The Highlander Senior Issue by Rachel Rauch

bre

ak thr ou

0 2

THE HIGHLANDER SENIOR ISSUE

03 letter 04 predictions 06 playlist 07 best friends 08 major 10 athletes 14 features 26 college list 36 goodbyes

Co Editors-in-Chief Sasha Shapsis and Ava Wojnowski Assistant Editors Annie McCormick, Allison Yang, Ariel Leykin Designers Elizabeth Khomenkov, Sasha Shapsis, Ava Wojnowskii Cover Artist Elizabeth Khomenkov and Drew Braaten Writers and Photographers Ava Wojnowski, Sasha Shapsis, Wendy Kennedy, Tom Nackers, David Kenas, Elizabeth Sutton, Tanya Haswell, Stephanie Resch, Alex Lafferty, Jelena Rosich, Submitted photo Advisor Rachel Rauch Principal Eric Ebert Superintendent Matthew Joynt

Dear Class of 2020, Over the last four years, our class has experienced some of the craziest and unforgettable memories together. Through the numerous carnivals, 30 minute recess kickball games, and intense dodgeball in gym class, we lived out our elementary schools days without a care in the world. We packed our drawstring backpacks for field day, and we looked for our friends in the crowd at assemblies. As we formed our lines to walk through the halls, we watched our teachers count down to 5 to silence our voices. We anxiously awaited for the annual trip to the Ye Olde Schoolhouse, where we experienced the wrath of having our braids taped to the chalkboard. As the memories piled on, our elementary days came to a close on the final day of 5th grade. Cubbies turned in lockers as we split into Lake Shore and Steffen to meet our new friends. We survived Camp Minikani/Anokijig together, bought overpriced bucket hats in DC, and screamed on every ride at Six Flags. We began to experiment with different hobbies as we joined the forensics team or played for our middle school basketball teams. We were thrilled to finally experience a graduation as we walked across the Auditorium for our 8th grade promotion into Homestead High School. We entered a huge new school expecting to use our lockers that were never touched. As high schoolers we took our passions and began to develop them in extracurriculars. Quarters became trimesters. Map testing became ACTs and SATs. We no longer had to stay off the bleachers during football games where we learned the Mighty Highlanders cheer. Everyone says that these four years fly by but we never believed them until it came true, with a sad abrupt ending. This is by no means how any of us expected to end our senior year. We did not get to soak in our last moments as we had expected to and for many this is heartbreaking. No final class, game, concert, and so many other lasts. While it can be easy to dwell on what you have missed out on, we encourage you to remember what did happen. To remember all of the things that made you happy at Homestead. To remember all of the friends you have made over your four years. We have all been so lucky to get an education in an atmosphere like Homestead. And we hope you remember the happy moments instead of the ones that were lost. Thank you seniors for everything, it has been a wonderful journey. - Your Highlander Publications seniors

SENIOR

TEAH MARKS will become a graphic designer for Pixar

ANDREW WANG will walk in a Paris fashion show

JAKE YASONIK will slowly morph into Elon Musk as he ages and name his kid X Ã&#x2020; A-12

LIBBY TIMM will own a barn and work with horses

NICK VOSLAR will open a tanning salon

JOSH GOTTLIEB will become a rabbi

MADISON HEITZ will move to LA and join the tik tok Hype House

PREDICTIONS ETHAN SCHLESINGER will direct and produce an award winning ﬁlm

JOSH TEPLIN will hit another gas pump

BRENNA CAMPBELL will become an amazing architect

ZACK ZENS will become the “World’s Best Bartender”

PARUS TUNIO will become a successful doctor and make an appearance on the show “The Bachelor”

ALEXA...

play “Graduation” by Benny Blanco & Juice WRLD

CLASS 2020 PLAYLIST

Broccoli

Truth Hurts

DRAM, Lil Yachty

Lizzo

One Dance

Rockstar

Drake

Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

Closer

God’s Plan

The Chainsmokers

Drake

Bad and Boujee

Lucid Dreams

Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert

Juice Wrld

Black Beatles

Sicko Mode

Rae Srummerd

Travis Scott

Starboy

thank u, next

The Weeknd

Ariana Grande

24K Magic

Old Town Road

Bruno Mars

Lil Nas X

Location

Bad Guy

Khalid

Billie Eilish

XO Tour Llif3

Señorita

Lil Uzi Vert

Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello

Bruises

Roxanne

Lewis Capaldi

Arizona Zarves

Feel It Still

Say So

Portugal. The Man

Doja Cat

Mo Bamba

The Box

Sheck Wes

Roddy Rich

BEST FRIENDS going to the same college Ally Chung and Sam Haller Q: What college are you attending next year? AC: University of Michigan Q: How long have you two been friends? SH: Since freshman year Q: What is your best memory together? SH: When we went to Six Flags and waited 4 hours in line for The Joker and the ride was so bad Q: How would you describe your friendship in one word? AC: Fun SH: Chaotic

