According to KSDK News, “The Wentzville School District holds the distinction of being among if not the fastest growing Missouri school district over the past two decades, with an average growth of 500 students per year.”
The district houses 22 different schools as of 2024 and gives many opportunities, such as the A+ Program, Lewis and Clark Career Center and CAPS Early with significant impacts to these students. The impact can still be seen months, to years, to even decades later.
“Holt has given me the opportunity to participate in great clubs, like FBLA, which aided in my presentation skills and gave me confidence while speaking,” Columbia College Chicago freshman Tysheah Gooden said. “The help of Mrs. Westhoff and Mrs. Mills made me realize that I enjoy graphic design and I wanted to do it as a career. I took Creative Design Lab with Mills and I took Graphic Design with Westhoff. My favorite thing (post graduation) is that I don’t have to get up at 6 AM to go to class. Thanks, Holt.”
The Wentzville School District also gave fame to its past students, such as Chris Rogers, a sports and multimedia news journalist for KRCG 13. Rogers graduated in 2022 Graduate at Lindenwood University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications (Broadcast Emphasis) and a minor in Journalism. He later joined KRCG 13 in September of 2023.
“I started watching football with my grandma when I was little and that really catapulted my love for sports. I knew there was a certain point where I was decent at public speaking and it was a challenge for me that I knew that I could excel at,” Rogers said. So mixing those interests together, I said ‘what’s the one place that I can really have sports to talk about sports?’ And that was journalism so I decided to pursue and live to the fruits of my labor now … I’ve been able to sit on the anchor desk about three times with my work. I feel like (I’ve had) a lot of mess ups, but I’ve gotten more and more comfortable and I think I’m getting better at it each time I do it, getting better at my job each day that I walk in.”
However, some alumni of the Wentzville School District just can’t leave it , coming back to continue giving to their community, such as Holt High School’s assistant principal Andrew Hammond.
“At first my degree was actually in forensic psychology and my school cut my forensics program so it was either change my major or find a new school. So I went with changing my major and my advisor asked me what I wanted to do and what passions,” said Hammond. “I explained what I liked and went with education and it set me up for where I am today. (My favorite thing post graduation is) being able to give back to kids in the same area that I was helped in.”
photos by Kaylei Smith
