Behind any good newspaper is an even better staff. This is something that I am constantly reminding myself. Deeper than my duty to create a quality paper, is the job of creating a family. I've been involved in groups where the dynamic is tense and unreliable, and I think this not the case for our newspaper. I try my best to keep the balance of fun and functional.

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Through my years on newspaper my positions has changed quite a bit. I entered newspaper the second semester of my sophomore year with bright eyes. The start of my junior year I became the photo editor. Photography has been a long time passion of mine, so I was ecstatic. After a couple of months, our print editor started to not fulfill their positions. They struggled to assist with other pages, while working on their own assignment. This led to me stepping in. The paper needed to get done, and I did all I could to help make that easier. I began looking over rough drafts, assisting with design, as well as taking photos. Even though my title remained the same, it wasn't about the title. It was about passion, and wanting to see the paper succeed. Second semester I became the official print editor, and I ran with it. I was in a position where I could truly express my creativity, and do as much as possible to improve the paper. My junior year I also held the position of advertising manager. I created a new advertising program for the journalism department and talked with businesses and experts in the field to craft a well rounded program for all businesses. 

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As a senior, I hold the position as editor-in-chief, and it is truly a dream. I get to work on new and greater projects, and see every step come together on our print edition and online site. Every month I set deadlines for writers and designers to meet, as well as have one-on-one meeting with each individual on staff, to maximize my help for everyone. When times get busy, I know I can ask my advisor for assistance, but try and run it myself. I think this has helped develop my communication and leadership skills to a whole new level. In my opinion, the true definition of being editor-in-chief is working behind the scenes. Although my name only appears on a couple of bylines, I can point out the complete evolution of stories and designs. I have talked with everyone from students with problems with the paper, moms that want certain topics covered, stubborn police enforcement officers, and district wide administrators.

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Another crucial aspect of leadership is being a leader in the school. I am involved in a wide range of extracurriculars including band, student council, mental health advocacy groups, etc. In each of these groups I see opportunity to report. I am constantly finding new topics and individuals to report on. That includes topics of inequality. As a member of C.O.R.E (Community of Racial Equity) I want to broadcast our diverse student body as much as possible. Nearly every story requires interviews from different genders. I also try and showcase people of color as much as possible. When exploring the idea of a fashion editorial, I knew I wanted to showcase the beauty of natural hair and racial diversity. This idea has also led us to report on topics such as mental health stigmas, women's inequality in the STEM field, and sexual assault. 

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Team building is the fun part. I try my absolute hardest to create a fun, accepting, positive environment for my staff. A few of our fun traditions are pot lucks, banquets, and cheesy ice breakers. These may be little things, but I can feel a difference in the staff when utilized. Another aspect of team building, is building for the future. Myself and other editors have made multiple visits to our middle school to talk to english and journalism classes. We brought newspapers as well as yearbooks, and talked about our experiences on newspaper. We talked about digging through trash, tracking down individuals for interviews, and some of the hard hitting stories we've written about. I can see the potential in many of the student we talked to, and can only hope I have planted the inspirations given to me.