Isabel Klemmer, Bernardo Medeiros, and Zidao Wang Q: What college are you attending next year? IK: Georgetown University Q: How long have you three been friends? BM: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known both Isabel and Zidao for four years, but it mostly this year after I transferred that I became closer friends with both of them Q: What is your best memory together? ZW: My favorite memory was when we went on a road trip to Iowa for one of our debate tournamentsour playlists for the journeys were always crazy Q: How would you describe your friendship in one word? IK: Teasing BM: Unconventional ZW: Chummy

Andrew Langhoff and Robert Handal Q: What college are you attending next year? AL: University of Iowa Q: How long have you two been friends? RH: We have been friends since kindergarten at Lumen Christi Q: What is your best memory together? RH: Playing on the same basketball, baseball, and golf teams growing up AL: Either working together or playing together on the same golf team for two years Q: How would you describe your friendship in one word? RH: Entertaining AL: Strong

WHAT WHAT IS IS YOUR YOUR MAJOR MAJOR & WHY WHY &

KATE PRAMENKO MAJOR: Information Systems WHY: “It’s a mix of business and computer science, and both of those interest me.”

DYLAN BRADLEY MAJOR: Finance and Investment Banking WHY: “I picked it because I see money as fundamentally a problem to be solved, and would like to use my talents, knowledge, and passion in order to help people and organizations create ﬁnancial abundance.”

LUKE APPAZELLER MAJOR: Statistics WHY: “I really enjoyed the AP Stats course.”

MEGHAN QUINN MAJOR: Chemical Engineering WHY: “I like the real-world applications and problem solving.”

D1: Pomline at University of Arizona “I am so beyond excited for my next chapter to begin in Arizona as I will continue dancing on the University of Arizona Pomline. I could not have done it without my dance team coaches, teammates and family as I have grown tremendously over my high school years. The Homestead Dance Team will always hold a very special place in my heart!”

D2: Basketball at Minnesota State University “I am so thankful for everything Homestead basketball has given me, I wouldn’t be the person or the player I am today without my coaches and teammates pushing me to be my best.”

GRACE MOLL

GRACE MUELLER

MAYA KURTIN

PURSUING

D3: Lacrosse at Marian University “I am looking forward to challenges, opportunities, and adventures.”

D1: Rowing at Yale University “I’m really thankful for the sacrifices made by those who supported me over the past three years and am looking forward to the next four.”

DANILO ROSICH

PASSION

These students will be continuing their sports into college

D1: Soccer at University of Evansville “Soccer was always there for me when no one else was. It brought me a group of girls that would become part of my family for the rest of my life. I owe everything to soccer for bringing me my best friends and pushing me to be the best person and player I could be.”

EMILY WIEBE D1: Tennis at Marquette University “I'm really excited to be playing and competing for Marquette University. The coaches there are amazing and the team is made up of girls from all over the world including a few from the Midwest that I grew up playing with in juniors. I really hope we get to play this fall.”

ANDIE WIESE

D1: Gymnastics at University of Arizona “My time as a club and Homestead gymnast has pushed me to become a better athlete and better person each day. I am excited to see where gymnastics will take me throughout my next 4 years at the University of Arizona!”

TAYLOR RASKIN

"Homestead Athletics have allowed me to grow as a person and athlete. I look forward to playing baseball and football at the next level, and even further thereafter."

ARTHUR LIEBAU

D2: Baseball and football at Lindenwood University

D1: Hockey at Arizona State University "Hockey has always been a big part of my life and I'm excited to continue my career at ASU. I owe it all to my coaches, teammates, parents, and friends. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them."

D3: Track and Field at UW Oshkosh “Track and field for me was all about having fun, and getting to know myself, I wasn’t a fan of it in middle school, and overtime in high school, I fell in love with it. It is what got me through high school and I couldn’t be more appreciative for what it’s done for me.”

MASON RESCH

LAUREN CURTIS

“I am so excited to start my next chapter at UW-Eau Claire and getting the opportunity to create memories with my new teammates.”

BRAYLIN SMITH

D3: Basketball at UW Eau Claire

D3: Football at St. Olaf College “I can’t wait until I get to meet all the players. I’ve talked to them a little bit already, and I know they are going to be amazing teammates.”

D3: Basketball at Loras College “I’d like to thank the homestead basketball program especially coach crider for helping me develop enough to be able to have that chance. All I ever hope for is to become the best player as well as the best person I can be through basketball and I am looking forward to taking those next steps at Loras next year.”

