Leadership & Team Building.
I take pride in having a real connection with every single member of our staff; it is an essential part of being a great leader. Early on, I try to learn what makes each person tick. For some, encouragement combined with gentle constructive criticism is the way to go. For others, it is more effective to have a light-hearted relationship but make them aware of mistakes in a serious manner when necessary. Either way, the most important parts of being an editor is knowing your staff and being able to connect with different personalities. I always strive to do both.
Web, Senior staff, section editor, special projects
No doubt my most important role in my career, everyone on staff looks up to me as the source for anything digital journalism related. But this wasn’t always the case. As the school year began, many peers were skeptical about the website — and wondered why they should have to do work for it. I understood their point; it’s hard to believe in something not concrete. Through my pure passion and work ethic for the website, I was able to convince others to believe in the project before it launched. Now, I have earned the respect of the staff through the site’s release and can use each member for digital work.
Similarly to the website, when I brought my documentary idea to senior staff members and the film department, many couldn’t believe high schoolers could produce the 30 for 30 type film I planned. But when they saw my willingness to work until the project was finished, my team quickly understood the magnitude of what we could do. I believe it showed in the final product (found in broadcast journalism).
Web & Video Leadership
Going from a “rookie” to a leader on staff in a few weeks was extremely difficult. All of a sudden, I had important responsibilities. But the responsibility helped me grow as a journalist. Deadlines became 10 times more crucial, and I started to develop the next set of “rookies.” Additionally, our sports section was completely different than any before it. While we continued to cover St. Mark’s sports, we also covered relevant hot-button issues through the lens of sports. This set a precedent for the future, and watching this year’s sports editors(once my rookies!) continue our legacy is one of the most rewarding parts of being in the program.
Section Editor leadership
I didn’t technically have a role on the print newspaper going into my senior year. But even with an entire website on my plate, I wanted one. As much as the Remarker Online and the print Remarker are integrated, there’s something about being a senior on the editorial board. So I told my adviser I would step into the role of assignments editor while continuing to run the website. While that decision has created a lot more work for me, I don’t regret it for a second. I get to attend editorial board meetings, where we decide as a senior staff our stance on pertinent topics. I get to spend a lot of time with younger staff members, and I’m always eager to give them advice about college, life, or InDesign. Most of all, I get to continue the legacy of my predecessors.