As I sit here typing on my laptop, one day out from my last day of high school ever, I can’t help but reminisce on all the good times I have had with the North Star News journalism team.

I still remember walking into class for the first time, my second semester of freshman year. I felt intimidated being surrounded by all the confident upperclassmen. I had no idea what to expect from this class, but four years later, I can be the confident upperclassman to say I am glad I stayed on the staff. Little did I know that what started as a love for writing turned into a journey of making lifelong friendships, traveling, trying new things, collaborating, getting out of my comfort zone, and, most importantly, growing.  

I have been here long enough to see some remarkable changes to the program. Because of the lack of numbers my freshman year, the journalism and news production classes were combined. With this arrangement, the journalism students learned at a faster pace. We spent the first couple of weeks understanding the basics of journalism and were then thrown into writing for the newspaper. Thankfully, more and more students have expressed interest in joining the program over the years. We are now at the point where journalism students have a separate class where they can focus on learning the important aspects of journalism in an in-depth style, while the news production students work closely together to bring the newspaper to life. It is very exciting to see more students become interested and involved in something you have put so much work into. 

I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities I have received due to my participation in this class. Being an editor for the sports and people section has come with many benefits. I get to strengthen my leadership skills, work closely with other staff members, and learn to improve clarity, grammar, structure, and tone in stories. Not only has my editing position been fulfilling, but managing the social media pages in the past has also been a fun experience. Collaborating with my peers to come up with new video ideas and, in general, finding new, fun ways to keep people in the loop of the great things our staff does. Overall, North Star News has been an outlet for me to be creative and do things that interest me. 

In addition to opportunities and fun experiences, throughout my high school journalism career, I have traveled to six different states to attend the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Conventions with my class. During these conventions, we attend workshops to gain insight from professionals, compete in writing competitions, and network with other students across the country with a common passion for journalism. These conventions are by far one of my favorite memories from high school. Not only did we receive valuable information from the many workshops we attended, but this is also where our classmates truly bonded with each other. Whether it was late-night talks in the hotel room, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, shopping in Kansas City, playing Cards Against Humanity games in Philadelphia, scooter rides in Seattle, or even team dinners at Little Eataly in Boston, whatever the memory may be, every experience brought us one step closer together. 

I would be lying if I said there weren’t any challenges in being a part of North Star News. Sometimes I miss deadlines, sometimes I manage my time poorly, and sometimes I experience writer’s block. Senior year pushed me past my limits at times. I lacked motivation and felt like giving up a lot. But I continued to remember that being a part of this team is a privilege. Everything that I learned and everything that I experienced these past four years will help me in my future as I continue to study journalism. 

North Star News has opened my eyes to my passion for journalism. It is bittersweet to know that I am leaving something so valuable behind, but I know that I am in the best position to continue growing. I am very thankful for every person I have had the pleasure of working with over the years, including my teachers, Mrs. Ordoñez and Mr. Mormolstein, who helped me get to where I am.