Every Falcon Has A Story 2023

     When senior Javier Carreon first picked up the trumpet for band in sixth grade, it wasn’t something he wanted to do.      “I just never saw myself playing an instrument,” Carreon said. “It was kind of just like, ‘Oh, this is more work that I have to put in now to something. I don’t really want to do it.’”      ...

The circus is a place full of excitement, captivating audiences of all ages with its acrobatics, daring feats and unforgettable performances. The idea of running away to join the circus may be seen as nothing more than a childhood fantasy, but for one high school senior, it is a dream he is determined to turn into a reality. “I want to join the circus because I feel like it’s so unique and not something ...

“Losing him is just like losing my best friend, like losing my rock because he was there, he had my back through everything, and he pushed me through everything,” senior Tyler Shanks said about his father. Back in 2019, pre-covid, Shanks’ first high school football season, and his life, was hit with an abrupt change. Two days before the season started, his father died, and he played his fir...

     Wrestling has been sophomore Merrik Murray's life; he has been wrestling since he was 6. He's achieved accomplishments such as placing second at districts and fourth at state as a freshman. He said he struggles with school and being able to focus in class, but his wrestling coach helped him be a better student so he could achieve his goals both as a student and an athlet...

After 28 years in education, the past seven being at Staley, assistant principal Kevin Kooi will be retiring as an educator after next school year. He said he hopes to leave a legacy for himself as his last few moments in education come to an end.  “I hope that they would say that I was a good dude, just a good dude, and that I really had the best interest of the students, the school and th...

      What started out as time in the kitchen learning  how to cook with her grandma during her early childhood has become a hobby for sophomore Eliyah Brown. Now in high school, Brown takes a food class and helps her grandma cook dinner after school.      Brown wants to be a chef when she gets older, so she is taking culinary classes no...

     The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a hard time, and for sophomore Olivia Marcille, it was one of the lowest points of her life. Marcille lost her grandpa on Jan. 9, 2022, to COVID–19. She was close with him and saw her grandpa as a father figure, mentor and a big impact in her day-to-day life. A year later, she’s still learning to move past it and understanding the grief tha...

    From reading books during her childhood to actually visiting the place she's dreamed about, ELA teacher Shannon Lineberry fulfilled a childhood aspiration when she went to London with her twin sister for their fortieth birthday.       Lineberry and her sister were able to fly since her sister's husband travels often and had travel points saved up so they could go to London and get a hote...

      There are things that can hold an athlete back from achieving their dreams, and one of these things is injuries. Some injuries are minor, while others can end a dream.           Senior soccer player Preston Assee is one of the athletes who suffered from a sports-related injury.      “I to...

School clubs, groups, and activities are all in junior Alana Romey's schedule, but she also skydives – sort of. For about a year now, she's been indoor skydiving at iFLY with her father and younger sister. Romey's father takes her and her younger sister Kaylin skydiving because he was a professional skydiver and wants to share the activity with his daughters. "My sister and I both do sport...

      Football has an impact on young athletes mentally and physically, but for sophomore Sequan McNair there's a connection behind the game.         “I want to play football all through high school, through college and potentially go to the NFL,” McNair said. “A lot of my friendships come from football because we all have something we can relate to and the tough schedule.”      ...

     Through her senior year, Sophia Miles has gone through challenges. Her extracurricular activities and work to earn her associates degree have put extra stress on her daily life, but staying true to herself and putting on a smile is what Miles said allowed her to keep going through those hard times.      “I have major anxiety, so I strug...

     Her journey into wrestling started in second grade. Sophomore Ellie Marrah’s family participated in the sport, so she continued the tradition.      “When I was in second grade, my whole family had done it,” Marrah said. “So I just thought I'd follow in my dad’s footsteps.”        She grew to love and enjoy the sport, continuing to h...

Certain people may believe private school is better than public school, but sophomore Zoey Stalone thinks otherwise.  She switched from private to public school for high school, and she said public school was a better fit for her.  Stalone went to different private schools from third grade to the first couple days of high school. She switched to public school just a couple of days after...

The daughter of an immigrant mother, junior Grace Chol has had to overcome obstacles in her path to get where she is today. Her mother migrated to the United States from South Sudan to better her children's chances at being successful in their education and in their lives. The United States has one of the lowest numbers of out-of-school children, according to the U.S Census Bureau. School is easily accessible to the majority of American children...

Dance has been in Sophomore Nicole Childress' life since she was in kindergarten. Dance has impacted her and influenced who she is today. She's learned lessons and achieved accomplishment in the times she's spent dancing. “I dance because it’s a way to express my feelings, and if I'm having a tough day, it’s nice to go to the studio and see the girls,” Childress said. Dancers spend ...

After facing bullying most of his middle school years, senior Hunter Staley said he never understood why. Staley said bullying left memories he has not forgotten that truly affected him. “In the seventh grade is when I first got bullied.” Staley said. “It affected me a lot. That’s when I first wore contacts, and they said that I looked like a Ninja Turtle.”  He just wanted...

