As I reflect on the past 4 years, so many amazing memories pop into my head. Though so many things have changed from courses to extracurriculars and friends, one thing that has not changed in my schedule is a journalism course here at Apex. 

It all started freshman year when I took Intro to Communications and Mass Media with Mrs. Nobles. In that class, we learned about all the different forms of journalism. We made a podcast, wrote various articles, and even filmed a mock episode of Cougar TV. From the people I met in this class to the teachers who were involved in this department, I knew that I wanted to stay involved. When it came time to sign up for my sophomore year courses, newspaper 1 was first on my list. After a short interview with Mrs. McGee, I was enrolled in the class. 

Once sophomore year rolled around and Newspaper 1 had started, I already knew so many of my peers and met so many more. At this time, Mrs. McGee was the teacher for both Newspaper and Cougar TV. Though these are completely different classes, we meet in the same class at the same time. After Mrs. McGee explained how the class worked, we got started on our first issue. For me, my first ever article was an interview with Mrs. Hofmann. This was her first year being here at Apex and my friend and I had the opportunity to interview her and write an article introducing her to the school. As the semester went on, I had more and more opportunities to collaborate with others as well as experiment with different forms of writing. I was also able to get familiar with making interactive quizzes for students to participate in. As the semester came to an end, we finished by writing a reflection paper on the class. I was able to evaluate my worst and best articles. After this, I knew I’d want to continue progressing through this class. 

Before I knew it, the second semester had begun and I was placed in honors Newspaper 2 for the second semester. When it started, it was just like old times with my friends, Mrs. McGee, and writing articles. Sadly, this semester was cut short due to the start of the coronavirus. When school ended, I had only put out a few articles before I was unable to continue. Unfortunately, due to virtual learning and scheduling, Newspaper 3 honors was not an option for me junior year. Though I was upset, I knew that I had 1 more year to be in the class. 

Before the end of junior year, I was informed that Mrs. McGee would no longer be advising this course, but English teacher Mrs. Doud would be taking over. This was an exciting opportunity because even though not much would change, this meant possible new opportunities and formats.

When senior year started, I was able to take honors Newspaper 3 as my 3rd period. So far, it’s been amazing and I’ve been able to write so many different articles. I’ve had the opportunity to interview new teachers/staff, rate Thanksgiving foods, and even make a quiz. Though I wish I could remain in the class for the rest of high school, the time that I’ve had has been amazing. I hope that future students and underclassmen all have the opportunity to join one of our journalism classes. Whether it be newspaper, yearbook, or Cougar tv, the experience is like no other. I’ve learned so many valuable skills and even found a passion of mine in writing.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way in high school, but especially Mrs. McGee, Mrs. Doud, and all of the newspaper staff throughout the years. I am so excited for the next chapter of my education and I can’t wait to see how Apex Legacy thrives in the future.