1. What is your current position on the Hiller staff?

I am currently the Co-Editor-In-Chief and the News Editor.

2. When and why did you join the Hiller staff?

I joined the Hiller staff at the beginning of my junior year. I have always loved to write, and I thought that the journalism class would be the perfect place to improve my writing skills and contribute my writing to the school.

3. What is your favorite memory about from your time on the Hiller?

Do I have to choose just one? I have cherished every moment with my newspaper family. But, one memory that stands out is when Morgan Kafana, Jonathan Brodak, the other seniors of the Class of 2020 and I had a nerf gun battle at Morgan’s graduation party. All the writers got their revenge on Morgan and I for a year’s worth of edits!

4. What will you miss most about the Hiller and why?

I’ll miss the whole process! There is something so inspiring about watching a story go from its first brainstorming ideas to a list of interview questions to a rough draft (to a rough draft covered in red pen edits) to a final copy to a beautiful finished article published on the website. It is such a gratifying and exciting process to be a part of, and I will miss being a member of the team that works through that process so seamlessly!

5. What is your favorite article that you wrote?

My favorite article was my first article which was about Dr. Demian, who was a brand new administrator at the time. With that article, I caught the journalism bug and haven’t looked back since!

6. What are your plans for after graduation?

I will be attending Washington and Lee University as a Johnson Scholar. I hope to pursue journalism and pre-law, but I am not committed to any majors or minors yet. I also hope to write for their newspaper, the Ring-tum Phi, and play in their orchestra!

7. What was your favorite topic to cover for the newspaper?

News and specifically political news.

8. If you could live as any character from any book, who would it be and why?

I’d have to choose Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. I’m definitely a Ravenclaw and I think Luna’s free spirit is so fun. Also, who wouldn’t want the ability to aparate and cast magical spells?

9. What do you think is the most important thing (or things!) you learned from your time writing for the school newspaper?

Of all the life-changing lessons that I have learned from my time on the newspaper, I think the most valuable has been how to be a dependable leader. We have faced a lot of challenges this year with the difficulties of the pandemic and the absence of Mrs. O’Lare, but as a staff we have exceeded all expectations and consistently published stellar issues every month. This success is of course due to the talent and teamwork among our incredible staff, and I am so grateful to have acted as a leader in these challenging times. I have learned how to roll with the punches, stay organized, make plans, communicate and so much more as I served as Co-Editor-In-Chief.

10. What advice do you have for the underclassmen on the Hiller staff and anyone else who is interested in exploring journalism?

For my Hiller staff: I am so proud of you all! Please continue to work hard, learn from your mistakes, celebrate your successes, trust your leaders and have courage in your writing and your ideas. Best of luck next year and beyond. I can’t wait to see how you all continue to excel! For those interested in exploring journalism: Come write with us! You will be welcomed by the most kind group of people who are ready to help you learn and grow as a writer. We always appreciate new talent!

11. Do you have anything else to add?

I couldn’t be more thankful for my time on the staff of The Hiller. I have grown so much and have enjoyed watching my fellow staff members grow even more. While I am excited for the next chapter of my life, I will definitely miss The Hiller, Mrs. O’Lare and the incredible journalism staff. I know this quote is so cliche, but “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” I am so lucky to have had two amazing years on staff, so it will be hard to say goodbye to my journalism family and The Hiller. But, I am grateful for every memory and I can’t wait to read the first September issue next year!