Q: What is your favorite Newspaper memory?

A: Honestly I believe that everyday I spent in Newspaper is my favorite Newspaper memory. Every day I come into Newspaper with a positive mindset ready to make new changes and publish new articles for the world to see. Of course I also enjoyed spending time at our socials and meetings where we decided on our plans for the future while also eating Takis and sushi. Additionally, our memories at UIL have also made me feel very emotional because I’ve watched first hand how our staff has grown over the past two years from participating in various events and making it to the state and regional level. Overall, I’m so glad that Vanguard News is not only a news organization but also a group of friends that are consistently seeking to improve themselves and help each other to achieve their goals both inside and outside the classroom.

Q: What are the benefits and challenges of being editor-in-chief?

A: I think one of the benefits of being editor-in-chief is the challenges that come along with it. I know it sounds a little paradoxical but being able to take on challenges first hand is one of the most thrilling parts of being editor-in-chief for me. Whether it is challenges in relation to article ideas or finding an appropriate angle that voices both sides of an argument, I always liked to step out of my comfort zone and accomplish something new with the staff. Without the opportunity of being editor-in-chief, I would’ve never had the chance to take on so many responsibilities at once and I believe this positively benefited my problem-solving abilities and encouraged me to communicate with multitude of people from different parts of the school in order to tell the true stories of the community.  Of course there’s a lot of pressure and hard work that comes along with these challenges, but I believe that using my own ability to collaborate with talented individuals and form a team through journalism is truly a blessing and a highlight of my high school experience. 

Q: What is one piece of advice you have? 

A: One piece of advice I would give to future journalism students is to always stay curious as curiosity is one of the reasons for change in this society. Journalists are often driven by one’s curiosity to learn more about the story or a controversial topic and similarity these types of curiosity inspires the public to take actions about different issues and topics of society. By having a curious mind, journalists can be motivated and encouraged to utilize their story-telling ability especially when covering stories and just learning more about the world around them. 

Q: How has Newspaper helped you personally and academically?

A: I believe Newspaper has helped me personally in making me a better leader as mentioned in other questions prior. I know that I still have a lot of flaws and a lot to learn in terms of leadership but being in the newspaper drastically changed the way I look at societal issues. Instead of simply coming towards a conclusion, the newspaper taught me to do research on different sides of an issue in order to come to an educated conclusion. Additionally,  I learnt a lot of interpersonal skills through being editor-in-chief. Because of this job, I needed to talk to a lot of people that I would’ve never talked to before because I tend to be pretty introverted at most times. In terms of academics, being in the newspaper helped me with my writing and communication skills. By constantly writing and talking to others, I practiced writing and active listening on the daily which in turn helped me in almost every class and different areas of my life which ultimately helped me through my college application process as I received a desired result. 

Q: What will you miss the most about Newspaper?

A: I will miss the people. I still believe it is a miracle that a group like this existed during my high school life. It is truly a joy to work with every single one of our staff and internship students. Everyone is very respectable and future driven whenever it comes to articles and newspaper tasks. Though sometimes there might be conflict in ideas or difficulties, we still managed to compromise and come up with a solution that is suitable for everyone. It is hard to have a group filled with positivity and kindness and I believe that because of this group atmosphere, we were all able to be a better version of ourselves in the newspaper and showcase our true potential. I loved working with everyone and I hope the newspaper will continue to be an organization filled with happiness and good memories. 

Q: Describe Newspaper in two words. 

A: Wonderfully chaotic 

Q: Anything else you would like to add? 

A: To Addie and everyone else, I will miss you guys lots when I graduate but I believe in everyone for making Vanguard News even better in the future. No matter what challenges you will face in the future, I believe in everyone in solving them and becoming the best you can be!