Q: How did you develop an interest in working for the yearbook?

A:  “I’d say, talking to people and designing something that people would want to look at for the rest of their lives because yearbooks don’t go away. And having to include everybody in color schemes and making the theme in general just sparked everything. We keep going on with that, and the photographs too. I really like taking pictures and capturing emotion. And it felt good to know that I was doing something as big as that.”

Q:  Is this your first year on the yearbook team? If not, how long have you been working on the yearbook team?

A:  “It has only been two years because junior high was one of those years completed, and now this year I’m on the yearbook staff. I took Intro to Publication in between to get more knowledge before going into the yearbook.”

Q:  What is your favorite part about working on the yearbook?

A:  “The snacks? I’m joking. I like that everyone on the yearbook staff is really helpful. And we all have our differences, and we all help each other, no matter what. With someone like Addi, she’s a Design Editor, but she’s also Editor in Chief. In general, she helps with not only things that are design aspects, but she helps if you need caption writing, you need a mod idea or you need to fix up your spread, things like that. Everyone’s super helpful and lively and hard working. It’s not all just deadlines. You know, we all have a part. We all play the part pretty well.”

Q:  I know that you are also a part of the track team. What event do you participate in and what is that like?

A:  “I was on the track team in eighth grade, and I plan on joining the track team this year as I took a gap year last year. And I am a thrower, which means I do disc and shot put. Rarely will I be in javelin, but I do like doing jav. My favorite might be shot put because it’s super easy. I love the techniques I use, which my go-to is a glide, and my coach is super helpful, and I really want to continue doing that throughout my high school years, even though I took that gap year.”

Q:  I also know that you are a Student Ambassador. What is it like?

A:  “Becoming one was actually nerve-wracking because I didn’t realize that only six of us could be Ambassadors out of all the people that applied for it, and I was lucky that I got in. I actually found out through a letter while I was in Intro to Publication class, and I was absolutely ecstatic because we’re basically the face of school. We go to these events, and we represent the school. I want to do my very best to represent the school as well as I can. At the school we have diversity, but not really everywhere, and I guess being an Ambassador just gives me that to place diversity into that category. I genuinely love helping people. I love the fact that I’m right there, and I can give them that information.”

Q:  How do you balance all of these activities and school?

A:  “It’s not that hard. I thought it would be really hard, but it’s not. Very rarely do we do things, and when we do they’re posted on Google Classroom. They’re not mainly for school activities. They’re outside of school. And with sports, I have practice after school, but when I was cheering, it was just Thursdays and Tuesdays after school for two hours, and that was really easy to juggle because everything balanced out fairly well. I get stressed a lot, but that’s just how I am. I’m always stressed, and I’m always worrying about this deadline and when this practice is, but nothing ever overlaps. But sometimes I do get a little behind so things can pile up, because generally, after a long day, I’m tired and I go to sleep. I just don’t have the energy for it.”

Q:  How do you help yourself calm down in those times where working on the yearbook can be overwhelming? Is there anyone or anything that contributes to that?

A:  “How I calm down is music. Music is ultimately my best friend. And I don’t know why it is, but it’s always been a huge part of my life. And the people that help me with that are definitely my best friends, Tegan and Adeline. They’re really laid back and chill, but we all get along and they’re not so serious about it which is kind of fun sometimes because they’ll goof around with me and they make sure I’m not so serious all the time.”

Q:  If you could make a feature page in the yearbook on any animal, what would it be? What would the page be about? 

A:  “If I were to make one, it’d be foxes, wolves and snakes. Snakes, because those are my favorite animals. They’re just absolutely adorable. And wolves are one of my favorite animals. I think I’d make it based on their habitat, where they live, what they prey on and how they adapt and evolve through life.”

Q:  Since I know that you like art, do you ever get to create fun designs or art projects for the yearbook?

A:  “I haven’t yet, but I do plan on making some more designs. We do have designs that we’ll make and we’ll put in, but we do not use clipart. All of the designs that you see there are ours.”

Q: Overall, what is your favorite memory about working on the yearbook or in the yearbook room?

A:  “Definitely the first day, because it was so relaxed and it was so chill. And honestly, we sat there, we got the basics, and it was unstressful, which, as your book goes on, it does get a little stressful and gets a little tense. But we are all our own leaders, and we all stay together and we guide each other.”

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A:  “When you join the yearbook, don’t procrastinate. If you procrastinate, everything’s just going to build, and you will definitely regret it. Just know that it’s going to be fun.”