StaleyTalon, Volume 11, Issue 5, March 2019

TalOn

Staley High School Kansas City, Missouri Volume 11, Issue 5 MARCH 2019

Prescription Addiction

Page 8-9

A BLAST FROM THE PAST 4-5

It’s a family thing 6-7

NOT JUST A TEACHER 16

Inside this issue 4-5

SPORTS

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

6-7

SPORTS

8-9

NEWS

IT’S A FAMILY THING PRESCRIPTION ADDICTION

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STAFF EDITORIAL

11

OPINION

tEACHERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

12-13

lIFESTYLES & eNTERTAINMENT

Change Is nECESSARY

14-15 16 On the Cover

To expand students’ knowledge about the world around them, Talon staff decided to touch on the opioid crisis. Yearbook editor senior Haley Anne Mahusay created a minimalistic interpretation of a disease that is running rampant through the United States.

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Staley High School Kansas City, Missouri Volume 11, Issue 5 MARCH 2019

Page 8-9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAKE IT FASHION

NOT JUST A TEACHER

Prescription Addiction

It’s a family thing 6-7

lIFESTYLES & eNTERTAINMENT

fEATURE

TalOn

A BLAST FROM THE PAST 4-5

BEST OF KC: SPRING BREAK EDITION

NOT JUST A TEACHER 16

Letter from the editor: Dear Readers,

Hey guys, welcome back to issue 5. It is honestly a miracle we got here.

The snow days are nice, and as a senior, they are a blessing, but they sure do make publishing a magazine difficult. But not just the snow days, the wintery weather in general. I am all for not having school, but come on now -- give me some nice weather!!

The challenges within the production cycle stemmed from the lack of time we had in the classroom all together to work. Most stories and designs were edited online, and we had to

communicate through text, which is not exactly ideal.

However, in light of those obstacles, Talon staff came together to produce another wonderful issue everyone should be proud of. Despite the temptation of falling behind and not working during their unexpected days off, the staff still made sure to do what they could to get the show on the road. It definitely takes a village, and the one we have is very strong and very talented.

Due to timing, we were unable to cover some amazing accomplishments of a few athletes that occurred in the midst of our cycle. Junior Ella McMahon became the

Class 2 Girls 1 meter diving state champ, and not only did she win, but she set a new state record by 30 points, setting the new mark at 481.50. Also, junior Rocky Elam became the Class 4 wrestling state champion in the 182 pound weight class, along with several others placing in the top six in their weights.

Another Staley first also happened. Freshman Lexi Hatfield became the first girl to place at girls wrestling state. She finished third.

It is weird to say that issue 5 is already here, and it is only March. In the past we have produced five issues total -- like all

school year. This is really inspiring that our staff has taken on the task of constantly being on a production cycle. We only have a couple issues left together, and while it isn’t time to get sentimental yet, it sure is getting harder for me to understand how time goes so quickly.

I always encourage feedback from our readers to make this an interactive experience. We would love to know what the readers would like to see in future issues. With that, enjoy the newest edition of Talon magazine.

Stay tuned, Senior Haylee Roberts Editor-In-Chief

TALON STAFF Editor-In-Chief: Haylee Roberts Managing Editor: Makenzie Hooton Adviser: CheriE Burgett

Staff: Autumn Adams Sara Almansouri Lonyae Coulter Makanani Grace Haley ANne Mahusay

Hailey Milliken Jack Warner Kara Morley Kirea Obie Kayla Pospisil Alexa Schulte

CONTACT US:

Talon publishes seven issues during the school year. Talon will accept letters to the editor in CR202 or at cherie.burgett@nkcschools.org. Before the letter is published, we will need to verify the writer’s identity with a photo identification. Letters may not exceed a length of 350 words. We will not publish letters that are libelous, obscene or that may cause a veritable disruption of the education process at Staley High School. Letters must be signed. Anonymous letters will be discarded. Advertisers may contact the adviser at cherie.burgett@nkcschools.org, (816) 321-5330 or at 2800 NE Shoal Creek Parkway, Kansas City, MO, 64156-1313.

Opinions expressed in Talon do not express the staff’s endorsement of the products or services.

Talon is a member of NSPA, MIPA, MJEA and Quill and Scroll. Talon is affiliated with JEA and JEMKC.