DECLAN CIURLIK

CHARLIE FERGUSON

Leticia Marson learns to adapt to new country and connect with the people she meets along the way. By Sasha Shapsis Growing up in Brazil, Leticia Marson soaked up the sun as she played in the yard at her house. Swimming, riding her horse, and visiting her grandparents farm on the weekend had become staples in her childhood, but that all changed in the spring of 2013. Many students have experienced the act of moving, and while for some the adaptation to their new homes might have been quick, Leticia experienced an entirely different process. The graduating senior moved here from São Paulo when she was 11, leaving behind a lot of her family and friends to enter Mequon. “I had no idea what to expect. I came with a really open mind and had no expectations. I was nervous to move to a different country like any normal person would be, but because I was 11 I was more excited than anything. I was leaving my family behind but that's a pretty hard concept for a kid to wrap their head around,” Marson explained. The cultural and societal differences had quickly revealed themselves as Leticia began settling in. For a majority of her life, she had been used to a different schedule, different scenery, a different language, and a different community. She has to adjust her way of living to an entirely different norm, pushing her out of her comfort zone. The challenge pushed Leticia to work hard and allowed for herself to learn more about her new world. However, there were still little changes that Leticia had to pick up on, even something as simple as a greeting. “In Brazil we tend to say hello with hugs and kisses (cheek-to-cheek kisses), but I had to learn that not

everyone likes to be that physical with someone they have just met. While in Brazil this action is seen as the polite way to greet someone, here it might be pushing someone out of their comfort zone when they are not ready.” As she began to immerse herself in her new life, Leticia felt welcomed by the community. She quickly made friends and was excited to experience what the school system meant here in the United States. “ I felt very welcomed. I feel like everyone was pretty excited to meet someone from a different country. Everything is exciting to 11 year olds though.” While Leticia had been embraced into Mequon by a number of people, a large percentage of immigrants, including her, still face backlash from the community and the nation. The topic of immigration proves to be controversial, sparking heated debates among the political parties. Marson explains that when it comes to addressing immigrants that “We do such a poor job. Especially when we’re surrounded by a number of Trump supporters who want strict immigration policies.” Leticia had come around full circle to accept her new life, and while moving had cut her off of a number of things she used to enjoy, including her favorite foods, she quickly learned there were some perks to her new surroundings, including the freedom and ability to pursue what she loved to do the most. “ I think what I like the most here is the opportunity I have to take on whatever career I choose. In Brazil, I wouldn't be able to go to art school for example.”

The pressures of growing up in an entirely new nation and conforming to its culture can take a toll, as people can start to forget their upbringings. Leticia has spent a majority of time here, and while she adopted a number of factors into her life from America, she always stuck to her roots that made her who she is. “I did get lost for a little bit and tried to only take on American culture. After trying to repress where I was from for a couple years, I decided to bring myself back to where I was from and it felt so nice. I tend to be very outgoing and social. i definitely get my friendliness from Brazil.” Now, as a student graduating from Homestead, Leticia looks forward to pursuing her interests and developing an even deeper bond with her home. The process of pausing and picking up your life to restart in a new world always has its effects, but Leticia took that task and made the most of her time in Mequon. “Moving was always a big part of my life so I just saw this as one big move. I was excited for sure. My life has completely changed since I moved here. I now know more English, and my mom has figured out her career path here. Major life changes don't just happen overnight; everything I have accomplished today has been something I've been working on for the past couple years.”

Grant Ivarson ﬁnds his passion for powerlifting and works hard to perfect his craft. By Sasha Shapsis For many seniors at Homestead, the stress of classes, extracurriculars, and college preparation provide an overwhelming weight on their lives. Students look to various activities to release stress and motivate them to stay energized, such as hanging with friends, going to concerts or late night drives to get McDonalds. While these distract the mind from all the work, Grant Ivarson looks to something a little different to spend his time. Powerlifting. While Grant’s powerlifting story started his freshman year in Mequon, he hasn’t spent his whole life here. Grant and his family moved to California when he was a little boy, where he spent a good chunk of his time. “My family and I moved to Huntington Beach, Calif. when I was two years old where I ended up living until fifth grade. Since then, I have spent the remainder of my life in Mequon and have been a part of MTSD the entire time.” Upon entering his first year of Homestead, Grant had decided to partake in track in order to get more involved at school and experience something new. New to the sport, he knew he needed to train to improve his skills, which is when he first took up training in powerlifting. “I started training the spring of my freshman year, partially to get better and shot put and discus for track but also because I didn’t like how I looked/felt health wise.” Track didn’t stick for long. Neither did football, which Grant had participated in during his junior year on varsity. However, his love for powerlifting had begun to grow throughout the years, as he had started to visit the gym almost every day and continue training. He had created a daily routine, one that helped him stay focused and driven. “Training for powerlifting is an absolute physical and mental test of

