Latest news with #FBLA
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Golden Lion Award: Emma Hudson
WEBB CITY, Mo. — The end of the school year is just days away. With it comes our final Golden Lion Award winner of the year. 'I'm a senior at Webb City High School,' said Emma Hudson, WCHS senior. Emma Hudson's time on campus isn't just class time and homework. 'I've been in FBLA for four years, and I've done DECA for three years. So those are business clubs that we have here at the high school. I was involved with FTA for three years. And then I help with Special Olympics,' said Hudson. Like track meets at Webb City High School. Emma is a unified buddy, meaning she's committed to helping students with disabilities. 'We have unified classes, where we have our PE class. They do their activities and everything, and us buddies trying to help motivate them. We work with them just make sure that they're having fun. And then whenever we have Special Olympics, where they're cheering them on,' said Hudson. Emma has also spent extra time with the Future Business Leaders of America, including hosting Webb City's first Business Bash. 'We were able to bring in some community members and have kids from Neosho come and learn about business. It's really helped our school as well kind of introduce kids to business and some new career pathways that they hadn't really realized,' said Hudson. She also helps with younger students as part of the cadet teaching program. Webb City teacher Amanda Eckols says that's just one reason Emma is a great example of a Golden Lion. 'She's very much a leader by doing rather than a leader by saying. She doesn't have the loudest voice. Uh, she doesn't stand up and tell everybody else what to do. She jumps in and has that servant leadership. That is a good role model for others,' said Amanda Eckols, WCHS teacher. MSSU hosts 84th Commencement Ceremony Golden Lion Award: Emma Hudson MSSU unveils new 3D printing center for health sciences Senior year is just about over for Emma, but she's already looking ahead to the next step. 'I'm going to MSSU in the fall. I'm going to be getting a major in elementary education with a certificate in birth to kindergarten,' said Hudson. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bettendorf High School students compete at business leadership conference
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) brought over 1,000 students and academic advisers from across Iowa to the Doubletree Hilton Convention Center in Cedar Rapids from March 30 to April 1. The annual FBLA conference brings career and technical education (CTE) students together to compete in over 100 competitive events. Students attended learning sessions with industry leaders and elected a state student officer team. The State Leadership Conference is a way to highlight the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom and apply them in real world scenarios and case studies. Seven students from Bettendorf High School attended and competed in several business and entrepreneurship competitive events. Six students became national qualifiers after getting passed in the first round, to the delight of their advisors Sarah Roeder, Mark Pisel and Angie Mojeiko. Bettendorf had a student who ran for state office for FBLA this year. Sreya Alla gave a campaign speech and ran an informational booth to convince voters to choose her as the next Iowa FBLA State Secretary. The members of Iowa FBLA voted for her as the next secretary for Iowa FBLA. This is the second time a state officer was chosen from Bettendorf in the last six years. 'We are so proud of our student members, who have been working diligently to prepare for the State Leadership Conference,' said Angie Mojeiko, Bettendorf FBLA adviser. 'They impressed industry leaders with their mastery of competitive event subjects, made powerful new connections with students around Iowa, and demonstrated their readiness to enter the workforce.' Award winners include: 1st place Help Desk, Sreya Alla 1st place Intro to Business Communications, Sreya Alla 2nd place Hospitality & Event Planning, Olivia Keninger & Kelly Le 3rd place Vocabulary Relay, Connor Wehr, Preston Tennant & Winston Shaner 4th place Intro to Business Concepts, Preston Tennant 4th place T-shirt Design, Sreya Alla & Delainey Sullivan 4th place Marketing, Connor Wehr & Preston Tennant 4th place Social Media Strategies, Sreya Alla, Olivia Keninger, & Delainey Sullivan 6th place T-shirt Design, Olivia Keninger & Kelly Le 8th place Broadcast Journalism, Delainey Sullivan 8th place Advertising, Delainey Sullivan 8th place, Visual Design Connor Wehr & Kelly Le Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2024-25 High School Confidential, Week 24