STAFF

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A blast from the past

fROM cOLLEGE ATHLETES TO educators, tHEY SHARE THEIR sTORIES

Written by Alexa Schulte Graphics by Autumn Adams

Christopher Carey, Spanish teacher

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t the University of Kansas, Spanish teacher Christopher Carey played tennis for two years. He started playing tennis when he was in the fifth grade. Carey played at the University of Kansas from 1991-93 and then played semi-professional tennis from 2000-2010.

“My favorite part was the high level of competition, the traveling and the academics at such a large university,” said Carey.

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Carey

Missy Wilt, social studies teacher

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t Penn Valley college and Columbia College, social studies teacher Missy Wilt played women’s basketball and later played professional ball with the Birmingham Power. She loved playing college ball but said it went by really fast, because they were always playing basketball and working out. Unlike high school, they had no off season. Wilt played college ball from 1999-2003, professionally in the National Women’s Basketball League from 2003-04 and with a semi-prefessional league from 2005-11. “My favorite part about playing pro ball was that all we did was play and workout, so it was just a lot of fun and just traveling around and seeing all the talent across the United States,” said Wilt. “I got my college all paid for too, so that’s awesome.”

Photo Courtesy of MISSY WILT

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Larry Smith, principal

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s a wide receiver, principal Larry Smith, Ph.D., played football for the University of Nebraska. While playing for the University of Nebraska, in the 1994 and 1995 seaons Smith’s team made it to the Orange Bowl and beat the University of Miami to make them national champions. “I think that experience of winning and the feeling you get when you win a big championship like that, everyone rushing the field and running around and celebrating with your teammates, the fans and your family is my favorite part,” said Smith. “Now, looking back on it is pretty fun, because Ray Lewis was on that Miami team, who’s a famous pro player. Warren Sapp was on that Miami team, who’s another famous pro player. ‘The Rock’ was also a player on that Miami team at the time. So when you look back at some of the people who were on that team that we beat, that makes it kind of fun to say I got a win over ‘The Rock.’”

Photo Courtesy of lARRY SMITH

Julia Weber, math teacher, volleyball coach

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t Central Methodist University, Math teacher Julia Weber participated in track and field and played volleyball. Her favorite thing about playing college sports was all the friendships. Weber played at CMU from 2012-2016.

“We got to travel around, which was fun, and one year we got to go to Florida, which was super cool,” said Weber. “Playing in college helped me become super focused and driven in everything that I did.”

Photo Courtesy of JULIA WEBER

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It’s a family thing Family dynamics show through in sports Written by Kara Morley Graphics by Makenzie Hooton

The Cannovas

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laying basketball together, sophomore triplets Dominique, Bianca and Cara Cannova’s strong bond helps them on the

court.

“We communicate and connect more on the court. It’s fun with all of us playing at once and brings us together more,” said Dominique Cannova.

All three agreed they are competitive with each other.

“We like to be better than the other person,” said Cara Cannova.

They often prefer to warm up and practice with each other instead of other teammates.

“I like to do stuff with each other and compete,” said Bianca Cannova. Photo by Makanani Grace

The Halls

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wim may be a more individual sport, but it still involves support and competition from within the team. Sisters senior Abigail and sophomore Hannah Hall swim together. They both said it’s a lot of fun.

“I have a built-in training partner. We practice together every day and weight train together,” said Abigail Hall.

Since they are often with each other in and out of the pool, they know when the other one is in a good or bad mood.

“It’s made us closer,” said Abigail Hall.

It also makes them more competitive and motivated to win. Their coach even places them next to each other in practice to race.

“We always want to beat each other,” said Hannah Hall. Photo by Makanani Grace

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The Wilsons

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ension in sports could cause conflict within a family relationship, but for David Wilson, who coaches his son senior Jake Wilson in football and baseball, it’s been very rewarding. David Wilson said the two do experience some challenges that come with the dynamic.

“Overall, it’s been a great experience,” said coach Wilson.

For Jake, the family sports dynamic is fun but can add pressure.

“It’s been pretty fun having him as a coach, but it also puts a lot more pressure on me to perform,” said Jake Wilson.

David Wilson said it is important to keep sports life and home life separate for any family relationship.

“If there’s a bad day, you can’t go home and make that part of your family life,” said David Wilson. Photo Courtesy of Jake Wilson

The Sullivans

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aving your older sister as your coach can be challenging. ELA teacher Lauren Sullivan coaches varsity soccer, and her younger brother senior Kyle Sullivan plays on the team. She said it’s fun but definitely difficult at times.

“There’s a fine line between sister, teacher and coach. He and I had a candid conversation before I joined the coaching staff just to set boundaries and talk,” said coach Sullivan.