strength but is also really fun and exhilarating at the same time. It’s a time of the day when I can just zone out of the stresses in my life and focus on something I love doing.” Training was not easy. It required every part of Grant’s commitment, and pushed him beyond anything he had imagined doing. It had affected daily parts of his life, not just his time at the gym. While he loved what he had been gaining from the training, there were also multiple setbacks and hardships. “I’d say the hardest thing about powerlifting for me is optimizing every aspect that affects my training. Getting stronger isn’t just sessions in the gym; it’s also getting enough sleep, eating right, staying hydrated and much more. Trying to keep track of everything is a lot on top of school and life in general.” As he continued daily powerlifting, Grant had begun to enter competitions to test the hard work he had put in. The competitions involved numerous training tasks and programs that allowed Grant to build up as much strength as possible. “Powerlifting meets are both nerve racking and a lot of fun at the same time. It’s the denouement of all of the training and preparation leading up to them and a formal test of your top end strength. I prepare for a competition by peaking my volume in a strength program that, if timed correctly, can deliver great results. I personally compete in USA Powerlifting in the 105 kg weight class as a Teen 3 lifter (18-19 years old). The process of a powerlifting meet is an absolute roller coaster. Most meets start early in the morning for weigh-ins, generally from 6-8 a.m. and can last up to 8 hours. After weighing in, competitors have around an hour to hydrate and prepare for their three squat attempts, which is followed by a break, three bench attempts, another break, and three deadlift attempts.” Last year, Grant entered Raw

Nationals. He was now working with professional coaches and creating new workouts to improve his powerlifting. With almost three years of training under his belt, Grant had now completely transformed both his physical and mental state. With this competition coming up, he had trained extra hard to achieve his highest outcome. “I’d say my greatest achievement was winning Raw Nationals and being selected for Team USA Powerlifting 2020. Along with that I am the 2020 Wisconsin Open State Champion(All Ages) as a 17 year old which I really surprised myself in doing, and I also hold 4 state records and 2 american records.” Now selected to travel and perform with Team USA in the future, Grant is putting all his time and energy into lifting. With the spread of COVID-19 and the closing of K-12 schools, Grant is training at home with the equipment he’s installed. He is looking forward to improving his powerlifting and entering new competitions. “I'm preparing for the recently postponed IPF World Championships with Team USA in Minsk, Belarus which will be in October and am in a good position to be competing for more national titles for years to come.” The effects of Grant’s years in powerlifting have truly taken their toll, forcing him to push himself to greater limits. While the work has been tough on the senior, his love for the sport outweighs any cons, and he constantly reminds himself to keep going forward. “I’m a very competitive person and seeing people that are stronger than me, even if I'm not competing against them, just motivates and excites me. I consider myself to have a very strong innate inner drive that has been constantly pushing me to get better and better any day that I can. I used to chase numbers in the gym but after a while I realized that something inside me is never going to be satisfied with what i'm doing and is always going to want more.”

Grace Adebogun takes full advantage of her love for education. By Ava Wojnowski From her childhood, Grace Adebogun has been taught to prioritize her education and to always work hard in everything she does. A good work ethic has always been something she has taken pride in and she has used this to create the best relationships possible. “As a child, my parents always taught my siblings and me about the importance of a good education. Having their educational values instilled within me helped push me to always do my best in school. Through elementary, middle, and high school, I always prioritized my schoolwork, but I also tried to remember to nurture the relationships I had with my friends and family. Because I am more introverted and shy, it has always been harder for me to build relationships with the people around me. But, when I did begin to make friends, I did my best to cultivate our relationships the best way I could,” Adebogun said. Adebogun has also learned to cultivate and direct her energy where it is really needed, allowing her to make not only growth within her relationships but also growth within herself. “I think that my life up to my senior year has been pretty great because I have taken the time to only direct my energy to the things that deserved my attention. Focusing on my communities, my schoolwork and my relationships while also setting aside time to focus on myself, has really allowed me to grow into the person I am today. It has also allowed me to achieve the goals I have set for myself so far and I believe that staying focused will help me continue to achieve my goals in the future,” Adebogun said. In continuation of her passion for a good education, when asked what her biggest accomplishment in life has been thus far she explained how her academic journey to college has been her biggest accomplishment. “One thing I am proud of is the fact that I have successfully made it this far in my educational journey. Because of the career I am working towards, I will be in school for a long time, so having a strong

educational foundation is really important for me. I have put a lot of time and energy into my education, and I feel as if many good opportunities have come from all that work. One distinct example is the fact that I got into Stanford University. I truly believe that one reason I was admitted was my solid academic background. With that being said, I do believe that, by continuing to build upon this foundation, I will be able to accomplish a variety of things in the future,” Adebogun explained. The root of Adebogun’s drive comes from her parents and their constant wish for her to be the best she can be. Her parents are Nigerian-American immigrants and have faced many hardships being immigrants from Nigeria. “Hearing about all the hardships my mom faced to get to where she is today had a real impact on how I view her and myself. Despite being a female immigrant from Africa, my mom was able to accomplish so much. Knowing this has proven to me that I can also accomplish many things despite the hardships I may face. Also, learning more about my mom’s perspective has allowed me to take a different look at life and how certain aspects that make us all unique can have a positive or negative impact, depending on how we choose to approach life.” Adebogun has always been passionate about the brain and how it works. She is intrigued by the science behind it all and this is something she often likes to learn more about. “One thing I am really passionate about is the brain and learning about the brain. From a young age, I found that I was very interested in the many aspects that make up the brain which, in turn, makes us all who we are. Learning specific details about the brain and how certain parts of it work and connect to other parts of the body is really fascinating. Also, finding connections between the brain and other interests of mine makes me even more passionate about the brain,” Adebogun stated when asked what she is passionate about.