Apr. 3—Welcome to Year 9 of High School Confidential, powered by Danville Area Community College. It's an award-winning project made possible by aspiring student journalists from every corner of our circulation area. Each Thursday through April, they'll tell us what's happening in their hallways at . At least once a week, we'll also hand over our Snapchat account (News-Gazette) to our correspondents for behind-the-scenes tours. Feedback? Email N-G/VP Jim Rossow at . On to this week's report: Students participating in the state competition in Science Olympiad presented for peers and faculty showcases everything they learned in their designated events (examples are entomology, experimental design, wind power and forensics). The team is looking forward to competing at the state event and is hoping to walk away with a few medals as well. Pictured: Sorin Popescu and Evie Price. On Friday, Math Club officer Tyce Alumbaugh had the honor of pieing five teachers in the face. The entire high school was dismissed early to watch the event as a reward for answering 70 math-themed trivia questions correctly during "Pi Week." Teachers pictured: Braden Snyder, Marika Rosenberger, Melissa Miles, David Salefski, Kraig Rogers and Principal Doug Kepley taking photos. On March 12-15, Rusty Cambell and Bethanie Marshal chaperoned three students — Cole Crawley, Maya McCool and Macey Gernand — on a trip to the Illinois Reading Conference (IRC) in Springfield. Students who participated were juniors or seniors who wish to be teachers in the future. The event provided valuable lessons that can be applied to teaching in the future for all grades from preschool to eighth grade. They specifically looked at how to make reading more appealing to students while still allowing them to obtain useful information. On March 21, Meagan Meade and FFA members hosted their annual Farm Day, a yearly tradition in which students bring in many different animals including a pig, goats, chickens, a cow and horses. The event included a one-legged chicken named Little Chirp — named by first-grade students — and a blind cat named Daisy. The elementary students started off the morning with a hay ride to the Piatt County fairgrounds to see the animals. Pictured: freshman Ramie Shaffer teaching elementary students about ducks raised by the FFA members. On March 29, Chrisman's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) attended their state conference, where they completed projects, attended workshops and heard from influential speakers. Bella Labaume and Emma Brown presented their Intro to Business project first thing. Grant Wells placed eighth in Intro to Parliamentary Procedure. Gabby Nolan was third in Intro to FBLA for the chance to attend nationals in Anaheim, Calif. FBLA adviser Jamie Stokes said she was proud of the students for their performance. The musical program has been working diligently to prepare for their showing of "Once Upon a Mattress." With three-hour practices multiple times a week, the students have just about got it nailed down — and are excited to take the stage. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the high school (tickets available at the door). The Jelani Day Foundation hosted and sponsored an HBCU fair for all students — including middle-schoolers — to attend. Along with the many college stands, fraternities and sororities also had tables to set up at and talk to the students. D'Andre Day, representative of the Jelani Day Foundation, provided a speech to give insight on the foundation and honor the beloved Jelani Day. "Jelani's purpose was HBCU," he said. Middle school and high school teachers had another secret Spirit Week before spring break. Themes included "March Madness," "Vacation Day" and "Singular Color Day." Pictured, left to right: Kayla Ross, Ashley Hieronymus, Samantha Kirkton, Sierra Brodhacker and Megan Pearson. The band took a field trip up to Chicago on Friday to see the Iowa State wind ensemble and University of Iowa symphony band in a joint concert at Symphony Hall. Before that, students played tourist and stopped by the Bean downtown. The Future Business Leaders of America organization went to its state leadership conference to compete in a test or presentation. It was a fun-filled weekend with workshops and meeting new people. A total of 17 students placed in the top 10 of their events and five Falcons qualified for nationals in Anaheim, Calif.: Sarah Higgins, Chloe Tjarks, Anna Warren and Addy Kerchenfaut (not pictured: Lizzie Giroux). The baseball team secured its first season win with a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Fisher. Last Wednesday, the high school hosted a career fair that was open to the public and students. The event garnered 25 local businesses/career opportunities as vendors, including First Farmers Bank, the Hoopeston Police Department, Ameren, Carle and