Thank you for forcing me out of my comfort zone, molding me into a better collaborator and allowing me the opportunity to share the stories I wanted to tell. Each newspaper has been a gift, one I got to tear open each week and see the product we created, in print, alive. The photos I took, graphics I designed and stories I wrote weren’t just gigabytes in Google Drive; they were stuffed into backpacks and read by peers. That’s a unique opportunity to have this young.

Tower gave me the practical experience and courage to apply for positions I’d never imagined myself in. I am so lucky to be a Communications Intern for the local Rotary, applying the skills I learned in room 144. As I leave South, I’m preparing to enter University, and I know these skills will stick with me.
Here, I’d like to say to underclassmen: whether you’re a freshman or sophomore, it’s not too late to join this publication. There’s no club, sport or group that provides such a blend of fun and learning. Check it out! I joined Tower a bit late, as a junior, and I’ve never regretted it.

Thank you, Tower, for the friendships made at late-night deadlines. Collaborating to create a product we’re all so passionate about is incredibly rewarding and has given me some of my best friendships I have. I’m so proud of our accomplishments and beyond excited to see what we will achieve after graduation.
To the Tower students filling our roles, good luck! We’ve been a tradition in print since 1928, but we still have work to do at South. Don’t shy from the tough, honest article and hold onto your voices as student journalists.

I need to thank my friends, for allowing me to constantly pitch their achievements as upcoming stories and for humoring me when I needed models for photos to accompany articles. Thank you to my dad for inspiring a love for reading and honest journalism and Edge for being an incredible advisor.

I hope to keep creating, writing and honing my voice. Thank you, Tower, for giving me the launching block.