Adebogun has always looked up to her mother and a breakthrough moment in her life was when Adebogun's sister interviewed their mother about how being a woman has impacted her life. “A time in my life when I had a breakthrough was the time my sister and I interviewed our mom on how being a woman has affected her life. Recently, my sister had an assignment for college to interview an influential woman in her life and she asked me to help her interview our mom. The interview asked questions about my mom’s childhood and teenage years in Nigeria, her young adulthood in London, and her adulthood in America. My mom’s life living as a girl in Nigeria was hard due to the patriarchal setup of the society that basically allowed men to fully control their families. When she moved to London, she had more freedom to live her life the way she wanted to, but college, student loans, and multiple jobs ultimately ruled her life during that time. In America, my mom experienced another series of setbacks when she was forced to retake the GED, redo college, then attend nursing school. In the midst of all that, she got married, had three children, and started her own business, among other things,” Adebogun said. Next year at Stanford University, Adebogun plans to major in Human Biology. One thing that she is looking forward to next year is the atmosphere. “One thing I am looking forward to experiencing at Stanford is the environment full of people who are smart, but don’t necessarily act like it. I’m also excited for the good weather and all the fun and interesting classes and traditions that I’ll be able to participate in while I’m there,” Adebogun explained.

Jake Yasonik’s research takes off as he works to perfect his projects. By Ava Wojnowski A senior in high school working to create a life-saving medicine is something you do not see very often. More specifically, he has been researching artificial intelligence for pharmaceutical drug discovery. Jake Yasonik has worked tirelessly for two years and his hard work has truly paid off. His work has been published, but he continues to work on it and improved it all of the time. “The idea behind my project is an AI model that can generate molecules - potential medicines from scratch. Except, even though I trained the model to create real, valid molecules, it kept on generating the same one over and over again. I read so many different papers and tried so many different things: different datasets, different ways of encoding the data, different model architectures, different parameters and nothing solved the duplicate molecule problem (though I found a ton more issues while tearing everything apart!),” Yasonik explained. Jake’s parents are both immigrants who traveled to America from Ukraine. Jake also has an older brother who is someone he strives to be like in the future. “I really look up to my brother; he's done so many interesting things, worked on so many amazing projects and gone to so many cool places. We both come from the exact same background, so he kind of nullifies any excuses I can come up with to not do something,” Yasonik said. With research, there is often trial and error. Jake was no stranger to adversity throughout the two years of his intense research. With coding, there can often be minor errors that are hard to detect at first

but once you do it is a total game changer. “A lot of really small problems ended up taking me forever to solve, just because I didn't even know which online forums to look at or which papers to read. I remember spending more than a month trying to solve one issue with my model; at first, I thought it was something wrong with the actual algorithm, then with the data I had, and then with my code. Eventually, it ended up being something like 10 lines of code that just adjusted a few parameters. I was super frustrated because I'd spent the last few weeks rereading everything I had based my idea on and tearing through my code, but it was really fun!” Yasonik described when asked about the adversity he had faced thus far Yasonik also explained that finding people to work with was difficult and a big struggle when he first started his research. “Getting mentors to work with or experts to even just look at my ideas was really hard, and I didn't actually get the chance until after I'd done well at a couple science fairs and conferences,” Yasonik stated. Many may question how a 17-year-old would become interested in this kind of research. Yasonik wished to do something meaningful with his love of math and science, so he set to work. “I've loved math since forever but wanted to actually do something meaningful with it, and I found that while reading about artificial intelligence. I remember just googling ‘problems in AI’ and ended up doing a project on AI in cybersecurity, but that totally bombed at the science fair. I started looking into AI in medicine for

next year's fair and eventually found out about all the technical problems in the pharmaceutical industry: problems that AI could solve. Over the summer before junior year, I read as many research papers as I could find on the topic and kept getting more and more into it,” Yasonik explained. Yasonik applied to a competition this year called the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) where the top 40 become finalists. Yasonik had the honor of being selected as one of the top 40 for a research scholarship in which about 2,000 seniors from the United States had originally applied. Being the top 40 he earned $1,000 for Homestead, money for himself and his research, and he also got an asteroid named after him. They have yet to announce the top 10; however, that will be announced in August since the finalist week was postponed until August. “It's been amazing getting to meet all the other finalists over group text, but I can't wait to actually meet them in person! I started my project out of my living room, working solo, so it's really fun and rewarding to talk to other researchers, bounce ideas off each other and work on projects together,” Yasonik explained when asked what receiving that scholarship meant to him. Yasonik will be attending MIT in the fall and he plans to major in math with computer science. “I'm super excited to meet all the people at MIT, do a ton of research and join different clubs. I can't wait to also explore Boston,” Yasonik said.