more. They had the opportunity to share job openings, career paths and industry insights. Seniors kicked off their annual trip to Puerto Rico with a visit to a local school, spending the day connecting with the kids. From teaching martial arts to painting faces, they made meaningful memories while giving back to the community. Photos by Jim Moxley. Over spring break, the marching band and choir traveled to Disney World. These groups make the trip every three years. Students fundraise by selling baked goods throughout the three years. The choir performed Elton John's song "I'm Still Standing." The band marched through Disney World playing "The Race." Between the two groups, about 80 students attended. A handful of students — choir and band members — serenaded Captain America with their rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner." Both groups are directed by Bridgette Wells. Alongside her, Tony Mettrick assists the chorus by playing piano. Both groups had tons of fun during the trip. Many track-and-field athletes qualified for last weekend's indoor state meet, resulting in several all-state performances: The girls' 3,200 relay team of Maddie DeOrnellas, Ella Strebeck, Sydney Pickens and Audrey McCoy placed eighth; Robert Boyd-Meents won long jump; Mason Vaughan was second in 60 hurdles; and Isaiah Busby was fifth in the 800. The U.S. Constitution team hosted its third annual "We the Pickle" pickleball tournament to raise money for an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., for nationals. There were two tournaments — recreational and advanced — for people to participate in. Pictured: members of the team Lauren Harris, Luke Ditchfield, William Besson and Charley Wright and coach Marshall Schacht with the winners of the advanced pool, Steve Welch and Brock Ideus. Congratulations to Addie Kerr, JJ Schmidt and Ashley Wells for signing with colleges to continue their athletic and academic careers. Kerr signed with Southern Illinois University for volleyball. Schmidt signed with Aurora University for football. And Wells will play golf at Illinois Wesleyan University. The FFA livestock judging team was back in action at Lake Land College. The team placed 27th among 232 students competing, and Lucy DeAth placed eighth overall. Also: Salt Fork FFA had a state winner in Agri-Science Research Animal Systems — Lilly DeAth. Salt Fork FFA continues to make their program known throughout the state. Superintendent Morgan Wilhoit was honored as part of 20 Under 40 in a special edition of the local newspaper, The Prairie Press. As a graduate of Shiloh, Wilhoit returned to the school as a principal (pre-K through sixth grade). This is her first year as superintendent. The newspaper decided to create the section to honor "an exceptional group of young professionals whose dedication, leadership, and contributions are shaping the future of Edgar County." Also: English teacher Amy McClain took the English III students to the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis on March 25. The class has recently been reading "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams, and the production was going to be performed at the theater. The play and novelization is an autobiography based on Williams' life. The characters represent his family and memories. The class was able to experience the joy of attending and supporting theater while seeing the novel come to life. Pictured, left to right: (front) Hennessey White, Brylee Wallen and Katie Holmes; (back) Javlynn Labaume, Kylie Webb, Aiden Loveall, Eain White, Caleb Pacley, Clay Kibler, Lucas Reynolds, Will Dudley and Hailey Purcell. Funded by a grant, the Scholastic Bowl tam went on a field trip to the Spurlock Museum of World Culture and the Champaign-Urbana Adventures of Time and Space escape rooms. The Asian American Association (AAA) hosted a multicultural potluck for the Uni community. After a long week, this after-school Friday event was the perfect treat for students. Pictured: Gabby Mongwa, Jacque Butts and Luke Stevens with their food. Art classes put on their annual Fine Arts Festival last Thursday, students from across the school displaying their 2D and 3D art they have been working on this year. There were also concessions, games and a cupcake walk. Visitors could also vote on which art display was their favorite. Pictured: Sophia Frye, Emma Swisher and Kade Dubson. Over spring break, the orchestra traveled to New Orleans to play at Washington Artillery Park, Jackson Square and The National WWII Museum. When they weren't playing music, the group took a cooking class at The New Orleans School of Cooking, visited the New Orleans Jazz Museum and even went on a ghost tour through the city. Photos via Mi'a Garvin and Muleiya Prum. Villa Grove hosted its second career fair as students went table to table to discuss with colleges, military and people from the trades. Students were also assigned to different classes to learn about certain careers and paths after high school. Have you ever been freaked out about taking a test? Have you ever thought that the teacher, the students and even the test were plotting against you? This is what happens when Alan Lefenfeld tries to take the biggest test of his life. Drama Club students are planning for their play "This is a Test," which will premiere on Friday and Saturday in the Westville High School old gym. Pictured: freshman Jackson Lewis as Lefenfeld.