She said she did not go easy on him. In fact, she pushed him to always do better. She said she has high expectations and knows he can work hard, but it didn’t always go so well with Kyle.

“She tries to motivate me by saying work harder, but it just makes me mad, because she’s my sister,” said Kyle Sullivan.

The two may not always get along with each other, but they said they always have each other’s backs. Photo courtesy of Lauren Sullivan

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A

Opioid crisis rages on throughout Missouri

Prescription addiction

silent killer continues to spread across the country, taking thousands of lives in the process. This is not a distant issue, and its consequences affect Missouri residents every day. The misuse and overprescription of highly-addictive pain medications have caused an opioid crisis.

“Substance use disorder from opioids is difficult to treat, just like any other disease.

It’s a medical condition, and more people need to know that. A variety of factors like brain chemistry and your environment can make an individual dependent on a substance,” said Brandon Costerison, the project manager for the MO-HOPE Project.

The MO-HOPE Project is an organization that aims to reduce opioid deaths in Missouri through education and awareness. They are partnered with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, the University of Missouri St. Louis and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Opioids have been a concern in the United States since the late 1990s when healthcare providers began to rampantly prescribe highly-addictive medications without knowing the future consequences, according to The American Journal of Managed Care.

This may have been 20 years ago, but the problem has only continued to get worse.

“We’ve seen a drastic increase in the number of deaths these last few years, and it’s important to acknowledge that this could be anybody. People should be aware that

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their friends and neighbors are dying from opioids,” said Costerison.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported that from 2015 to 2016, there was a 35 percent increase in opioid or heroin-related deaths in Missouri alone. Nationwide in 2017, more deaths were from opioid overdoses than guns or car accidents individually, according to the Center on Addiction.

“In regard to prevention of drug misuse, I think it’s especially important for us as a nation to look at how opioid medications are prescribed to help fight the problem.

It’s as simple as refusing unnecessary pain medications or making sure we’re not sharing them with friends or family. How we lock up medications is important to consider as well.

Many kids have easy access to their parents’ medicine cabinets,” said Costerison.

Kevin O’Grady was a young person with access to opioids, which led to an addiction.

Now 15 years in recovery, he is the director of operations at Midwest Recovery Centers, a Missouri based resource facility that aims to help those with substance abuse disorder recover in the best way for the patient.

“You can never really anticipate how addiction is going to take ahold of you,” said O’Grady. “I started out in middle school just smoking and drinking with friends here and there, but then it just eventually progressed into prescription pain medications and eventually heroin. It was getting easier to

access information on drugs with the rise of the internet, and I could easily take leftover pills from an old surgery out of my family’s medicine cabinet.”

With many situations much like O’Grady’s, the North Kansas City School District has methods of trying to handle the effects of substance abuse among young people.

“Our school suggests two main resources for students who are seeking help with opioids and substance abuse specifically. We try our best to provide ways for families to get help for difficult situations like this,” said school social worker Tammy Slauson.

The two resources are Tri-County Mental Health Services in Kansas City, Mo., and Preferred Family Healthcare in Liberty, Mo. These services are outpatient centers for young people attempting to recover from addiction.

After further realizing that these highly-addictive medicines weren’t being regulated properly, doctors and healthcare providers began to significantly cut down the number of prescriptions written, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

To make up for the lack of prescribed medications being distributed, some have turned to illegal substances to relieve pain. The Drug Enforcement Administration said there has been an increased availability of heroin that is

much easier to access than prescription opioids. Furthermore, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that 80 percent of those addicted to heroin had been prescribed opioid medication in the past.

When dealing with the crisis, many local governments have attempted to challenge the root of the problem: the opioid industry. Eight cities and counties in Missouri have filed lawsuits against opioid manufacturers for the alleged widespread

“We’ve seen a drastic increase in the number of deaths these last few years, and it’s important to acknowledge that this could be anybody.”

MO-HOPE Project Manager, Brandon Costerison pushing of painkillers to residents without communicating the dangers of the medications.

The Kansas City Star reported that some counties made the accusation that the industry turned patients into drug addicts for corporate profit and led thousands of Americans to try heroin as an alternative.

These local governments taking action are just a small portion of more than 400 lawsuits nationwide in response to the

crisis.

“Our organization’s CEO and I moved down here to Kansas City, because we saw that this is an area that really doesn’t have a lot of resources for those with addiction.