Zamod Wellington’s drive in music allows him to express his creativity in numerous ways. By Sasha Shapsis “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything,” Plato said. And for senior Zamod Wellington, music has just done that. It’s become his stress reliever, his inspiration, his drive in life. It’s become who he is. Zamod was born and grew up in Milwaukee, attending the MTSD school district for most of his life. He had his first take at music as a little boy, when his parents signed him up to learn to play the piano. He had always enjoyed the task, but didn’t take it seriously until his teacher had pushed him to finally focus. “I first started playing piano when I was younger. My parents made me do it, and I always continued playing. I didn’t practice a lot, but I always went to the lessons. Piano didn’t come naturally to me. I was really bad at it, and the teacher basically called me out. After he did that, I got mad and finally started practicing. My parents gave me the opportunity to try it, which I’m thankful for, and they let me play and do what I want.” Piano remained part of Zamod’s life as he began to grow up. It had always allowed for an emotional release and inspired Zamod in many aspects of his life. As he transitioned into senior year, Zamod had decided to try out for the winter musical, something he had never thought about in the past. The theatre department was a foreign land to him, but nonetheless, he pushed himself to audition and try something new in his final year at high school.

“I auditioned for and got a role in the winter musical. Somehow, I got a role. I really liked it. Those kids are super dope and I had a good time. The way the theatre department is at Homestead, everyone can just be themselves, which is what I learned from being in it.”

“Music is a very big part of my life. It’s a part of me. I’m a person who always has to have my headphones in every day.”

His role in the musical had not only taught him more about himself, but also persuaded Zamod to take up rapping. He hadn’t explored much of that world before, and while he was fairly new to it, he immediately sparked a passion with rapping, which he thanked the theatre department for. “I don’t produce the music I’ve released, but I rap. I’m just the artist. For a long time, I never wanted to rap. I always thought it was corny and weird. I don’t think I’ve ever been shy, but I never thought of myself as an artist. However, my role in the show changed some of my beliefs, and I tried it out.”

Zamod’s experience at Homestead and his community have allowed him to prosper and serve as the foundations for who he’s grown into. He’s now found the activities he loves to do most, and built a true understanding for the person he is today. “I had a huge transformation from freshman to senior year. I’ve always thought of myself as an independent person, but now I’ve truly grown into that role. I’ve developed myself as I’ve gotten older. Homestead and my community have definitely helped me grow. It’s a huge part of your life. You don’t leave high school the same person as who you started as.” With his love for music only growing by the day, Zamod is looking forward to a future that surrounds him with his passion. “ My future will always involve music. Next year, I will be attending the SAE institute in Atlanta for audio engineering. I thought I could finally learn to produce and engineer music. I already know how to be the artist, so I would like to learn the other side and figure out the next way to improve myself.” Throughout the years, Zamod has experienced a number of changes in life. But the one constant? Music. He’s always been drawn to it, and uses it to inspire, motivate, and grow in life, especially when those songs are his own. “ Music is a very big part of my life. It’s a part of me. I’m a person who always has to have my headphones in everyday. I listen to myself all the time. When I make a song, I feel like it’s a part of my soul that I’m releasing. I listen to it on repeat, and then when I grow bored of it, I know I need to make a new one. I definitely inspire myself by listening to my own music.”

Freya Salsbury grows as a photographer as she hopes to bring her passion to the next level. By Ava Wojnowski Freya Salsbury has been a prominent member in both DECA and the orchestra at Homestead. Another one of her passions is something she likes to devote a lot of her time outside of school: photography. Salsbury has been a fan of photography ever since she first picked up a camera. “Since I could get my hands on a camera, and maybe even before, I wouldn't say there’s a specific moment when I got into photography. I’ve been interested in it pretty much from the start. Even when I didn’t have my own camera, I’d either borrow my parents’ or just take mental pictures. We went on walks frequently, so as a form of entertainment I’d sometimes think of all the cool ways I could frame a certain scene. At that point I was doing mostly just nature photography, but after eventually convincing my sister to let me take photos of her, I started to focus more on portraits,” Salsbury said. Salsbury explained that her enjoyment of photography comes from the ability to be able to capture a unique moment. She appreciates the creative nature that photography brings and the overall art form that it is. “I like being able to capture a unique perspective. Photography is all about creativity, not only having a creative idea, but also having an eye for detail and being able to incorporate those details into your photography in a unique way. For me, those creative

ideas are often inspired by my surroundings. Some of my best shoots have been relatively impromptu; it doesn't take much to produce a spark of inspiration and even less to ignite that spark into a flame. Moments like that--when I'm able to transform a spark of inspiration into a real, palpable photograph--are why I keep taking photos,” Salsbury stated. When asked about her photography accomplishments, Salsbury explained how the joy of others is what allows her to feel the most accomplished when taking photos. “There isn't any one accomplishment that jumps out, but taking a photo that brings happiness to the subject is generally one of the greatest accomplishments that any photographer can have,” Salsbury said. For photographers, the camera they use has a big impact on the shots they get. The moment Salsbury switched her camera was the moment her abilities grew and she became much more involved in this form of art. “Probably my biggest ‘breakthrough’ was when I upgraded from a tiny point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR. After pretty much exhausting my point-and-shoot's capabilities, I felt that the best opportunity to improve was by upgrading my camera. Making the switch allowed me to work on different aspects of photography that I couldn't before, and as a result it also equipped me with the tools I needed to even further develop my abilities. As I

