June 15, 2024
At the start of my freshman year, I remember thinking I had four long years until graduation, and now high school is coming to an end. Many people warned me that it would fly by, but I never believed them until I wrote this article.
Although this part of my life will soon be behind me, I am grateful for all the people I met and the memories I made along the way. My time at LHS was enjoyable and molded me into who I am today.
As editor-in-chief, I also had the privilege of working alongside some of the brightest and most innovative students at LHS.
Going into my sophomore year, I didn’t know what to expect because the previous year I attended high school remotely due to the pandemic. In fact, when I began 10th grade, I didn’t even know LHS had a student newspaper. I found out about it in Ms. Pastor’s English II Honors class when she mentioned she advises the publication.
Having enjoyed Ms. Pastor’s English class, I included journalism in my course requests for the following year, and the rest is history.
Last year, I joined The Lighthouse as a staff writer, mainly reporting on LHS’ athletes and sports teams. It allowed me to step out of my comfort zone by interviewing students I had never spoken to before. At times, that was intimidating, but it taught me lessons about taking risks, which I will apply in college and beyond.
This year, I had the honor of serving as an editor-in-chief of The Lighthouse. This position has not only made me a better leader, but a better person. It sparked my creativity, allowing me to experiment with innovative newspaper designs and assign article topics for the publication. It also led me to keep pushing myself as a writer since I continued authoring sports articles.
As editor-in-chief, I also had the privilege of working alongside some of the brightest and most innovative students at LHS. They have inspired me with their determination, enthusiasm and talent.
I have been able to apply what I learned in The Lighthouse to my membership in other clubs and classes. Most notably, I used the knowledge I gained through my work on The Lighthouse staff to excel in the Future Business Leaders of America Club. Earning first place on the journalism test in the Northern New Jersey Regional Competition was one of my proudest moments in high school.
As I prepare to study nursing at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, my journalism days are sadly behind me, but I value the memories I made while working on The Lighthouse.
Without a doubt, The Lighthouse has been the most impactful organization I have joined at LHS, and I cannot wait to see all the great things this publication will accomplish in the future.
