West Side Story 2.0: Homecoming

Homecoming Queen Candidate Saarah Hassan is the daughter of Saed and Ola Hassan and sister to Ahmed and Yusuf Hassan. She is being escorted by Ethan Cox. When Saarah found out she was nominated for the Homecoming court, she felt honored and excited to be a representative of her student body. Saarah feels she was nominated because of her outgoing personality and positive attitude about the world. Saarah is involved in many extracurricular activities; she is heavily involved in the theater department, Speech (as a Captain), Student Council (as Co-President) , HOSA (as President), and Project 4 Teens. During the school day, Saarah’s favorite class at West is Concert Choir because she loves to sing and Mrs.Baker makes everyday a good day. Saarah’s favorite movie is Now You See Me, and her favorite song is “Hey, Soul Sister.” Her best memory at West was during her sophomore year when she was the champion in her section Speech tournament. In that moment, she felt a surreal amount of joy and love from all of her teammates and coaches. What Saarah will miss most about West is the pride of being a Scarlet and the smiles she gave to people in the hallway. This connects with the advice she gives to freshmen to, “Join that club/activity/sport and make the most out of it because it all goes by in the blink of an eye.” Saarah is planning to attend a four year university to study molecular and cellular biology on the premed track in hopes of one day becoming a pediatric oncologist.

Ethan Cox is escorting Homecoming Queen Candidate Saarah Hassan. Ethan is the son of Chaun and Kate Cox, and brother to Brodie Cox and Jakobe Tosch. Homecoming escorts are nominated by Mankato West High School staff, and Ethan felt honored and proud to be selected as an escort. Ethan believes he was nominated by staff because he is respectful to all students and faculty and actively involved. Homecoming traditions are one of Ethan’s favorite memories from high school along with the Jug Game. He is involved in Project for Teens, Link Crew, Key Club, Choir, cross country, track and field, and hockey. Ethan will miss the connections he made among the teachers and staff of Mankato West and the opportunities the activities he was involved in gave him. Ethan's favorite class was Active Living with Ms. Bollman because he was able to build more relationships with his peers and make more friends. Ethan enjoys running with his teammates and playing pond hockey. After high school, Ethan plans to continue his academic and athletic career at a four-year college, and his top choice at the moment is Gustavus Adolphus College. His advice for all underclassmen is, “There is always time to make right what is wrong.”

Homecoming Queen candidate Cecillia Baumgartner is the daughter of Trevor and Rochelle Baumgartner, and she is escorted by Alejandro Pulis. Candidates for Homecoming Queen are nominated by their peers, and Ceci was shocked and overjoyed when she realized that she had been chosen. Ceci was also very excited for the eventful week that lay ahead as Homecoming has always been one of her favorite memories at West. Ceci truly enjoys studying emotional and physical development; therefore, throughout the school day, Human Development with Mrs. Hoffman is her favorite class at West. Ceci participates in track and Orchesis at West in addition to other extracurricular activities. Her advice to underclassmen is to, "manage your time wisely because you don't get these years back." Ceci's greatest high school memory is prom night and having an unforgettable evening with her friends. She will always appreciate this memory because of the setting and the special day it was that all of the parents made for the whole group. Ceci's post-graduation goals include going to a 4-year university like MSU or the University of Minnesota and enrolling in a dental program in order to one day work as a hygienist.

Alejandro Pulis is the escort for Homecoming Queen Candidate Cecillia Baumgartner. He is the son of James Pulis and Victoria Falcon and an older brother to Izaxilan and Anatalia Pulis. Some of his favorite places to spend his time are Benson and Bluff Parks. Since Homecoming escorts are nominated by Mankato West High School staff, Alejandro was surprised and honored to be chosen. Alejandro attributes his nomination to his friendly demeanor and his strong rapport with teachers. He is currently involved with many West activities, including Chamber 1 Orchestra, Crochet Club, Student Council, National History Day, and more. His favorite class is Orchestra because the class stays consistent throughout high school with his friends as well as events that follow after concerts. After high school, Alejandro aspires to attend college and pursue a career as an astrophysicist. He has always been fascinated by space, and to work around it would be his dream. Although he looks toward his future, his best memory at West is in the present. He will miss the teachers and the one-on-one interactions the most because they feel very important to him as well as his classmates. Alejandro's advice to incoming freshmen is to explore at least one AP class or club. He emphasizes that this unique experience only happens once and highlights the support of the school's exceptional AP teachers, including Meredith Mayra, Matt Moore, Robert Groebner, Christina Makela, Clare Baker, Mark Wiese, and Michael Sipe, in paving the way to success.

Homecoming queen candidate Madelyn Bode is the daughter of Craig and Lora Bode, and she is escorted by Wilson Magers. Homecoming queen candidates are nominated by their peers, and Madelyn feels she was nominated because she is kind-hearted, trustworthy, and outgoing. Madelyn goes out of her way to make new friends and get to know everyone. At West, she is involved in softball, basketball, NHS, DECA, Link Crew, FCA, and the Scarlet Express Coffee Shop. Madelyn’s favorite class she has taken at West is Sports Entertainment & Marketing because of Mrs. Hawker and the fun projects that are part of the class After high school, she plans on attending a 4- year university while continuing to play softball. She is planning on studying Accounting and Business Administration. Madelyn’s favorite high school memory is winning the 2022 State Softball Championship because she battled adversity throughout the season and her hard work paid off in the end. One thing she will miss about high school is the Friday night football games because of the memories she has made with her friends and peers along with the general environment of football games and the fun chants. Madelyn enjoys reading romance books, specifically Colleen Hoover and eating or spending time at McDonald’s with friends. One piece of advice Madelyn would give to the underclassman is to enjoy every moment of high school because it goes by fast and to make the most of each opportunity you receive.

