Ephrata High School
Valeryia Kuchuk
Senior
Valeryia Kuchuk is a determined senior who is very hard-working. She is enthusiastic about going to college after high school and enjoys creativity.
Kuchuk enjoys all different kinds of arts, including dancing, painting, and drawing. Kuchuk’s favorite class in school is classes where she gets to paint. Kuchuk finds art class to be relaxing and a way to take a break from all of her hard work. Her friends often make her classes more enjoyable. Kuchuk enjoys spending time with her friends inside and outside of school. Most of her friends she met while sitting in art class and they’ve hit it off ever since.
While Kuchuk has achieved many things such as academic success and success in her job at Subway, this isn’t her greatest accomplishment. Kuchuk was born in Belarus and came here with her family in 2016. This was an adjustment for her, but it was well worth it. Kuchuk says one of the most challenging parts of moving to a new country was learning a whole new language. Kuchuk came to America not knowing a word of English; however, using patience and determination, she was able to conquer this challenge. However, Kuchuk is not done yet. After high school, Kuchuk hopes to go to a local college to stay close to her family. She hopes to study business to obtain her bachelor’s degree.
Kuchuk has done and will continue to do great things in her life. When asked who she admires, Kuchuk said, “My mom for her ability to put her kids and others first.” Her mother, Alena Kuchuk, and her father, Alen Kuchuk, and two sisters are incredibly proud of the woman Kuchuk is becoming and are Kuchuk’s biggest supporters.
Written by: Madison Klinger
Ethan Hultzapple
Senior
As a kindred young soul, Ethan Hultzapple never shies away from a challenge. This overachieving young senior from Ephrata High School graduated the Atollo prep program with ease. His daily endeavors have been propelled forward by his loving parents, Denise Hultzapple and Brian Westhafer. However, his favorite part about school happens to be leaving it. Currently, our young warrior is unsure of his future; however, he does happen to be considering the military. Hultzapple’s one current wish would be to make the school day shorter.
One of his greatest achievements was working two jobs concurrently. He currently works at Hagy’s year-round but had also worked at the pool as a cook over the summer. Hultzapple’s mathematical prowess has resulted in math being his favorite subject. As he once said, “I enjoy messing around with numbers.” He aspires to be like Ryan Reynolds, because he lives his life how he wants.
Hultzapple’s outgoing personality has resulted in many of his friends looking up to him and turning to him when they face hardships. His consistency has resulted in many considering him very reliable. As he finishes his education, his only goals are to live tomorrow better than he did today.
Written by: Brendon Bond
Maddie Horst
Senior
Meet Maddie Grace Horst, a funny, loving senior at Ephrata High School who is known to manage her passion for helping others with a busy school and extracurricular schedule. Maddie’s favorite part of school is being with friends and experiencing new challenges in her classes. When she’s not hitting the books or enjoying her favorite class, Painting, where she appreciates the creative break in her day, Maddie is busy working at B and E Notary. Her role there is her biggest accomplishment so far, and it’s clear that she values the involvement deeply.
Maddie is a devoted member of her childhood church, Reamstown Church of God, where she participates on the worship team. She hopes to study nursing in college, motivated by her compassion for others. Maddie deeply admires her parents, Jennifer and Calvin Horst, alongside her faith in God, which inspires her to pursue her dreams.
In her free time, Maddie stays active by going to the gym, playing pickleball, walking, and simply relaxing with her friends or boyfriend. She is known for her generous and loving nature, always bringing humor and warmth to those around her. “You shouldn’t waste your time with someone who doesn’t realize how valuable your time is,” she says, reflecting her belief on the importance of meaningful relationships.
If Maddie could change one thing in the world, it would be to reduce the amount of hatred. Her family, including her sisters Emelia and Marley, are her biggest supporters. Together, they celebrate her many achievements and the bright future she’s shaping for herself.
Written by: Emily Werner
Jacob Buckwalter
Junior
Jacob Buckwalter is a man of many talents. The athletic Ephrata High School student is involved in three sports: golf, bowling, and baseball, and has shown success in each of them. Buckwalter enjoys old trucks and spending time with friends in his free time. He has even begun to sell baseball cards online which has been very profitable thus far. Buckwalter’s plans after high school involves driving trucks and entering the work force. Buckwalter’s main inspirations are his parents, Matt and Karen Buckwalter, who are very hardworking and are always there for him.