It’s definitely a goal of ours to help people in need that wouldn’t have a lot of options otherwise,” said O’Grady. “There’s a lot of stigma that surrounds this issue, but I’ve worked with every type of person imaginable. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, middle-class, a pastor, an athlete, a doctor, a teenager, any type of race or culture. Addiction doesn’t discriminate.”

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported that one out of every three Missouri families is affected by the crisis in some way.

With numbers like these, a group called Staley Teaching and Reaching Youth, or TRY, is a program specifically designed to help reduce substance abuse among students and educate about the mental health aspects behind addiction.

“Our goal is to educate about prevention techniques rather than just have us telling kids that drugs are bad,” said Danielle Roethler, an employee at Clay County Health Center and a member of Staley TRY. “We want students at Staley to know that being addicted doesn’t mean that you’re just a person making bad choices; it’s truly an illness of the brain.”

Written by Hailey Milliken Graphic by Autumn Adams

Five steps to Freedom The U.S. Surgeon General of the U.S. Department of Health and Services released a FIVE-step process to help prevent lives being lost due to opioid overdoses. These steps can be used in everyone’s lives, regardless OF WHETHER THEY are directly affected by the crisis.

1 2 3

Talk About it Speak to family and friends about the dangers of opioid misuse. Communication and awareness help fight the issue.

Be Safe Take medications how they were prescribed.

Dispose of any leftover opioids from past treatments or operations. Make sure to lock up your medications.

Understand your Pain Opioid medications aren’t the only method of

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Addiction is a chronic disease Substance abuse disorder is a chronic disease of its own and requires treatment. With proper care, people can recover.

Be Prepared Take time to learn about treatment surrounding opioid addiction and overdose.

Possibly even learn how to use naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses in a time of need.

managing pain and chronic illness. There are alternativeS. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Staff Editorial

Change is Necessary

Opioid crisis will continue unless action is Taken

O

pioids, that one word we keep hearing about.

We hear about people in the community taking them; we see it on TV; we hear teachers telling us not to do it, but we hear it most commonly associated with a crisis.

Due to the increase in deaths from opioid overdose, a national crisis has begun to take the stage in recent years, the opioid crisis, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About 130 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This kickstarted the federal government to declare a public health emergency in 2017.

More than 2 million people in the United States are currently addicted to opioids, and if that isn’t scary enough, nearly one

in three people know someone addicted to opioids, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Most communities and every state have been affected by this crisis, leaving few untouched.

Yet somehow, the United States has barely made a dent in fixing this crisis that tears communities and families apart. A drug called Naloxone has been created to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This has stopped some deaths, but this is only putting a Band-Aid on a giant gash.

An article published in The Kansas City Star about the opioid crisis in America zeroed in on Kansas City, saying many parts of the country have been hit hard by the crisis, like the metro. The article named Kansas City’s two big problem

The Forgotten Crisis

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areas: the rising rate of babies born dependent on drugs and the rising demand for addiction treatment.

We as students should care about the opioid crisis, because this affects our health, our community, our future and so much more. Would you want to be living around opioid abusers? This is a question you must ask yourself, because if this crisis doesn’t change, your future could look like that.

People need to be better educated on how addictive medicines can be, how to detect addiction, ways to prevent addiction and how to get treatment once addicted. As they say in school, “Education is key.”

We can educate ourselves by trustworthy websites such as the Mayo Clinic, Drugabuse. gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More local resources are Tri-County Health Department and Preferred Family Healthcare.

The marketing students have in the past conducted campaigns with the Tri-County Health Department to raise awareness about drug abuse, but overall more needs to be done.

People become addicted to opioids, because opioids trick the brain into thinking that drug is necessary for the body’s survival, and that is most often how people get roped in, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Encourage people who are struggling to seek help by calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357), the national helpline for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Cartoon by Autumn Adams

tEACHERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBER INFLUENCE HAS POSITIVE, NEGATIVE EFFECTS Jack Warner 1,692 subscribers

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ouTube is one of the largest entertainment platforms available.

About 85 percent of American teenagers use it, while only 72 percent use Instagram and 69 percent of them use Snapchat, as reported by Pew Research Center.

When faced with this information, it is important to have an idea as to what is popular on YouTube right now, if you don’t already.

The platform, originating in 2005, has seemingly grown from random home videos to many people’s lives being portrayed through a camera lens. This is known to many as “vlogging.” However, vlogs are not the only videos on YouTube right now, but they are very popular.

YouTube holds a tremendous amount of influence in the lives of viewers today. People aren’t just watching YouTube for cat videos anymore. Viewers often watch select creators tailored to their interests.

