Q: How have you made The Trail a better program? What was your contribution?
I have spent a total of three years on the Trail and have had the honor of being the Trail’s News Editor for two years. In those few years, I have contributed to over 70 stories. In addition to that, I have helped lead a team of amazing, capable student journalists. I have helped our staffers and my fellow editors achieve our goals such as becoming a SNO Distinguished site for the next two years in a row, maintaining a GSPA Superior website rating and getting quality stories published on time. It has not been easy, we have had rough moments, but I did my best to maintain a positive and helpful attitude in the class, to welcome others and support unity even in the toughest times. Between the Editor-in-Chief, Grace Lovejoy, the Features Editor, Yasemin Kalpakci, and I, all three of us decided to begin the tradition of weekly editorial meetings, which has really helped us recalibrate and stay aligned with our goals. In my eyes, my biggest contribution was simply being part of the team and applying myself as much as I could.
Q: What college do you plan on attending, and what will your major studies be?
I will be attending Georgia State University majoring in psychology to work toward achieving my long-term goal of becoming a forensic neuropsychologist.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your years on The Trail staff?
One of my favorite memories (because I have so many) is the “It’s just Pepsi” incident at the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). We were in Nashville and we all decided to playfully mimic Ms. Woolf after she sent us a picture of her sipping on a Pepsi—which was somewhat of a substitute for her usual Coke Zero—and we all decided to recreate that photo while we were at dinner. It ended up in the yearbook too, which is kind of iconic.
Q: What are you proudest of in your time with The Trail?
My growth. Accolades are nice. It’s always nice to call yourself an “award-winning student journalist,” and it feels like a rite of passage, but it’s not everything. I am most proud of my growth, and although it hasn’t been linear, I’ve grown in real, measurable ways. I’ve grown as a writer, I’ve grown as a photographer (I avoided photography for a long time), I’ve dabbled in videography and video editing and my people skills have gotten exponentially better. It’s much easier to strike up a conversation with a stranger now than it was at the beginning of my time here. Because of how much I’ve grown, I’m willing to take more chances and to make room for change in my life—not to anticipate it, but to embrace it this time. So yeah, I’m proud of how much I’ve grown—from the girl who felt like she was drowning to the girl who realized she can swim and choose to continue swimming. And I owe a lot of that to the Trail.
Q: What words of wisdom do you have for the upcoming editors and staff?
For upcoming editors and staff, my main piece of advice is to not be afraid to try new things, and I don’t just mean try something new that you are semi-comfortable with. Try something that is totally out of left field for you. Try something that you never dared to try before, because it is sometimes in that comfortable level of discomfort where you may find the most growth (of course, be reasonable here–I don’t mean go cliff diving with absolutely no experience or precaution). But just put yourself out there. I know that sounds cliche, but it truly helps. ‘ And when you do try new things, it’s going to feel weird or awkward at times. That’s okay. Embrace the awkwardness (and just know that it’ll fade eventually). You will surprise yourself seeing how far you can go once the barrier of “I can’t” or “that’s not something I would ever do” has been broken a little bit.
Q: Provide a fun or interesting fact/hobby you have.
I write in my free time! (Who knew?) The writing extends beyond news, features or opinions, though. Creative writing has always had my heart and I spend a considerable amount of time storyboarding, fleshing out character dynamics and adding to multiple fictional works—books, art and video games! Writing is why I joined the Trail and it has made me a better writer. I may be leaving the Trail, but my journey with writing is far from over. After this, I am going to have my own column–perhaps a continuation of “Introspection” that is actually more…Introspective, and I most definitely will have additional creative works published before I head off to college (I am putting that in writing so I can stick to it). Writing has gotten me where I am now and I can’t wait to see where it will take me in the future.
