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Photographs by Greg Rannells
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Lauren Weber
High School: St. Joseph’s Academy
Honors: National Merit Semifinalist; tied for No. 1 in her class; member of the school’s three honor societies
Extracurriculars: News editor for The Voice; Speech Team member; Student Ambassador
The benefits of getting involved: “You discover what you’re passionate about, and you make a lot of new friends.”
Greatest challenge: Tearing her ACL sophomore year, sidelined from sports
Best day ever: As goalie, helping St. Joe win the 2008 state championship in field hockey (after two overtimes and penalty strokes)
Advice to freshmen: “Push yourself to get the most out of everything. You make your own path. Try everything and see what works, and then do your best at what it is.”
College prospects: Early acceptance into Notre Dame, Boston College and Villanova
What she’ll miss, wherever she goes: “Being away from home will test me—I’m really close to my family. And I’ll miss St. Joe. I spend a lot of time up here.”
Jamey Powell
High School: Kirkwood High School
Honors: National Honor Society member; senior class president—“I’m a people person, so I don’t mind getting up in front of people and saying what I want to say.”
Extracurriculars: A cappella choir; jazz choir; Special Olympics volunteer; violinist in the school orchestra; International Thespian Society member; actress
The performing bug: “My grandparents were both on Broadway for a while, so it’s kind of in my family.”
Dream role: Clara in The Light in the Piazza
Intended college: Oklahoma City University, Webster University or Milliken University
Intended major: Musical theater
Advice to freshmen: “Try to make some friendships you wouldn’t expect. And make the most of it, because it goes by really quickly.”
Professional aspirations: “As long as I’m performing somewhere, I think I’d be happy … anywhere not in a cubicle and not doing math.”
William Sun
High School: Parkway Central High School
Honors: National Honor Society president; perfect scores on the SAT and three different SAT II tests
Mentor: Dr. David Haslam, associate professor of pediatrics and microbiology at Washington University: “His work ethic is unparalleled. He treats his patients, students and colleagues very well, and at the same time, he’s excellent in his field of research.”
Extracurriculars: Biological research assistant at Washington University; cellist in the school orchestra; American Legion Boy’s Nation Missouri Senator; National Merit Semifinalist; Science Olympiad
Intended college: Yale University
Intended major: “If something could integrate my interests and allow me to do both policy-making and biology—like public health policy—I’d probably explore that.”
Advice to freshmen: “Be open to everything. If you even think you have an interest in something, pursue it and see where it goes.”
Josh Foster
High School: De Smet Jesuit High School
Honors: National Honor Society vice president; Pastoral Commissioner
Extracurriculars: Member of the Academic Competition Team, Political Action Club, Magis Men Service Club and Latin Club; volunteer for political races of state Sen. Jim Lembke and former state auditor nominee Jack Jackson; tutor at De Smet and Central Catholic St. Nicholas School & Academy
Biggest academic influence: Tom Sothers, history teacher. “He’s always been supportive and encouraged me to go the next step academically. I get along with him well because he’s really into politics, but we’re on opposite sides of the aisle.”
Most rewarding service experience: An educational service trip to Belize in summer 2008: “What shocked me was that they’re totally content with what they have [in Belize]. It gave me perspective into how I live my life.”
Intended college: Saint Louis University or Truman State University
Intended major: Political science
Adam Banks
High School: Clayton High School
Honors: National Honor Society member; as Clayton’s varsity football quarterback, named First Conference and Third Team All State
Extracurriculars: Percussionist in the school band; member of the Principal’s Advisory Committee; C Club volunteer (raising money for boys’ sports teams)
Greatest challenge: “In the eighth grade, my father passed. My grades started to slip, and my passion for football went away. Through the support of my teachers, some great friends and my family, I just got back on the horse. When my dad was alive, he’d always tell me, ‘You’ve got to try your best. Just try your best.’”
Advice to freshmen: “You can apply yourself and still have fun—just don’t let having fun come before your schoolwork.”
Most rewarding service experience: Helping rebuild homes in Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina. “When I saw the reaction of one woman whose house we worked on—how grateful she was—I knew I wanted to go into something that helps people.”
Ideal next step: Doing pre-med studies at an Ivy League university (he’s applied to a few), perhaps playing football.
Interviews by Dan Michel and Stephen Schenkenberg
