Student Standouts for November 8

Kalishman Speaks at FARE Conference in DC

On November 1-3, Ally Kalishman ’21 spoke at the Contains: Courage FARE® Summit 2019, the  National Food Allergy Research and Education Conference (FARE conference) in Washington, DC. As a teen board member, Ally was part of a panel of three teenage girls along with an allergist from Johns Hopkins University. They talked about: “taking the driver seat with your healthcare” and advocating for new treatments including oral immunotherapy to desensitize major food allergies. Oral immunotherapy is a process where one eats small portions of the allergen until he or she gradually builds up a tolerance to it. All three girls have become extremely successful and have persevered through these challenges with bravery and hope even when there were major setbacks.

Over 1,000 attendees participated in the conference including parents, teens, vendors, allergists and school administrators. Reflecting on the experience, Ally shared, “I was so honored to speak at the summit! It’s so important that teens know that there are other options for their healthcare besides avoidance. I’m so glad that sharing my experiences with food allergy experimental trials including oral immunotherapy have hopefully inspired people to pursue a new direction that could change their lives like it did mine. Meeting other kids and exchanging stories is always so special, every interaction I walk away with something new about food allergies that I didn’t know before. I’m so fortunate to be a face for the future of allergies and to speak on a topic so near and dear to me. I can’t wait to go back next year!”

Thank you for sharing your story to help others, Ally!

Hausler's Exceptional Memory

Jake Hausler ’22 is featured in an article in The Kirkwood Call’s Brain Issue for his exceptional memory. He is one of 100 people in the Western Hemisphere who has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). HSAM allows him to remember exact days in vivid detail. He was once the youngest person identified to have HSAM and has been a part of unique research and experiences due to this, including being on “60 Minutes.” Perhaps he’ll help contribute to further understanding of memory and the brain!

Girls Cross Country Runs to 1st Place at Districts

The Rams had an outstanding performance at the Class 3 District 4 Championships! Julia Ray ’23, Palmer Mihalevich ’20, Riley Noonan ’22, Simrin Phatak ’21 and Sarah Reed ’20 were All-District with Ray named District Champion and setting a new course record! MICDS Girls Cross Country finished 1st place as a team, bringing our top 12 to the state championships this Saturday, November 9. Run, Rams, Run!

Field Hockey Earns State Championship Victory

Prior to their state championship victory, the MICDS field hockey team was in the news for dominating their semifinal match and making it to the State Championship. An article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch previewed the state competitors: MICDS and Villa Duchesne. Both teams experienced challenges this season. Although the Rans dealt with setbacks from injuries, they came together to win in the Semifinal match against Nerinx Hall.

In the State Championship, the Rams’ Caroline Carr ’20 scored the only goal against Villa, securing the 41st Midwest Field Hockey Tournament championship on Saturday. Carr, noted for her resilience, is an Athlete of the Week according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her goal was scored off of a rebounding shot from Kate Oliver ’22. After losing to Villa in the past two championship games and persevering through many injuries this season, the win meant a lot to our Rams. Way to persevere, Field Hockey State Champions!

Football in the News

The MICDS Rams Football team defeated Parkway Central during last weekend’s football game. Check out this video highlight from KSDK here. Their next game is against Rockwood Summit this Friday. Check out the football game preview by Max Preps here. Let’s go Rams!