became more and more involved with photography, I began to take advantage of opportunities to take photos with new people as well as opportunities to explore different avenues and styles of photography. Although all this happened rather organically, all of these stylistic shifts stem from the ‘breakthrough’ that occurred when I purchased my first ‘real’ camera,” Salsbury explained. Within photography, Salsbury has most enjoyed taking portraits of over people throughout her time taking pictures. “I especially enjoy taking photos of people. I’ve always felt that there’s a lot more creative freedom with portraits than any other form of photography. With styling, posing, lighting, angles and more at your disposal, you’re not at all limited when it comes to what you can do.” Although she may not know what is to come for her future, she knows photography will always be something that she enjoys “I don’t have any specific plans for the future, but I do hope to continue to progress as a photographer. I still have a lot to learn as well as a lot of micro-goals to achieve within photography, so right now I’m just focusing on taking everything one step at a time,” Salsbury said.

ALABAMA Troy University Morgan Seymour University of Alabama Parker Albert Jack Simon University of AlabamaBirmingham Aubrey Wycklendt University of Southern Alabama Caylee Herrera

ARIZONA Arizona State University Jude Barbiere Bella Cicero Lauren Curtis Giovanna Fallucca Marina Names

Northern Arizona University Ashley Wendt

University of Arizona

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Beecher Gabriel Gabe Gonzalez Maya Kurtin Konnor Raskin Taylor Raskin

Georgetown University

CALIFORNIA

Howard University

Stanford University Grace Adebogun University of Southern California Anna Gilgur Chris Tiako

COLORADO

Isabel Klemmer Bernardo Medeiros Zidao Wang

Gabrielle Martin

DELAWARE University of Delaware Julia Tuzhilkov FLORIDA Eckerd College

Colorado State University

William Kubly

Katie Lennie

Florida Atlantic University

University of ColoradoBoulder Connor McLaughlin

CONNECTICUT Yale University Danilo Rosich Andrew Wang

Jordan Berger University of Tampa Heidi Abramavicius Logan Hisle

GEORGIA Emory University Rohan Kaushal Benjamin Kittleson Michael Pokorny

SAE Institute- Atlanta

INDIANA

Zamod Wellington

Ball State University

ILLINOIS

Brenna Campbell Maria Ziegelbauer

Bradley University Hannah Halaska

Columbia College Chicago Nicholas Eisner Leticia Marson

DePaul University Samuel Barron Alyson Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary Illinois State University Kayla Gerol

Loyola University Chicago Sasha Shapsis

School of Art Institute of Chicago Isabelle Carrell

University of IllinoisChicago Samantha Aiello

Butler University Ethan Kelly Indiana UniversityBloomington

University of Iowa Isabel Bonfiglio Joseph Enea Talia Gerol Megan Gorlinski Robert Handal Luke Konik Andrew Langhoff Madigan Magee

KANSAS

Jamie Gebhardt Jack Harris Andrew Walton

Kansas State University

Purdue University

University of Kansas

Christopher Panagis John Stoker

Lauren Berger

University of Evansville Emily Wiebe University of Notre Dame Drew Braaten Bridget Brown

IOWA Drake University Maddie Angelier

Loras College Declan Ciurlik

Andrew Carter

MARYLAND Johns Hopkins University Shubhan Mathur

MASSACHUSETTS Emerson College Ethan Schlesinger Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jacob Yasonik

Northeastern University Erin Wei Tufts University Elizabeth Foster

MICHIGAN Michigan State University Maxwell Fuehrer Cameron Lindsay

University of Minnesota

Washington University

Matthew Balistreri Charles Bowen Abigail Giesen Christopher Golden Anna Greisch Jack Kamarainen Teah Marks Grace Rader Kayla Siegel Benjamin Zeller

Jonathan Lane

NEW HAMPSHIRE University of New Hampshire Isabella Cruz-Krahn

NEW YORK

University of MinnesotaMankato

United States Military Academy- Westpoint

Ally Chung Samantha Haller David Klein Natalie Yang

Grace Mueller

Noah LaBonte

Winona State University

NORTH CAROLINA

MINNESOTA

MISSOURI

St. Cloud State University

Lindenwood University

Mackenzie Horne

Arthur Liebau

St. Olaf College

Missouri State University

Charles Ferguson Margaret Ferguson

Katie Dulle

University of Michigan

Annie McCormick

Johnson C Smith University Jada Fleming Ashanti Griffin Zuri McGowan

OHIO

University of Missouri

Baldwin Wallace University

Kaitlin Limbach

Jeffrey-Thomas Snow

Cleveland Institute of Music Grayson Eichmeier Miami University-Ohio Madison Heitz Mia Patel Elizabeth Zlatkova Oberlin College Evan McGuire

