One of my first memories is sitting in our cramped living room at 8 years old, watching the news with my father on the day Britain voted to leave the European Union. The next day, I brought it up with my English teacher, Ms. Pickle, and realized that I wanted to understand everything happening in the world around me.

In 9th grade, during a lesson about assimilation and acculturation in Mr. Harris’s HGAP class, I realized I finally had the word to describe my family’s experience coming to the United States. The next year, I remember examining Albert Camus with my Humanities teacher, Dr. Yates, and being introduced to the idea that people spend much of their lives searching for meaning. The year after that, conversations about human rights in APUSH reminded me of how far society has come and how far we still have to go. My senior year, while reading Hamlet in my AP Literature class, I understood him when he was constantly questioning the world around him and his place in it. Looking back, I think I was always trying to find myself in what we studied, whether that was politics, philosophy, history, literature, or current events.

Before coming to Plano Senior, I never really understood the world of journalism or how much work goes into publishing a single article. I never would have imagined myself pursuing opportunities like internships or fellowships if it were not for Mr. Dumois’s class. Journalism was always something I consumed, never something I imagined myself participating in.

What I will remember most, though, are the people I met through the newspaper. There was always something new to talk about, whether it was current events or gossip. The class was definitely one of my favorites, and in a school as large as Plano Senior, that room felt small in the best way possible. Mr. Dumois always made sure we were on top of our work and was one of my favorite teachers that I’ve had at Plano Senior. Aryeana, Luca, and everyone else that would hang around in the class made the newspaper an even better experience than I would’ve hoped for. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be the Editor-in-Chief for this eventful year, and I hope the newspaper continues to grow into something better with the upcoming years. 

As I move on to the next chapter of my life, the lessons and experiences I got from the newspaper and journalism will be something I cherish throughout my academic career. I hope to go into international relations and learn as much as I can about this world while making a change, and I know that my time in B207 will have been well worth it.