Wilson Magers is escorting Queen Candidate Madelyn Bode. Wilson is the son of Matt and Lora. Homecoming escorts are nominated by Mankato West High School staff, and Wilson felt ecstatic and honored to be selected as an escort. Wilson believes he was nominated by the staff because he shows respect to his teachers and builds positive relationships with them. Wilson is a member of the National Honor Society and is also a Link Crew leader. Wilson also participates in baseball and basketball. Entrepreneurship taught by Mr. Doell has been Wilson's favorite class because one of his assignments was to make and sell his own unique product. Wilson plans to attend a 4-year university after high school, where he will be continuing his academic and baseball career. Wilson's favorite moment from high school was pitching in the state championship baseball game as a sophomore because it is something he will never forget. The things Wilson will miss most about high school are the friendships and memories he made because nothing can replace them. Wilson loves spending time outdoors, both hunting and fishing. Wilson is a big fan of his mom’s meatloaf and enjoys drinking strawberry banana smoothies. Lastly, his advice for underclassmen is, “Don’t take these 4 years for granted because it does go by fast. Make the most of it by getting involved and experiencing new things.”

Homecoming Queen candidate Elise Miller is the daughter of Jason Miller and Connie Odenthal. She is being escorted by Max Fleming. Elise was thrilled when she was called up on stage. Homecoming Queen candidates are nominated by their peers, and Elise feels she was nominated because she is outgoing and caring. During the school day, AP Psychology or AP Literature and Composition are Elise’s favorite classes to go to because of the friendly and engaging environments. Additionally, Elise is involved in many extracurricular activities at West; she participates in Student Council, Key Club, National Honor Society, Aunt Flow Organization, Link Crew, and more. Elise’s favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite, and her favorite number is 27. Throughout high school one of Elise’s fondest memories was going to the Jug game sophomore year. It was pouring rain, powder was everywhere, and everyone was having a good time. After she graduates, Elise will miss participating in clubs, cheering on various activities, and showing Scarlet pride. Elise encourages underclassmen to get involved and stay positive so they can get the most out of their high school experience. After high school, Elise’s plans include continuing her education and incorporating dance in her future. Elise will always remember the motto “Once a Scarlet, always a Scarlet.”

Max Fleming is the son of Jessica and Dan Greenwood. His favorite class he’s taken at West was Mr. Sheldrup’s AP Bio class; he plans to pursue biology in a post-secondary setting because of his love for science. Max’s favorite part of high school is being able to see his friends every day, and he will miss the distinct social sphere along with the great teachers he has met over the years. His favorite TV show is Community and his favorite spot to hang out in Mankato is the River Hills Mall movie theater. He wants the underclassmen of West to know that they should get involved in activities, sports, and clubs as much as possible because “you will end up regretting it if you don’t” (he made the same mistake himself). Today, Max is involved in a variety of activities such as VEX Robotics, Crochet Club (which he co-founded with fellow Homecoming escort AJ Pulis), and YES! Club. Max is proud to be in all of these groups. When he found out he was nominated as a Homecoming escort, Max was shocked but grateful. He thinks he was nominated by teachers because of his friendly demeanor and positive attitude towards everyone. Max is excited to be escorting Homecoming Queen Candidate Elise Miller.

Homecoming queen candidate Kiya Schuck is the daughter of Wes and Kristi Schuck, and she is escorted by Mason DuRose. She has two sisters, Kobi and Keely Schuck. When she found out she was nominated, she was very surprised. She believes that she was nominated by her peers because she's friendly and goes out of the way to talk to new people. At West, she's involved in Project 4 Teens, Key Club, National Honors Society, Link Crew, and band. Her favorite class at West has been Child Development because she really enjoyed the teacher and the projects in the class. Kiya enjoys reading, and her favorite books are by Colleen Hoover. She also likes to watch Netflix and her favorite show is Grey's Anatomy. After high school, Kiya plans to go to a 4-year college but is not sure where yet. Her favorite memory of high school has been going to all the sporting events because it is fun to be supporting the school and to be with all her friends. After she graduates, Kiya is going to miss all the teachers and being able to see her friends all the time at West. Her advice to underclassmen is to, “get involved and go to school events because they are super fun and a great way to meet new people.”

Homecoming escort Mason DuRose is escorting Homecoming Queen Candidate Kiya Schuck. Mason is the son of Matt and Jessica DuRose and brother to Reese DuRose. Mason was pretty shocked when he found out he was nominated for the Homecoming court, but he was really happy overall. Mason is involved in baseball, basketball, Project 4 Teens, and Link Crew. The best class he took at West was Entrepreneurship because he got to do a super fun project: selling t-shirts for a really cool business. After high school, Mason plans to go to college to study elementary education and play baseball. His best memory of high school was watching his friends compete in the State Championship for football his junior year. Mason will miss the friendships that he built in high school and seeing his close friends every day. A piece of advice Mason would give to underclassmen would be to get involved, “Being involved in activities is an easy way to get to know others, and it can help you find a career path for your future as it helped me.” Some of Mason’s favorite things to do outside of school are fishing and hanging out with his friends.