And with the title “YouTuber” being a very commonly used term, there is no shortage of people trying to gain viewers.

Viewers have become fans of specific YouTubers and often try to imitate their favorites. Sometimes YouTubers having influence is not a bad thing. Many creators are doing positive things and sharing their interests. For example, YouTuber “LunkersTv” uses his platform of more than a million subscribers to do good. An instance of this can be seen from one of his 2017 videos where he promoted and provided a link to a website to buy a shirt to support a war veteran’s foundation.

This is perfect for viewers with the same interests as the creator, in this case fishing and hunting, because they can learn or just be entertained by the creator and support a great cause.

However, despite the strict content guidelines on

YouTube, some videos that most likely have a negative influence on viewers slip through the cracks. And this is a downside to the widelyused platform. However, YouTube is very strict with what is on the website and works to try and keep an eye on the content uploaded.

Recently, popular YouTubers such as Jake Paul and Bryan “RiceGum” Le have used their videos to promote an online gambling website.

The website allows users to purchase “mystery boxes” of different prices with different prizes at each price level.

Some of the top-level prizes are vacations and cars.

YouTuber “RiceGum” made a video about the website.

The gambling website sponsored the video, and he won an expensive Chanel purse.

The odds of that happening are less than 0.17 percent, according to the gambling website. And this is apparent because other YouTubers who made videos

that were not sponsored by the website won far less expensive prizes.

YouTubers are becoming celebrities, and the platform does not seem like it will stop growing soon. And with millions of viewers, we can only expect the creators’ popularity and influence to increase.

This is currently one of the best platforms for the viewer. The content is unique and entertaining, and the guidelines keep the content mostly appropriate.

In the future, it would not be shocking if YouTube expands on their series and shows.

However, YouTube could likely experience backlash if it’s creators continue to profit off of videos like the gambling ones. I can also see the business aspect of YouTube growing and creators becoming wealthier, even lesser known ones, but hopefully not for unethical videos. wRITTEN BY jACK wARNER

What Youtubers Do You Watch?

“There’s this YouTuber named ‘Binging With Babish,’ and he makes food from TV shows, and it is cool and interesting.”

-- Arvin Mahusay, 9

“I watch Casey Neistat and Dan Mace, because I think they’re funny, and I like watching the interesting things they do with their lives.”

-- Preston Wheeler, 12

“I watch Fredo, because he is pretty funny and because all the different social experiments he does.”

-- Kevin Boswell, 11

“I watch Emma Chamberlain, because she is funny and interesting.”

-- ADARA ezekwe, 10

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westport

STOCKSDALE PARK

Betty Rae’s ice cream

Best of kc: SPRING BREAK EDITION Must-Go places to have a memorable staycation

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ROCKSTAR BURGERS

gINGER sUE’S

FOOd for the soul

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n the Kansas City area, fine dining is not hard to find. There’s so much variety in each part of the city. For quality burgers, from the Pizza Burger to the extremely spicy Ghost Burger, Rockstar Burgers in the West Bottoms is the place to visit this spring. Rockstar Burgers, like other food places downtown such as Town Topic Hamburgers, is open 24 hours a day, making it the obvious choice for that late-night burger craving.

If dining late isn’t your thing, Ginger Sue’s, located on the Liberty Square, is the ideal brunch destination, from coffee and pancakes to salads and sandwiches. A little “hole in the wall,” Ginger Sue’s is

yet another place in Kansas City that makes for a delicious meal and perfect spring-break experience.

If you have a sweet tooth, Kansas City has countless ice cream shops.

Betty Rae’s in the River Market has a wide variety of ice cream flavors, including Cereal Milk and Smores. A perfect little shop to enjoy some tasty dessert and pose for a cute picture, Betty Rae’s is the definition of an adorable food place to experience, and it is right along the street car route.

This spring, consider taking a “food tour” around Kansas City. I can guarantee there will be no lack of excitement and variety.

it’s a walk in the park

STOCKSDALE PARK

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n almost every part of Kansas City, there are nature trails and beautiful parks that are always open for exploring. Waggin’ Tail Dog Park located in North Kansas City is a perfect place to take your dogs when it’s nice and sunny outside. There are places for dogs to climb and run all over, since the shape of the park is a dog bone, giving it many turns and twists.

The next time you’re in Parkville, the Parkville Nature Sanctuary is the ideal place to take a hike: there are different trails and gorgeous waterfalls along the way. The views are unexpectedly breathtaking when

the weather is in your favor.

