My passion for writing led me to Journalism 1 freshman year (seems like a million years ago). I was closed-off, doubtful of my talent and doubtful that I’ll ever get close to someone. It felt like I was a million miles away from everyone, up until the class shared their memoirs. Opening up about a sensitive topic helped introduce me to the empathetic Mrs. Negri and the relatable Joseph Bloise. The other girls were also nice, but our relationship didn’t last as long. Harvey hit us hard, especially the Newspaper staff. It was at a blink of an eye that I was thrown into Newspaper 1 after we came back from “break.” I didn’t entirely experience Journalism 1, in fact, I experienced a mixture of Newspaper and Journalism (it was lowkey fun, highkey stressful).

The following year, the Newspaper staff grew: it was Joseph and I, and a bunch of Journalism students willing to help (don’t forget the exhausted seniors). We struggled with deadlines, lost great stories, but I always circled “Newspaper” for next year. Junior year was my absolute favorite, though, despite being short lived. It was our first official team, and I had my best buddy Thao with me. Ashly was the perfect Editor-in-chief, Thao was a grand critic, Aranza was an artistic genius, and then there was Maikel, our humble photographer. Joseph and I were so happy to have finally formed a year-round team, and he surprisingly became our digital artist (and, as always, our pun-hater).

I adore Mrs. Negri, truly. When covid took away everything that made Newspaper authentic, she didn’t give up. She struggled with us, listened to us, supported us, and was our guiding figure. She has been my greatest supporter, and I’m so thankful for everything she has done for me and my team. I love her so much I talk to my parents about her. Being Co-Editor-in-chief with Thao has been beyond words. I could cry 10 peoples’ worth of tears expressing my admiration for Thao and Mrs. Negri. I am so grateful to my other staff members: Maikel, Aranza, Carlos, Zacalinh, Chelsea, and my brother, Joseph. I have improved my writing skills, my social skills (especially), my photography skills, adobe skills, and my leadership skills. My passion for writing has grown with me, and I plan to continue for as long as I have capable hands. There is no class like Newspaper, and there is no better team than my staff.

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.