In the average American household, there are 2.6 members living in one home at a time, but for 16-year-old Maer Deng, this is not the case. Maer was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He’s now a sophomore in high school, a varsity football player and wrestler. But when the day is over, Maer goes home to his family of 10. Three years after his mom and dad moved to the United States from...

For junior Parker VanDruff, hunting and fishing with his family has always been a part of his life. He’s gone fishing since he was 5 and hunting since he was 7. “I remember as a kid, when I was hunting with my dad and little brother, I fell asleep and woke up to find out my dad shot a deer,” VanDruff said. VanDruff shared a story about his biggest catch that was one of his most memorable...

At 13 years old, things changed for junior Sevion Nichols, and it resulted in him ending up living in a home with someone he barely knew.  On Aug. 10, 2005, Nichols was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He lived in his home with his mother and two older brothers, with a younger brother coming later in his life, before moving to Liberty, Missouri, at the age of 3.  “I felt my family l...

     Whether it’s his award-winning basketball documentaries or his coverage of the Super Bowl Parade being posted and shared on Patrick Mahomes’ Instagram, STTV senior Mason Baugh’s work is familiar to the student body.       As part of a Northland CAPS internship, Baugh covered the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade and the rall...

     After raising the most money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society against other students who were also driven to find cancer cures,  sophomore Vincie Nelson won 2023 Student Visionary of the year from the society.     “I got involved with LLS because my grandpa was diagnosed with leukemia,” Nelson said.   After Nelson’s gra...

      Starting his journey when he was 14, senior Daniel Skillman has an ambition to publish his own comic book. He started this journey when he was 14, now his universe and characters are more developed.            Skillman’s interest in comic books sparked when he was in elementary school. He said he had always found superheroes and cartoons fascinating, so much he wante...

     Being an athlete is common, but not every athlete will face a potentially career-ending injury like sophomore swimmer Jacey McGraw has. She has been battling her injury for two and a half years, recently facing an injury flare up which affected her ability to swim.       McGraw is struggling with IT band syndrome, a sprained MCL, and she also has ...

     Some people spend their entire lives living in the same place and never getting the opportunity to travel and explore the world, however cafeteria manager Lisa Ruedisueli has traveled and moved to multiple places in her life. Ruedisueli is from Warren, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, but she moved a few times when she was young, which she said helped her be an open person. ...

     Growing up playing sports, athletic trainer Alena Nelson said she always knew she wanted to be an athletic trainer. She had a passion for sports and was dedicated to helping others achieve their goals. Today, she has made a significant impact in the lives of the school’s athletes.      “My biggest fear is disappointment in others and disappointment in myself,...

     One in a million. Cyclic Neutropenia is a rare blood disorder occurring in about one of every one million people, and sophomore cross country runner Zach Sarnell was diagnosed with it at the beginning of the school year.      Cyclic Neutropenia causes health issues for Sarnell due to a lack of white blood cells, according to the National Library ...

     In the winter of 2020, junior Opjeet Dhanoa’s dream started. During that time, he stumbled across a YouTuber named Danny.      “The way he presented game developing was very interesting to me, so I tried it out, and I’ve liked it ever since,” Dhanoa said. Ever since, he has been working toward his dream of creating his own game.     &...

     An award-winning teacher in the culinary program has been guiding students for over 10 years. In February, FACS teacher Rachel Mitchell won the Culinary Teacher’s Excellence Award.      Mitchell attributed her success to her parents, who worked in the food industry. Her father, a district manager for Yum Brands, which includes Long John Silvers and ...

     Entering his fifteenth year of coaching with the North Kansas City School District, head soccer coach Johnny Chain focuses on finding happiness and purpose in life.       Although Chain has always had passion for soccer, it was never a long term goal to be a teacher or a coach. He originally majored in exercise and fitness management. ...

  Struggles Shaped Her Future "I would describe myself as smart, nice and funny," senior Kyla Nguyen said. But if you ask other, they might use different words. "The people that are closest to me know I have a more funny side, and I can be a little stubborn sometimes. Well, sometimes whenever I have a different opinion then someone, whenever I know I'm right, I will fight for what my opinion is." When a...

     Growing up in the small town of Unionville, Missouri, with a population less than the school where he teaches, teacher David Fowler said word spread quickly.      “Being from a small town, everybody knows everyone, and everyone’s families know everybody,” Fowler said. “It was kind of a struggle because of the expectations, and if you did somethi...

     Sophomore Santanna Jordan has a family with all girls. Some would think this would be hard having three other sisters but not for Santanna. She said her sisters help her get through things most days.      “I am the youngest of four sisters, and my sisters are my best friends,” Santanna said.      She said she tells her sisters everything and has the best mem...

     Sophomores Marcello Martin and Stephen Kelly had been buddies ever since the time they were in activities together in middle school.      When Kelly and Martin first met in 2018 through football, they soon realized they were members of the same Boy Scout troop and band at New Mark Middle School, which led to them playing in the same band in high school. &nbs...