As I try to find the right words to conclude my time as part of the Kerronicle staff, I think back to my first time in Mrs. Negri’s class. The sofas draped in blankets, the piles of books and papers scattered everywhere… who would have thought I’d be dedicating a chunk of my high school experience writing stories and building a second family?

When I decided to take journalism during the second semester of freshman year, my only intentions were to write stories. Nothing more. Looking back as a senior, journalism is a lot more than writing. The planning, the (dreaded) interviewing process, coming up with designs, and of course, the deadlines… It required a lot of dedication and responsibility.

I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but I’m lucky to have the team support me and help me learn from those mistakes. Our staff, old and new, have always made the environment friendly and welcoming. Sometimes we complain, sometimes we panic over deadlines, but most times, we’re just having fun. From when the team was just Ashly, Joseph, Liz, and me to when we had the addition of the lovely Aranza and Maikel, I got to know what journalism meant to me as a student journalist and how much I adore this team.

This year was a bit different from previous years, but I’m proud of our staff for doing what we could with what we had. Although this year was rough, I appreciate Aranza, Maikel, Carlos, Zacalinh, Chelsea, and Joseph L. so much for doing their best. Though Liz and I won’t be there, I hope the staff gets to enjoy the full newspaper experience next year.

Truth be told, I still spend half an hour trying to come up with an anecdote for a feature and nitpick over every detail on pages… but as I say goodbye to the Kerronicle, I want to especially thank Mrs. Negri for being so patient, understanding, and super super supportive of me as a student, journalist, and co-editor. For always encouraging me and the team, I don’t think words could relay how grateful I am to have her as my teacher.
Although it feels a bit weird to know that this will be the last time I’ll be writing for our newspaper, it truly has been a wonderful three years. I can’t wait to see how Kerronicle will grow.