As I’m graduating from high school, I often find myself reminiscing about the past four years, and my time in Vanguard News is no exception. Sitting in the closet of Ms. Gilmore’s room, signing up for competitions, perusing through podcast scripts on Discord calls, and eating snacks in class (sorry Yearbook) were just some aspects of Newspaper— the class means so much more to me and will always have a special place in my heart. 

Looking back, I’m so proud of all the progress we have made as a school newspaper: We started the internship program and went from five to 19 staff members, created two podcasts, and published regularly. I’m pleased at how much we’ve grown throughout the year, both personally and in terms of journalistic content. I attribute some of my best days in LTHS to Newspaper due to experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met in the class. If I’ve learned anything from my time in Vanguard News, it is that progress is always possible, no matter where you’re starting from.

I’d like to thank Ms. Gilmore for helping me, Katy, and the rest of the staff throughout the year despite having Journalism 4B alongside Newspaper. And of course, I’d like to thank all the staff members for doing their part— whether it be through writing articles, creating graphics, or posting on Instagram— and bettering Vanguard News. 

I’ve grown immensely in this class and will cherish my time, though I apologize for senioritis taking over the last weeks of school. As cheesy as it may sound, Newspaper was a family, and I’m sure it’ll only get bigger next year and the years to come.