University of Dayton Meghan Quinn

TENNESSEE

WASHINGTON

Lipscomb University

Seattle University

Zoe White

Allison Yang

Vanderbilt University Jackson Rusch

TEXAS Baylor University Judith Anbu Amanda Ziegler

Texas A&M University

University of Toledo

Michael Fuehrer

Sangeetha Pillai

Texas Christian University

PENNSYLVANIA

John Horter Mitchell Tebon

University of Pennsylvania

UTAH

Catherine Seiberlich

University of Utah

SOUTH CAROLINA

Sam Leszczynski Benjamin Luettgen

University of South Carolina

VIRGINIA

Katherine Shirley

WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia University Sarah Mosinski

WISCONSIN Concordia University Jenna Branovan Caelan Farris Simon Liljegren Abigail Wegner Vicki Zlotin

Madison Area Technical College William Quale Parker Schaefer

Marantha Baptist University Jenna Clark

University of Virginia Annie Gebhardt

Marian University Grace Moll

Marquette University Elizabeth Bakalinsky Ethan Fuller Ardeshir Irani Melanie Kassander Roman Krol Wesley Lawlor Serena Said Luke Starsky Parus Tunio Andie Weise Christina Zingale

Milwaukee School of Engineering Bryce Krueger Daniel Yegoroff

Northland College Kyla Buchan

St. Norbert College Lillian Maleki

University of WisconsinEau Claire Braylin Smith

MIlwaukee Area Technical College

University of WisconsinGreen Bay

Griffin Baker Eric Bucholtz Alena Chang Esmeralda Colon Jack Depies Nicholas Klug Casey Mortl William Pasher Adam Segebrecht

Makayla Borden

University of WisconsinLacrosse Luke Appazeller Savannah Buttermore Alexander Doerfler Ethan Endres Nicholas Freckmann Josephine Jurack Isabella Keegan Geneu Kimm Tess LaLonde Connor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Krishna Patel

Austin Schaller Emily Schuyler Armando Suarez Del Real Olivia Sullivan Kameron Westbrooke University of Wisconsin Madison Zaid Afifi Petros Airapetyan Ariana Aldape Benjamin Birmingham David Blatz Michael Bonfiglio Natan Botshtein Dylan Bradley Connor Braun Megan Carley Ashley Chavin Amy Erpenbeck Lauren Fitzsimmons Jacob Florsheim Elise Goebel Joshua Gottlieb Thomas Hadcock Lauren Hagerty Noah Haswell Samuel Henrichs Grant Ivarson Sarah James Heath Joubert Elizabeth Khomenkov Karly Konik Maryna Korlykhanova

Charles Kroft Payton Kuenzi Jessica Lamers Jessica Lappin Ariel Leykin Kathryn Nelson Thomas Ochalek Colin Packard Marissa Pegorsch Kate Pramenko Antony Rainchik Andrew Shih Catherine Shih Charles Sileno Riley Taylor Joshua Teplin Elisabethe Timm Dennis Tylets Eileen Tylets Pamela Valdez Allyson Wang Kyle Williams Ava Wojnowski Jack Wypiszynski Zack Zens

University of WisconsinMilwaukee Seth Amland Ian Anderson Taha Badani Tori Brandenburg Sophie Chudnow Smeeah Haider-Shah

Morgan Klug Chase Kolega Sofia Lacayo-Salvo Adam Lu Maye Ali Lubbad Mikayla Messer Markus Miller Peter Nguyen Harrison Prellwitz Reneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ryba Robert Strzelczyk Hannah Tracy Benjamin Tucker Giyoo Varh Alexis Westreich Sasha Winter

University of WisconsinOshkosh Theresa Chavez Brennan Hart Mason Resch Nicholas Voslar

University of WisconsinRiver Falls

University of WisconsinStout Jacob Kallas

University of WisconsinWhitewater Somona Chanthaphonh Megan Coyne Caroline McCoy Carly Nickerson Caleb Oberndorfer Camila Salazar Delgado Logan Serre

OTHER Gap Year/ Undecided Patrick Collins Jonathan Covill Therese Giersch Ethan Hopfensperger Olivia Salazar-Kaufmann Freya Salsbury Inga Salsbury Colin Smith Samuel Weber

Kailyn Canapa

University College Dublin

University of WisconsinStevens Point

Colin Satchie

John Cannon

Universidad de MonterolesNuevo Leon, Mexico Abdiel Lozano

Working

Back to France Noe Clavier

Back to Germany

US Air Force Fynn Morine

US Navy

Lena Konradi

Connor Filak

Back to Italy

Spencer Tank

Back to Denmark

Giulia Vignoli

2-year Service Mission

Villads Beck

Back to Latvia

William Gabor

Katrina Adamovica

2020

BE SOCIAL Facebook: Highlander Publications Instagram: @Homestead411 Twitter: @Homestead411; @HHSsports Snapchat: homestead.live homesteadhighlanderonline.com