recent years due to more public recognition, such as the Professional Women’s Hockey League and others, inspiring the next generations.
“I am so proud to be part of a growing community of women’s hockey. I’ve gone to watch as the younger age groups have grown more and more and their skill level [has become] higher and higher because there are more resources,” She said.
Bamber has made lifelong friends playing hockey, saying “[The rink] is very cold, but the community is warm.”
“he’s got a dream”
Sometimes, failure can lead to opportunity. This can be easily seen in the case of junior Sagie Snir, with a passion for theatre tech, with a specialization in soundboard mixing.
“[I first did sound] because I didn’t get cast in the show, but I still wanted to be involved,” he said. “Our tech director, Tyler Lasche, wanted me to do this. — [when asked,] I just raised my hand, and said ‘might as well.’”
This show made a lasting impression on Snir, giving him a passion for theatre tech.
“By the end of the show I was like ‘Wow, this is true to me,’ I love doing it, and it brought me more joy than I think any activity I’ve ever done has,” Snir said. “I knew tech is a little more reliable and easier to live off of than acting, plus, I still stay in the industry.”
Out of the 10 shows he has run sound for, Snir has his favorites.
“‘Noises Off’ [is my favorite show I’ve run] — it was one of the few shows I didn’t get bored of watching,” he said. “It was funny every night, even though I watched it so many times.”
Even with the best things, there is always hardship that comes with it.
“‘Noises Off’ [was also my most difficult show,] people went on and off [stage] every few seconds, some lines were off stage, the second half gets flipped around. It’s a very fun show, [even with] the 400 cues during it.”
Despite the difficulty that comes with the job, Snir’s passion for the activity overrules his anxieties and stressors during shows.
“[My favorite memory] was probably the first time I ran a board for professional theatre,” he said. “I was supposed to be the A2 — the person backstage, similar to a sound assistant — but the production manager went ‘Hey, do you feel comfortable going up to mixer?’ — the sound board itself — because they couldn’t find anyone,” Snir said. “It was a very scary moment, having never run professional theatre before, but it was fun. I’m glad I did it.”
Snir even has an outline of what he would like his future years to look like.
“My plan for college is to find a school with a bachelor’s degree in tech theatre,” he said. “Most schools just have a BFA in theatre and performing arts, but some do have tech theatre, which would allow me to get a specialized degree and not have to take acting classes that aren’t worth my time. During that time, ideally, I would try to work in a local community theatre.”
Of course, with any occupation that has to do with performance and the arts, the question arises — is this a dream?
“I think it is realistic because you can do it anywhere, but at the same time, community theatre doesn’t pay very well — it isn’t very sustainable,” he said. “If I’m able to get a professional level of a tour or cruise, or professional place, then yes [it is realistic].”
v Sometimes, failure can lead to opportunity. This can be easily seen in the case of junior Sagie Snir, with a passion for theatre tech, with a specialization in soundboard mixing.
“[I first did sound] because I didn’t get cast in the show, but I still wanted to be involved,” he said. “Our tech director, Tyler Lasche, wanted me to do this. — [when asked,] I just raised my hand, and said ‘might as well.’”
This show made a lasting impression on Snir, giving him a passion for theatre tech.
“By the end of the show I was like ‘Wow, this is true to me,’ I love doing it, and it brought me more joy than I think any activity I’ve ever done has,” Snir said. “I knew tech is a little more reliable and easier to live off of than acting, plus, I still stay in the industry.”
Out of the 10 shows he has run sound for, Snir has his favorites.
“‘Noises Off’ [is my favorite show I’ve run] — it was one of the few shows I didn’t get bored of watching,” he said. “It was funny every night, even though I watched it so many times.”
Even with the best things, there is always hardship that comes with it.
“‘Noises Off’ [was also my most difficult show,] people went on and off [stage] every few seconds, some lines were off stage, the second half gets flipped around. It’s a very fun show, [even with] the 400 cues during it.”
Despite the difficulty that comes with the job, Snir’s passion for the activity overrules his anxieties and stressors during shows.
