What motivated you to join the journalism club back in your freshman year?
For the most part, the first step to join was because of my godfather. He’s someone I’ve always respected and was actually the editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper. Listening to his experience encouraged and motivated me to be a part of the club that first year. The final push was when my advisement teacher, Momma J, gave an announcement during advisement about the school newspaper club. She spoke very highly about the benefits from not just joining the program, but also writing and learning about journalism.
What do you think it took for you to become more comfortable within the club?
The Portola Pilot staff was, and still is (in my opinion), the most welcoming and heartfelt group of students Portola will ever have. I think it was just little things, like laughing at Bryan Choi’s parfait or watching Ajin play lichess before our meeting, that really made me enjoy the club.
Could you expand upon the impact that journalism has had on your life either in your other classes, your leadership, or general interactions and point of view?
Journalism has changed my life in every single way. It’s hard to be a student journalist without being 100% dedicated to your work, and that mindset definitely carries over to my other classes. For example, because the Portola Pilot is an extremely time-sensitive program, I have learned how to manage my time and prioritize certain tasks. This skill has really helped me to manage my workload -- not just in school but when I intern or volunteer. The type of professionalism that I have learned through journalism has also helped me gain a much stronger and assertive voice as a leader.
Could you talk about the community experience of being in the Pilot. Maybe expand upon the friendships you’ve formed with the other four year members or just other members of the production in general.
I was always comfortable being around the people in the production, and a lot of us actually had similar interests and saw each other often outside of journalism (ex. during marching band, taking Greek Lit together, same math class, etc.) Because we’ve spent so much time together, especially throughout those 4 years, there are so many inside jokes and memories that we can talk about together, which makes being on the Pilot so much more enjoyable.
You’ve been involved in the production from the very beginning. I was wondering if you could maybe talk about not just how the production has changed but how your role within it has changed with various different leadership roles and new people joining and looking for guidance.
I started out as a Business Manager, and I honestly never expected to even get an editor role. But as I got more involved, I realized that this production meant so much to me, so I grew more involved in more of those leading roles. Going from business manager to editor-in-chief was something I never expected, but I am glad I got to experience it, because I can confidently say that I have been involved in various fields of production. Every year, we get new members, and it’s honestly so exciting to see the amount of talent that the Portola Pilot has. Especially this year, as a ‘veteran’ of the Portola Pilot, it’s been almost cathartic to see underclassmen step up and dedicate their time to contributing to this production.
Could you talk about the relationship that you were able to form with Ms. Rapp and what she’s meant to you as a mentor and teacher?
Obviously, none of the stuff we did in the Portola Pilot would have been made possible without Ms. Rapp. She is always there to support and guide us, and I am sure everyone can testify that she trains you to be the very best that you can be. She’s also been a huge proponent of numerous projects like the Editorial Board, and without her support, I honestly doubt it could have become reality.
Do you envision yourself continuing to do newspaper after high school either in college or somehow involved in your career?
I definitely envision myself continuing to do journalism after high school. I know for a fact that my college has numerous student publications and also a newspaper/yearbook organization called “The Dome.” I have actually been networking with a lot of the students that are currently part of those publications, and I envision myself to immerse myself in those opportunities in college. While I’m not sure if I will pursue journalism professionally, I know that the skills that a journalist has are much coveted for in the workforce, so I am sure a lot of the assets I have developed as a student journalist will come to benefit me as I pursue my career.
What would you say is your favorite story you’ve written, or maybe most memorable story?
I don’t have a favorite, but the memorable stories I’ve written are: the news story on Irvine’s ban on smoking; the news story on the district unblocking YouTube; my opinion story on gender constructs in ads; feature story on tech theater.