The beloved Loose Park is another outdoor destination in Kanas City, and it has the most beautiful flower gardens and gorgeous fountains which makes it a picture-perfect spot to visit and stroll through. Walking through Loose Park and seeing all its views is a perfect way to spend a whole day, since it is such a large park.

A bit closer, in Liberty, Mo., Stocksdale Park is another great place to take your puppies, and it has places to play disc golf with friends and big open spaces that are perfect for hiking this spring.

Do It for the ‘gram

Westport

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estport, between downtown and the Plaza, is a unique area that houses places such as Insomnia Cookies, Char Bar and many gorgeous walls covered in colorful Kansas City art. Historic Westport puts out a very authentic feel, as there are brick buildings lining the Historic Square, and if you walk far enough, breathtaking views of the city.

The area is covered with numerous dining options for everybody, as well as little eclectic

shops that are true to Kansas City.

Some of the city’s most irreplaceable street art is located on the sides of buildings in Westport.

These buildings are covered in bright colors and unique designs that can’t be found anywhere else in the city.

Westport is one of the hidden gems in Kansas City, and it’s a great place to spend a spring day or even a whole weekend. There will never be a lack of Instagram-worthy things to do, things to eat and things to see here.

Written by Kayla Pospisil Photos by Haylee Roberts

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Make it “

It feels like wearing a blanket all day.

It can go good with both comfy and cute outfits. So, it will keep you warm with a T-shirt and leggings but would also look cute to add with jeans and a cute shirt.

fashion patagonia

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I think it is cool. Their products are high quality and comfy. I would style it as a comfortable, sporty outfit to wear.

“ windbreakers

“

“

I find the design and texture appealing, and I need something light. I would wear it with regular sweatpants.

Ainslee Stepp, 10 ally laverty , 10

drew sallman, 10 14

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“

teddy bear jackets

new trends provide comfort in fashion

supreme

new balance They are comfortable and good for baseball. It goes good with anything.

“ mom jeans

“

I like dressing trendy, and mom jeans are trending right know.

I would style mom jeans with a turtleneck or a sweater.

“

“

It’s cool like the brand and uncommon to see it at school. I can wear it with anything because it’s all black, so it’s good with anything.

“

“

noah allwood, 11 Benit Thacker, 10

andrea taylor, 11

photos by kara morley written by sara almansouri

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Not just a Teacher SECOND JOBS SUPPLEMENT TEACHER PAY Written by jack warner Photos by makanani Grace & jack warner

Johnny chain, ACADEMY TEACHER

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hain is a licensed realtor in Missouri and Kansas. He decided five years ago to get his license, because real estate is something that he has always enjoyed. He used to buy and flip homes, but he doesn’t do that anymore. Most of his business is done locally, selling houses in the Staley area. He also does some business in the Parkville, Mo., and Liberty, Mo., areas. Many of his clients are former student athletes or their parents. “It’s awesome seeing them grow and now able to help with this huge part of their lives,” said Chain.

Kristina Francis, math teacher

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rancis worked a second job this previous summer at a restaurant to make extra money due to the fact that she has two children. She was a server at a restaurant in North Kansas City, near Chicken N Pickle, called Paul & Jack’s. She is not sure if she will do it again this summer but said it was a good family restaurant. “I enjoyed the work and the extra cash it gave me,” said Francis.

Anna Hernandez-hedges, ELA & fRENCH tEACHER

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ernandez-Hedges has a second job in retail at Loft in Zona Rosa. She also helped work gates at school events, coached swim, helped with class officers and proctored an ACT. During her first year of teaching, she realized that her teacher salary wasn’t enough when she had to pay her mortgage and student loans. “I actually do as many things as I can to make extra money,” said Hernandez-Hedges.

morgan Scheib, eLA TEACHER

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hen Scheib and her husband moved back from Brooklyn, N.Y., while helping friends start a church, they decided to open their own church. Their church, opened in 2016, is called C3 Kansas City. Scheib and her husband co-lead as pastors. They meet at Oak Park High School. “It’s been an incredible adventure for sure,” said Scheib.

shane Taylor, PHYSICS TEACHER

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aylor has a fence and deck business. He started building decks and fences for his friend in the early 90s. Once Taylor was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, in which he will have been done with treatment for five years in September, he decided to stop coaching football and spend time doing something different. He started his own company and works mostly by himself. But on large jobs, his future son-in-law helps him. “Just last summer alone I installed almost one mile of residential fence in the North Kansas City area by myself,” said Taylor.

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