Teachers, staff make a difference

Moving to Texas and attending a new school as a senior was a big challenge for me. When I arrived here I was told that I needed an art credit to graduate. I was never good at art but it was therapeutic to me.  I got put into Sarah Wyatt’s Art 1 class. From my first impression, I thought Wyatt seemed nice but I never thought I would talk much to her. I usually don’t form bonds with teachers b...

There were many things that I was nervous about walking into high school at the beginning of the year but being a part of the Silver Stars with Ms. Cyndi Vaughn wasn’t one of them. I met Ms. Vaughn while touring KPark and it immediately felt like this was the team I wanted to be on.  Ms.Vaughn is one of the hardest workers I know, she does everything she can to help the team grow as dancers a...

Danielle Steingreaber is the best science teacher I’ve had in a long time. She’s clearly passionate about both science and her job, and she has helped me enjoy science class again. I’ve been absent a lot this year, and each time she has been patient and understanding with turning in late work and making up for missing tests. She puts the test in the testing center; and after she tells you it’...

It’s not often that during a history presentation there will be a slide dedicated to pictures of a teacher out of nowhere. Even more shocking that he would just sit at his desk and laugh for five minutes then run over to the room next door to proudly show that teacher. However, that is coach Eric Coovert for you.  When sitting in his class you are never able to forget that he is a coach. He watch...

Rolanda Wilkins always walks into class with a smile on her face and a good mood. At the beginning of second period, Wilkins takes her daily picture with juniors Olivia Roach, Emma Bruton, and Julianna Perez. Before class ends, Wilkins always has to say “bye love bugs” before we are allowed to leave.  Even during the boring units, she always creates fun discussions and activities for us to do....

Tennis coach John Macapaz always shows love to his teams on and off the court. He jokes, laughs and plays as we gasp for air while he watches us run suicides up and down the courts with a smile on his face and his shuffled playlist blasting in the background.  The first thing I noticed when I  joined the tennis team about a year ago was the father figure role Coach Mac had with his team and ot...

As a teacher for both advanced quantitative reasoning and statistics as well as the coach of the varsity girls basketball coach, Coach LeighAnn Wolfe is constantly the source of motivation and perseverance for her students. Coach Wolfe, instead of having us do pointless busywork, is always having us do projects that will prepare the seniors for life after high school. She is always doing what she c...

During the summer of 2020, I had to prepare myself for my freshman year of high school as an online student. I had first talked to my counselor Caren Barnes when I was stressing over my schedule because it was my first year as an online student and I didn't know how it would work yet. Mrs. Barnes listened and made sure that I knew that there was nothing to stress over. She helped me through this proc...

You wouldn’t think a normal conversation between a student and their teacher would be about the best way to get rid of a body if you mutilated it. But this is a little way too common with forensics teacher Tanya Johnston. Johnston has been working at Kingwood Park for three years, primarily teaching seniors and juniors. In this time she has had a few interesting experiences such as: each students’ viewp...

When I was entering my sophomore year, I was really worried about chemistry. People always told me that chemistry is hard and that there is a lot of math involved. I struggle with math so I get confused very easily. Luckily, I have Meagan Martin as my teacher. She has always been so patient with me. Every time me and my friends come to her classroom, she is always telling us jokes and making her c...

Scarlett May teaches a variety of criminal justice classes. She also is a part time lawyer outside of school. She always greets everyone at the door when they first walk in. When there are warm ups, she takes time to discuss others' responses and why they say them. May always has a smile on her face. When you see her in the hallways she always says hi.  When doing assignments, she tries to make th...

One of the most complained about subjects in school is history. Some people think it’s dumb to learn about stuff that's already happened or they just don’t care in general, but US History is one of my favorite classes. Sometimes people also assume that when a coach is a teacher, they might just assign a bunch of busy work or maybe they just throw textbook reading in your face and not really ...

Just a small room with such an big impact. Who knew that one stranger can help so much? I’m in my second year of high school, which I’m an little surprised I made it to -- and it’s all thanks to Gina Sanchez, who ,never gave up on me last year when I gave up on myself. My home life was getting to hard and she called me down to her office just to make sure I was doing OK every once in awhi...

Science was never one of my favorite subjects growing up. I thought it was boring, and I’d much rather use my imagination to write stories or draw. But when I step into Kristen Lynam's biology class, it’s different. She always makes the effort to make her teaching interactive and keep students engaged. She socializes with students individually and tries to help every student reach their full ...

Coach Kyle Grimes and I have had our ups and downs, but I can say he's always been there for me. He has never yelled or gotten mad if me and my friends ever stopped listening, zoned out or didn’t turn something in on time.  A while ago, I had this friend Ashlyn. She moved away, but the only class we had together was English. It wasn't often that we were quiet or focused, but Grimes always had a...

