What’s recently happened?
At New Prairie High School (NPHS), students constantly have events going on not just to engage the student body, but the entire community, such as the blood drive on March 6. NPHS’s Biomedical Science Teacher and HOSA Advisor Tonya Aerts recognizes how much of an impact the recent blood drive had.
“The more I do it, the more I realize how important it is for the community. One of my goals is to help direct kids to help others, and donating blood is an easy way to do that,” Aerts said.
The blood drives, done through the South Bend Medical Foundation (SBMF), have been going on for the past four years. These drives are incredibly helpful to the community. From just the donations on March 6, the donors were able to save up to 100 lives. Through the motivation of people like Aerts and those who work for the SBMF, it has allowed for enough of an impact to be made to save these lives.
Not only does the blood from these drives go to helping survivors of traumatic experiences, but it also helps cancer patients, anemic patients, and other patients who are going through surgeries. There’s a number of situations that the donated blood can be used in. There’s a strong level of importance in having a constant supply of donations that the community can count on in case of an emergency.
“If the donor level is low, if their blood bank levels are low, or if there’s even just one accident, then that just depletes the supply so then non-urgent things get postponed,” Aerts said.
The blood drives hosted at NPHS are not only great ways that students and faculty members can help this community, but are great ways to foster a love for helping people that extends beyond a four year-high school experience. Through these drives, it allows people to learn and take the time to appreciate what’s going on in life and how to help those who need it.
What’s coming up?
The calendar of NPHS is constantly full, and there is plenty to look forward to. Students are excited for the spring play, which is set to have its opening night on April 24 at 6 p.m. Including opening night, there will be four shows. Three shows will take place on April 24-26 at 6 p.m., along with an early show on April 26 at 2 p.m.
This year’s show is “Radium Girls,” and has been directed by Senior Emily Chlebowski. The story follows Grace Fryer, played by Junior Mallory Strathman, who is a dial painter that fights for her day in court over her exposure to radium. The play promises to be memorable and enjoyable to all. The actors, stage hands, and director have all worked hard for this performance.
Staff spotlight:
Tonya Aerts serves as the biomedical science teacher at NPHS and also serves as HOSA advisor.
Aerts has had a huge impact on many students at NPHS, through her classes and dedication to improving safety wherever possible. She is a huge proponent of more accessible automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in places where cardiac arrest is possible, like gymnasiums and fields where sporting events take place.
She encourages the students of NPHS and the local community to not only be familiar with AEDs, but also to be able to teach others the importance of these devices. She stresses the importance of getting heart screenings done to ensure safety.
By supporting organizations like the Play for Jake Foundation, which advocates for safe schools in La Porte County, people can make an impact in the community as they continue to advocate for more safety measures in schools.
“People who have children between the ages of 10-25 should follow the Zac Mago Foundation and the heart screenings that they offer at various locations in Indiana,” Aerts said.
Her impact on students and the community as a whole is very wide reaching, as exemplified by one of her students.
Students at NPHS are very lucky to have staff members like Aerts, who are all very dedicated to making sure that the school and community are the best they can be at all times.
Student spotlight:
Ava Hojnacki is a senior at NPHS. Hojnacki holds a captain position for both soccer and tennis, while also spending her time participating in Key Club, Student Senate, and HOSA.
“I really enjoy my sports and staying active, while also being a leader and helping others grow their passion for the sport,” Hojnacki said.
Hojnacki’s time with HOSA, along with her other extracurriculars, have given her an abundance of real-world experiences to help prepare for life after school. One example of this experience is the annual HOSA competition that Hojnacki and others compete in. This year’s competition happened from April 14-16. Hojnacki competed in pathophysiology, nursing, and prepared speaking.
“At HOSA, professionalism definitely is a top priority. It really prepares you for the real world after high school,” Hojnacki said.
After completing her time here at NPHS, Hojnacki plans on attending Indiana University (IU) Bloomington to major in biology on a pre-med track. She then plans on attending medical school to become a doctor.
