Aiden McKinney is a seventeen-year-old senior. He has excelled in the West Wind for multiple years; when he isn’t interviewing fellow students, he spends most of his free time reading or enjoying the outdoors. “I’m just really comfortable where there's wildlife,” said McKinney. “Where I can feel like I’m one with nature.” McKinney’s favorite books include “Caraval” and “All our Yesterdays.” He's also an avid sushi lover. He wants to pursue a future career in broadcast journalism.   “Other than broadcast journalism, probably a musician,” said McKinney, who loves string instruments especially. “It's really hard to be a full-time musician but if I could I would.”  

Chayton Cheers is a 15-year-old sophomore who wanted to expand his writing and people skills, which ultimately led him to join the West Wind this year. Cheers was born in Loris, South Carolina but has become a local to Brunswick County, being raised in Ocean Isle Beach all his life. “I like to write,” said Cheers. “I think that the West Wind is going to improve my writing and people skills.” When Cheers is not listening to Taylor Swift or reading you can often find him working at The Daily Scoop on Main, doing his schoolwork, or hanging out with his family. Cheers values his education and is striving for big things. Unsure of what he wants to do with his future, Cheers does know he wants it to be writing-centered, either writing for a newspaper or becoming a novelist. Cheers wants to either attend West Virginia University, Appalachian State, or the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. “I honestly don't know what I want to do,” said Cheers. “I want to go wherever life takes me.”