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ephrata High's Smith named student of the month
Mar. 20—EPHRATA — Devin Smith, a sophomore at Ephrata High School, has been recognized as one of the EHS February Students of the Month, a recognition bestowed by his teacher, Scott Sandberg. Sandberg, who teaches cyber security and serves as the Future Business Leaders of America advisor, highlighted Smith's exemplary performance and dedication both in and out of the classroom as the primary reasons for his nomination. "Devin has been an outstanding student. He steps up and does pretty much anything that I ask of him, and even things I don't ask — he goes out of his way to make sure that anything that needs to be done gets done," Sandberg said. "He sees things that I don't even see sometimes." Smith, who is enrolled in multiple Career and Technical Education courses, including cyber security and graphic design, has consistently demonstrated his ability to balance an academically rigorous schedule with a variety of extracurricular activities, Sandberg said. His current course load also includes college-level chemistry and advanced mathematics. "I usually push all my work off until after school, which is normally when I have a lot of time," Smith said. "I get around 50 minutes per class, so that gives me time to work on some things, and I'll finish any outstanding work at home." Sandberg cited specific instances where Smith has gone above and beyond in his role as a student and leader. For example, when Sandberg recently took over the broadcasting class, Smith proactively identified issues within the broadcasting studio and took the initiative to improve it. "He stepped in and got the broadcast studio up and running," Sandberg said. "He also goes out and does the streaming with us as part of our Tiger Vision extracurricular activity." In addition to his contributions to broadcasting, Smith serves as the president of the esports club. In the past year, membership in the club has grown significantly, attributed in part to the introduction of new games, like "Overwatch 2." "We introduced a new game that got a lot of new kids into it, and then they started getting more comfortable with the other games that we had," Smith said. Smith's participation in FBLA has also been noteworthy. He is a state qualifier participating in digital animation and game design competitions. His digital animation video can be watched here: Last year, Smith placed seventh with his animation in a state competition. Sandberg recognized Smith's achievements in FBLA. "He's going to state in both of those events and has already shown great potential," Sandberg said. Upon receiving the news of his nomination as a February Student of the Month, Smith expressed gratitude for the recognition. "I was excited," Smith said. "I think that was the moment when I realized that people do look up to me and see me as someone they could look up to." This recognition he said motivates him to strive for excellence in all his endeavors, acknowledging the supportive environment fostered by his peers. "Devin has a group of friends that is a really high-achieving group," Sandberg said. "They all push each other academically, which is kind of a cool group of individuals." Looking to the future, Smith aims to continue building his technical skills and developing his leadership qualities. He has expressed interest in pursuing a career in the technology sector. "I plan to work at not any specific tech firm, but something to at least work with my current abilities," Smith said. "Whether that be a data center or a tech phone center, I want to keep my skills sharp." As for what he considers his dream job, Smith mentioned his interest in the entertainment industry, fueled in part by his experiences with Tiger Vision. "I've always been interested in entertainment, and I might push towards that sooner or later," Smith said. Sandberg said he's optimistic about Smith's future. "I'm lucky that I have him for a couple more years," Sandberg said. "He inspires our younger generation and has the extraordinary potential to be someone who creates and produces technology rather than just consuming it."