His favorite class in high school is Mounts Tech Support, a program designed to help students with their tech related problems. “I like Mounts Tech Support because it’s more of a workspace versus a classroom.” It is now Buckwalter’s third time taking the class in his three years at the high school, and he is very knowledgeable when it comes to computers. He can disassemble and reassemble a computer in minutes and knows all of the fixes to problems students may have.
Buckwalter remembers shooting a 77 at Foxchase and dreams of one day becoming a pro golfer with his longtime friend, Landry Weidner. The determined student is always working on bettering his game and has spent hours not only on the course, but on the bowling alley, and the field as well. Buckwalter is ready for whatever life throws at him.
Written by: Grayson Shellhammer
Joslyn Gehman
Sophomore
Volleyball has always been a passion for Joslyn Gehman, the Ephrata sophomore and daughter to Justin and Rene Gehman, and she hopes to continue to pursue volleyball all throughout high school. Although Gehman brings incredible skills and technique to the team, the most important asset she contributes is her positive attitude, love, and her immense amount of determination.
In Gehman’s words, it is crucial to “spread love everywhere you go.” With this outlook, Gehman allows herself to succeed in all aspects of her life, her athletics and academics just being two examples. Gehman loves spreading her positive attributes by volunteering locally and working for her family’s daycare and landscaping companies. Through these activities and her school work, Joslyn has discovered her plans beyond her high school education. She hopes to attend college to receive a sports media degree that will help in the process of pursuing her passion of athletics. She is planning to use this degree to work as a potential reporter for major league sports. Gehman’s determination to do whatever she sets her mind to will stick by her throughout the rest of her volleyball, academic career, and entire life.
With the help of her family which includes her mom, dad, and sister, she hopes to continue to spread her kindness and love all over the world.
Written by: Jocelyn Sweigart
Isabella Le
Junior
Arts may be challenging and stressful for some people, but for Isabella Le, it is a source of relaxation and comfort. This junior, “loves being creative” and enjoys exploring the world with her closest friends. Le is involved in Art National Honor Society at Ephrata High School, allowing herself to think vividly is something she enjoys. Along with this, being able to help people through the National Honor Society is something she is passionate about. She also enjoys spending time with her friends at NHS. Bella has big plans for the future, she plans to attend a university, majoring in something that is undecided still. Bella knows that whatever she does, she wants it to benefit people in some way.
“I love spending time with the people I love,” and in her spare time, Bella does just that. She enjoys spending time with her friends as well as her family. She has 2 brothers, Alex and Sonny, who always support her. Her parents, Thuy Le and Tuan Le, are who Bella looks up to, admiring how hardworking they are and how they always stay positive in difficult times. Bella values compassion and empathy. She believes people should have more of it. In her words, “You can dislike a person all you want, but it doesn’t undermine the things they go through.” Bella plans to continue spreading kindness and creativity in her future.
Written by: Trinity Rodriguez
Kennyel Rodriguez
Junior
Sixteen-year-old Kennyel Rodriguez, also known as Jomar, is seen by the people around him as smart, hardworking, and social. In the beginning of his schooling, Rodriguez was advanced enough to enter the gifted program and advanced courses.
From using what he believes is the most important qualities in a person, Rodriguez used determination and hard work to conquer his goals of being what he called an “academic weapon.”
While being successful in school, Rodriguez mentioned how his most enjoyable part of attending Ephrata High School was the ability to interact with new people every day.
As he attended advanced courses and excelled in them, Rodriguez had also been involved in Ephrata High School’s football program.
Working hard to be the best athlete he could be, Rodriguez looks up to Kobe Bryant as someone he admires and one who drives him to work as hard as he can. Jomar had said, “Success is built on the quiet, relentless grind of hard work when no one else is watching.” He respects Bryant’s work ethic, which helps him focus his goals on and off the field daily.
Rodriguez’s mother, Coralis Maldonado, his younger brother, and his older sister all support him through what he does. Rodriguez’s main goal as of 2024 is to play as much as he can for the football team.
With the qualities that Rodriguez has, he’ll be completing that goal with ease.
Written by: Aiden Walsh