“[My favorite memory] was probably the first time I ran a board for professional theatre,” he said. “I was supposed to be the A2 — the person backstage, similar to a sound assistant — but the production manager went ‘Hey, do you feel comfortable going up to mixer?’ — the sound board itself — because they couldn’t find anyone,” Snir said. “It was a very scary moment, having never run professional theatre before, but it was fun. I’m glad I did it.”
Snir even has an outline of what he would like his future years to look like.
“My plan for college is to find a school with a bachelor’s degree in tech theatre,” he said. “Most schools just have a BFA in theatre and performing arts, but some do have tech theatre, which would allow me to get a specialized degree and not have to take acting classes that aren’t worth my time. During that time, ideally, I would try to work in a local community theatre.”
Of course, with any occupation that has to do with performance and the arts, the question arises — is this a dream?
“I think it is realistic because you can do it anywhere, but at the same time, community theatre doesn’t pay very well — it isn’t very sustainable,” he said. “If I’m able to get a professional level of a tour or cruise, or professional place, then yes [it is realistic].”
“he’s got a dream”
People find their callings in many careers. At BV, much of the staff found that calling to be education. Science teacher Dalton Watts talks about his journey to becoming an educator.
Watts had considered the profession for years before actually entering it.
“When I was in high school, I definitely thought about it — I think I kind of wanted to be a teacher,” Watts said. “I’d be in class and it would be the first day, and they’d share their classroom rules and I always found myself thinking, ‘How would I do that if I was a teacher?’”
Watts enjoys the connections he is able to form as a teacher.
“It is a very social job –– some of you guys are kind of my little buddies,” he said. “Building relationships is by far the thing that is the most fun in the school environment. I like going to football games and the choir concerts and the plays. When you get those silly little notes or an email, when a kid says, like, ‘I really appreciate you’ –– it is rewarding.”
Through being a teacher, Watts finds he is able to make a difference in the lives of his students.
“I had some kids that legitimately were going to fail, and I kind of nudged them and probably annoyed them a little bit,” he said. “After the fact, they were like, ‘I really appreciate that you pushed me and you made me pass.’”
Watts holds pride in his position as a teacher at BV.
“I’m proud to be a part of that, even though I know I’m just a small part of the machine,” Watts said. “I do feel a lot of pride when we have those pep assemblies.”
He also finds the job to be continuously interesting.
“It’s very different every day,” Watts said. “I know a lot of people who have very monotonous jobs where they get on their computer in the morning and they do the same 20-minute task over and over again until their brain is just numb. This might not be necessarily mentally challenging, but it’s very mentally stimulating. Every day is different. Every day is a different lesson.”
“they’ve got a dream”
Joshua Murphy, 12
What is your dream? “I’m passionate about engineering. I love working with my hands. I love designing things. I like watching things go from one idea to drawings to physical prototypes that eventually become a real thing.”
How did you get into your dream? “As a child, I loved it. My grandfather worked with wood; he repaired furniture. I watched him go through the process of fixing things. My dad did that too, then I read all about it, so it was kind of everywhere around me.”
What is your favorite thing to make? “I love computers, seeing how they’re designed, the requirements for space and having to fit everything on the circuit board. It’s the ultimate game of Tetris.”
Gracie Goldman, 11
What is your dream? “I want to be a medical doctor, or a surgeon, more specifically a neurosurgeon.”
How did you get into your dream? “I got into it because when I was little, I really wanted to be a veterinarian, but then when I started learning biology and anatomy it translated to an interest in medicine and science.“
What is your favorite part about it? “My favorite thing about medicine is how every topic builds on each other and how each scientific phenomenon can be explained in humans. The science aspect is my favorite thing about it.”
Sophia McKenna, 11
What is your dream? “[I want] to go into architecture and be able to build a solid name and foundation for myself and expand from Kansas to different states.”
How did you get into your dream? “My uncle has always been involved in construction and engineering, and ever since I was a kid I’ve been very inclined into how things are made and created.”
What is your favorite part about it? “I love the ability to see your ideas come to life and see your drawings on paper turn into real buildings used by real people and make a difference in the community.”