NBC News
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Family shares message for Pennsylvania teen Enci 'Aubrey' Wu who left home in January, 'I just want to know you are safe'
It has been 60 days since Jade Wu and John Gehrmann last saw their 14-year-old daughter, Enci 'Aubrey' Wu. An only child, Aubrey grew up in California where she was raised by her mother, Jade. The two moved to the East Coast just a few years ago. That's when Jade met John Gehrmann. The couple got married and the family settled in the city of Easton in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. 'Aubrey is very intelligent and gifted, and she also has a very bubbly personality,' Jade told Dateline. 'She loves dance, she loves volleyball, art, and also really -- she participates in FBLA -- which is the Future Business Leaders in America -- and Mock Trial.' John came into Aubrey's life when she was about 12 years old. 'She makes an impression immediately and very impactfully, much like her mother,' John told Dateline. 'They are two of the strongest, most resilient women I've ever met.' While Aubrey is a social butterfly, she also struggles with issues that many teenagers today struggle with, according to her family. 'She has anxiety and depression,' Jade said. John and Jade say that over the past few years, they have been working to find their daughter a therapist 'to help Aubrey to have space and resource with professionals to talk about whatever she struggles,' Jade explained. Following the recommendations of Aubrey's doctors, John says the family followed a very structured lifestyle. 'Some of the things that they had asked us to do in the home was to give her certain responsibilities -- things she would be accountable for,' he said. Audrey would do the dishes after dinner and take care of her beloved cat, Orangie. 'He sleeps with Aubrey every night. She feeds him breakfast. She takes care of his box,' John said. 'Aubrey insisted that I create an Excel sheet for her with columns and rows for every day of the week so that she could visually chart her progress,' John said. 'And I think what made her the most proud was at the end of the week, sitting down with Jade and I and saying, 'Look at what a good job I did. I was so perfect.' And that very much illustrates the Aubrey I know.' John says Aubrey often read and listened to self-help books. 'Not only did she read them, she would put them right into effect in front of our eyes, as far as, like, conflict resolution, emotion regulation,' he said. 'She was really impacted by what she was going through in her personal mental health journey with the resources that were working with her. And then she just took it on her own to do some work to try to understand herself.' Jade and John told Dateline both had noticed their daughter was acting a bit withdrawn in the period leading up to her disappearance. Her grades had also started to slip a bit. 'So the night before she left, we start to ask her questions about it,' Jade said. 'So we are trying to ask her to understand what is going on.' 'She was eating less than normal,' John added. 'I was a little concerned.' On Thursday, January 9, 2025, John and Jade had a pre-scheduled call with CYS (Children and Youth Services). 'Just part of the ongoing efforts here to figure out, you know, what's the right steps we want to take for Aubrey,' John said. Jade and John's attorney, Alexandria Crouthamel, told Dateline the family was using the CYS resources to help Aubrey. 'So many of our teenagers in this community,' she said, 'are having a mental health-- or struggling with bullies or social media addictions.' And while CYS is often used to remove children from dangerous situations, Crouthamel emphasized they also provide other services. 'They're also there to provide services such as psychiatric help,' she said. 'Oftentimes they're there as a pillar to assist the parents when the teen is going through some kind of crisis, which I would say 95% of the teens that walk into my office -- and that I know personally -- are, because being a teen is hard.' John says during that pre-scheduled phone call with CYS, he and his wife learned about an incident involving Aubrey that happened at school a few weeks earlier. 'We got feedback from teachers, some guidance from a counselor on how to address Aubrey and our concerns.' Jade and John say they approached Aubrey that night for a conversation. That's when they say they learned Aubrey had been using her phone as a hotspot for a secondary burner phone. 'We're probably talking into the wee hours, almost midnight. Just a lot of spinning the wheels,' John said. 'It was a very difficult conversation.' They eventually decided to get some sleep and regroup the following evening. That Friday, January 10, Aubrey was home from school. 'There was a death of an administrator at her school the weekend prior. So they had -- impromptu -- made that Friday afternoon, January 10th, an in-home school day for all the kids in the high school,' John explained. He told Dateline Aubrey sat at the kitchen table working on homework. 