Coach Gorney is the soccer coach best known for his headers in soccer. During the beginning of soccer, coach Gorney would push the girls in his soccer class to the max. He always had us run lines and do some serious weight lifting. A few girls even got sick because of how much Gorney pushed us. There was one time we ran three miles and none of the girls were really prepared for it. During the run...

During my 8th grade year, I didn't go to school. I stayed home and attended virtually. My parents were worried about me going to high school due to my anxiety. I was also worried because it was a new environment and I didn't know anyone there. My parents decided to contact Timothy Hurlbert, the counselor for students E-K. He said he was more than happy to meet my parents and me. Mr. Hurlbert and my...

I never thought that OnRamps College Algebra would be my most musical class throughout my high school career, but teacher Caroline Wick is always full of surprises.  Whether I need tutoring, life advice, or just a quiet space to get away from the chaos of the hallways, Miss Wick has always welcomed me with a smile and some sort of funny accent or song. Her antics during class have become some of m...

I used to walk past the LGI area everyday and see English co-teacher Laura Whitfield helping students with their work. I never knew I would have her in my English three class junior year and how much of an impact she would make on me in school and life. Mrs. Whitfield is helping multiple students everyday with their English work and also making sure they have the modifications they need. She makes it fun for...

If I were to describe Mr. Hess in one word, I couldn’t. There's too much to talk about. He is smart, funny, and an overall nice guy. For example, he stands outside the band hall everyday before class to greet me. Although he isn’t my teacher anymore, he still teaches me. At the beginning of the semester I started playing for the Wind Ensemble. I was nervous because everyone was better than ...

Walking into pathophysiology is my favorite part of the day because no matter how I'm feeling, I know the energy is going to be good. Cassandra DeBottis has lifted my spirits plenty of times and I truly can't thank her enough for that. Her kind and loving personality always makes me look forward to class. After taking anatomy and physiology last year, I decided that the next best class to take w...

Being in cross country for all four years of high school, I must have heard “Welcome to the Jungle” 300 times by now. Coach Chris Elliott, a die hard ‘80s rock fan, has barely altered his playlist since I was a freshman. In spite of this, it would be hard to find an athlete who didn’t like the man. Coach Elliott’s reluctance to change his playlist is just one of the many personality quirks that...

Math isn’t always the easiest subject. It can be confusing, challenging or even gut wrenching. However, Shannon Wenter makes it a lot easier for her students to understand. Wenter is the On-Level and OnRamps Statistics teacher on campus and I don’t know anyone else best fit for the job. When listening to her lectures, you can tell that she’s very interested in what she teaches. Having the pa...

Learning French has always seemed like a fun idea for me. I didn’t really get into French until I took the class my sophomore year. My sophomore year went smoothly until COVID hit. My junior year, I just slacked off and didn't work, which ultimately led to me being in the class again my senior year. At the end of my junior year, my counselor tried to put me in a different language, but Madame Randall to...

As I got off the bus after my last high school soccer game, I hugged each of my coaches. When I hugged Coach White, we didn’t exchange many words. All he did was ask one question. “Since you were 12?” he asked me. And I began to cry a little bit harder. “Yep,” I whispered. I first met Coach White when I was 12 and at Texas A&M Soccer Camp. At the time, I never would have imagined that he w...

If you were to ask someone what their favorite science is, they probably are not going to say physics. The concepts are hard to apply, you can be given little information in a problem, and it just feels impossible sometimes. However, Glenn Taylor somehow makes you look forward to coming to his class. Mr. Taylor left his job as a petroleum engineer to start teaching. That alone should prove how much he loves his job. He goes above and beyond and under...

Someone asked me who brings out the best in me and I'm constantly thinking about who it is. One of the first people that comes to mind is coach Andrew Cross.  I was on the freshman team last year and couldn’t have had a better coach. He was my biggest supporter, and I will always be thankful that I had him for one year. Even in stressful situations, he keeps his cool, has a plan and a positive attitude...

Laurie Rosato is the advanced chemistry teacher who also teaches OnRamps Chemistry. When you first meet her, she doesn’t seem any different from any other science teacher, but you quickly learn what sets her apart. Mrs. Rosato is a kind and fun person. She makes learning chemistry interesting. When I first signed up to take chemistry, I thought it was going to be like biology. I figured I woul...

Coach Angela Chancellor is my favorite person at Kingwood Park because she is my golf coach. She is super supportive and sees potential in people. When I first came to KPARK, I was in sixth period golf. It is the lower class with less practice, and I was really struggling. I couldn't even get into the 90s when I played 18 holes. I would hit a lot of good shots in practice and on our simulator, but I ...

I entered Aline Theriot's room freshman year not knowing that I’d be there again my sophomore year. The first thing I saw when I entered her room was a poster from the "Sailor Moon" anime and a shelf full of Funko pops and anime figurines. I remember sitting next to a boy, who I didn’t necessarily get along with. We both had very different opinions on things. We had debates almost every day...