GreatNews.Life Student Voices: New Prairie High School’s annual easter egg hunt brings joy in the midst of cloudy skies

What’s recently happened?

New Prairie High School’s (NPHS) Key Club recently hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4 from 12-2 p.m. Though the weather was rainy and cloudy, plenty of people showed up to enjoy the fun. Key Club Sponsor Julie Beakas would call the whole event a great success.

“I think some families may not have the means to do an egg hunt on their own. We love being able to provide a fun opportunity for all kids, and even if a family can do their own hunt, this event builds community. Kids and families come together and have fun,” Beakas said.

Even though attendance was down because of the rain, the Key Club was still able to distribute all of the eggs and candy they had set aside for the event.

“We started the afternoon worried that we were going to have a ton of eggs and candy leftover; we were brainstorming what we could do with it and who we could donate extras to, so we didn’t hide all the eggs at first. Then more people started showing up, and we ended up using all of the eggs and giving away all of the candy. Shoutout to American Licorice in LaPorte for their extremely generous candy donation,” Beakas said.

Key Club Vice President Emma Houtz has had the chance to help out at the Easter Egg Hunt twice now and is continually impressed by what she sees while volunteering.

“It felt really good to see so many kids come out to the Easter egg hunt. I think it’s important to see the community show up to these events that we plan so that we can see how our efforts impact them. The kids showing up in the rain showed us how something simple on our part can be the highlight of their day,” Houtz said.

What’s coming up?

Advanced Placement (AP) testing season is always a stressful time for many students at NPHS, and this year is no different. From May 4-15, 16 different AP subjects will be tested on by students. Many of these testers have already experienced this strenuous time, like Senior Jenna Lenig.

“Honestly, I feel apprehensive but also relieved over the thought of taking my last AP exams. The AP exams mark the end of basically a year of studying and stressing myself out all in hopes I get the credit so I can pay less for college,” Lenig said.

While this time can be stressful, many take control of the situation by studying as much as possible to give them the best chance of success.

“I study mainly by watching review videos and then going back to look at old assignments and quizzes. I take notes on the topics that I previously struggled with,” Senior Liberty Scanlin said.

Staff spotlight:

Julie Beakas is a science teacher at NPHS and a very active member of the school community. Beakas attended Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) where she obtained her bachelors degree in biology in 2014 and her masters degree in biology with a concentration in health sciences in 2015, all while running NCAA Division I cross country and track.

“I was managing the medical scribe program at Lutheran Hospital during grad school, and part of that job required me to basically teach new hires a crash course in medicine. I realized that the lifestyle of an electrophysiology physician wasn’t going to result in the quality of life that I was interested in, and I was loving teaching my new hires, so I moved back home and got my teaching license. Now I get to teach biomedical sciences and still work with medical education,” Beakas said.

Beakas is also the head coach for girls cross country, a volunteer with the track team, and the sponsor for Key Club, proving her commitment to the school community. In high school, Beakas attended NPHS, was in Key Club, and ran cross country and track. 

“Cross country means a lot to me; it just happened to work out that my former coach was retiring when I came back to work at NP, so I was honored with the opportunity to take over the program and attempt to follow in his footsteps,” Beakas said.

Beakas has a wide range of classes in her arsenal, having previously taught Project Lead the Way (PLTW), biomedical innovations, anatomy and physiology, health and wellness, nutrition and wellness, and general biology. She currently teaches Honors Biology, AP Biology, PLTW, principles of biomedical science, and PLTW Medical Interventions.

“I really enjoy biomed and AP Biology because I love the more in-depth material and students being really invested in their learning, but I truly do enjoy all of the classes that I teach now,” Beakas said.

Having been teaching for eight years now, Beakas has found a lot to love about her job.

“Building relationships with students and being able to teach material that I am passionate about are my favorite parts of being a teacher. I feel that it is so important for people to understand how their bodies work and understand the living world around them; being able to advocate for themselves in the future is so important, and I love having an opportunity to play a role in that,” Beakas said.

When Beakas isn’t at the school, she can be found reading or going for walks outdoors.

Student spotlight:

Sophomore Emma Houtz has chosen to involve herself in Key Club, Student Senate, and National Honor Society at NPHS. As the vice president of Key Club, her passion for the club is obvious.

“My favorite extracurricular activity is Key Club. I love getting to help the people in my community and see how my efforts can impact them,” Houtz said.

Ever since she decided to involve herself in school activities, her experience at NPHS has improved.

“My favorite part of sophomore year has been my involvement in student body activities. As a freshman, I didn’t really partake in much, but ever since I joined Student Senate I’ve participated in a lot of activities I usually wouldn’t have,” Houtz said.

As the school year comes to a close, Houtz is a bit nervous for the notoriously tough junior year, but she is enjoying the time she has left with her favorite class.

“My favorite class I’m taking right now is Spanish 2. Mrs. Ruiz is a lot of fun, and I think it’s interesting to be immersed in the language of another culture,” Houtz said.

Though her favorite class this year has been Spanish, she also loves the chance to take art classes with Adrianne Hurt.

“She always had the funnest projects that really opened up your mind for creativity and expression,” Houtz said.

After high school, Houtz plans on attending college with a goal of working towards a degree like psychology or sociology so she can work in mental health or counseling fields.

“My dream is to be able to advocate for others but also be able to support and help them through life,” Houtz said.

When she isn’t helping her extracurriculars or in school, Houtz loves reading, baking, and painting.