'She was there all day. She was working, I would say, very diligently, as usual. Big, huge, fat U.S. history textbook that she's buried in all day.' After Aubrey was done with schoolwork and he and Jade finished with work, they each took a nap before dinner. 'It was a long Thursday night. It was a very tense Friday,' John said. 'We're all taking a nap. We've got dinner on the stove.' 'And we get this bang on our door at 8 o'clock,' John said. 'We're woken to the sound of somebody banging on our bedroom windows quite aggressively.' John got up to see what the commotion was about. 'And I immediately holler at Jade, 'You gotta wake up, there's a lot of cops outside,'' John said. They let the officers into their home, who explained they were there for a welfare check. 'This woman called in and requested that the Palmer police come to our house to confirm that Aubrey was home and safe because their son was crying hysterical to the mother, claiming that he speaks with our daughter every single day and that he hadn't heard from her in 24 hours,' John said. 'I did say to the police, one of the first things was, 'Well, it's definitely possible because last night we discovered that she has another device in our home. We took away her phone. We didn't let her have it after we discovered the hotspot, and we turned the hotspot off.' So it seemed logical to us that that welfare check could have been very valid.' Meanwhile, Jade went upstairs to check on Aubrey. Aubrey wasn't there. 'It was very, very difficult, for us to really understand what was going on,' John said. Dateline spoke with Sergeant Tyson Unangst, a community affairs officer with the Palmer Township Police Department, who says the department started taking information from Jade and John that night. 'It's very important, you know -- especially with a juvenile -- very important to get that information out to other jurisdictions, to -- to assist in locating that person,' he said. The Palmer Township Police Department has listed Aubrey on their website, where they state she had 'run away from the home by exiting out a bedroom window.' Through their investigation, police tracked Aubrey's movements. 'Investigators have confirmed she was seen in New Jersey and at a Wawa Store in Whitehall Township on January 11, 2025,' their website states. 'Since then, neither family nor law enforcement has been able to locate or contact Enci [Aubrey] Wu.' Dateline asked Sgt. Unangst about the sightings. The first sighting of Aubrey, in New Jersey, was around midday on January 11. 'It is not that far off from our location,' he said. 'You can go through the city of Easton to get to Phillipsburg, New Jersey. It is not far. You're about a 10-minute ride by car, so it's -- it's a few miles.' He says Aubrey did not look uncomfortable or like she was under any kind of stress in the footage. 'She was actually at a dog show and she was actually assisting,' he said. They interviewed people at the dog show and, based on their recollections, he says it sounded like everything was normal. 'She actually appeared like it was a good day for her, maybe -- a fun day,' he said. It appears that Aubrey was at the dog show for most of the day, until around 5:30 p.m. The second sighting was later the same day, around 9:30 p.m. This time, Aubrey was back in Pennsylvania — in Whitehall Township. 'For the Wawa, that was, uh, security -- that was a video surveillance, and we did confirm she was there,' the sergeant said. Authorities believe Aubrey got a ride to the Wawa, but they are still investigating that. Unangst says Aubrey bought a drink, using cash, and appeared to be alone. According to a March 11 press release from the Northampton County District Attorney, Aubrey was 'seeking transportation and/or funds from strangers' while in the vicinity of MacArthur Road in the area where the Wawa is located. Investigators gathered additional security footage to examine and the Whitehall Township area was searched for any sign of Aubrey. 'We did have a federal agency assist us with a—a K9 usage,' Unangst said. 'However, that did not—that did not turn up any positive leads on any type of articles being found.' The sergeant says there have been many reported sightings of Aubrey since she was seen on the Wawa security video. However, 'some of that information that we're getting from the public isn't being reported immediately,' Unangst said. 'So now it's where we're, you know, we're backtracking.' None of the reported sightings has been substantiated. Unangst would like to urge the public to call with possible sightings as soon as possible. 'We cannot stress enough, to call immediately. Do not approach. Get a very good description of her. Um, you know, we're, we're getting reports that she may have changed her hairstyle. Uh, she may have some sort of piercings now. And again, this is all information that we can't confirm,' Sgt. Unangst said. 'Really, we can't stress, you know, don't go home and think about it and talk to your neighbor or talk to a friend or, you know, go on social media and say, 'I think I saw her last week. I wasn't sure.'' 'If she's in a vehicle, if they can describe the vehicle, uh, a license plate. Try and stay on the phone. Obviously, we don't want anybody to follow her,' he said. 'But try and get a good description and call immediately, is what we're asking.' Authorities think Aubrey has gone off the grid. 'We believe, through the investigation, that she has disposed of any type of electronic that she had with her,' he said. 'We have no known contact of any—any type of social media.' 'That is the scariest thing. It was basically the five weeks prior, 24-7 social [on the second phone], and in the eight weeks since, absolutely nothing,' John said. Authorities are looking at Aubrey as a runaway. 'In my career, this is one of the longest ones that has not decided to come home or even called home or even called a family member, let alone calling their close friends, or—or a neighbor or something.' However, they are keeping all options open in the investigation. 'We're not focused specifically on one person, or anything like that. We're looking, we're investigating,' he said. 'We don't have anything criminal at this time, and we're keeping an open mind.' According to the district attorney's March 11 press release, the Palmer Township Police Department has been receiving support from the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Pennsylvania State Police, among other agencies. The release states they would 'like to ensure the public that every measure is being taken to locate Ms. Wu and return her to her parents.' Sergeant Unangst emphasizes that his department is determined to find Aubrey — no matter how much time passes. 'I get the frustration,' he said. 'But it is an open investigation involving a juvenile.' Despite the struggles Aubrey was facing, Jade told Dateline she never thought her daughter would run away. 'In my opinion, I thought that everything was slowly progressing in a very good direction,' she said. Both she and John had been under the impression Aubrey had been doing relatively well. They now feel that the combination of her ongoing mental health issues, the incident at school they had recently learned about, and the fear of getting in trouble for having the second phone were all contributing factors to Aubrey running away. Looking back at their conversation with Aubrey the night before she left, John has some regrets. 'I don't think I had enough perspective on how difficult it was for her,' he said. 'I recognize that I needed to be much more understanding, much more open-minded. And since that day she's been gone, I've made it my mission so that nobody who encounters me doesn't know her story.' The family has created the Facebook group aubreysNOTfound, to share photos of Aubrey and updates in the case. John emphasized that the goal is to bring Aubrey home. 'She has two adults at home who love her and miss her, and I will not stop fighting,' John said. Her parents aren't the only ones at home who miss Aubrey. Orangie does, too. 'The same bedroom window that she left our home from is how Orangie entered our house,' John said. The cat was a stray before Aubrey took him in. 'Orangie misses her tremendously and he really wants to see his sister again.' 'Orangie has been laying on her bed many times and then being more vocal-- meowing on us,' Jade said. 'Everyone in this house really miss Aubrey.' Jade and John also spoke directly to their daughter on the chance she sees this article. 'Aubrey, I want you to know I've always been really proud of you, and I think you are so smart, and you are very brave. I know it must be difficult time for you, just like us, but we're always here for you and wait for you,' Jade said. 'I just want to know you are safe and we will be home waiting for you until you are found. I will never give up and I love you so much and it will never change.' 'Kiddo, regardless of what has happened, none of this is anything you need to worry about any longer. Please pick up a phone. Call 911, call me, your mom, somebody you trust, and we will take care of this,' John said. 'Any of the things that have gone on, anyone that has hurt you, I promise you, we have so much new friends and supporters that are gonna show you nothing but love and the light of this world.' Aubrey is 5' tall, about 145 lbs., with long, straight black hair and hazel eyes. According to her mother, Aubrey has multiple ear piercings, a heart tattoo on her left wrist and two small purple star tattoos on her left palm. She was last seen wearing a black jacket with red sleeves and black yoga pants. 'She also had on her favorite possession in the world, her white-on-white Billie Eilish Air Force One Winter 2023 limited edition sneakers,' John said. Billie Eilish is Aubrey's favorite singer. 'We just went to see her in concert in October,' Jade said. 'She was over the moon about it.' 'She is a beautiful, young, talented girl who has the immense probability of being a great human with a huge impact for society,' John said. 'And we want to make sure that she is home, and she is home safely so that we can continue getting her help and getting her back on the right path in her life.' If you have information about Aubrey's disappearance, please contact the Palmer Township Police Department at 610-759-2200.
