Four years ago, I quietly ducked into a classroom full of upperclassman girls for what was my very first Fanfare meeting. I would’ve never guessed that I’d be the Executive Editor-in-Chief three years later. With no prior journalism experience besides a passion for writing, I sat timidly in the back without recognizing a single person. However, the friendliness and openness had me coming back each week with an eagerness to write articles and brainstorm new ideas. Now, as I am about to start college in the fall, being a part of The Fanfare has left me with not only great life lessons but some amazing relationships that I cherish greatly.
Being on the Fanfare staff all four years of high school was one of my favorite parts of my time at Berkeley. Every Wednesday, whether we were going over the AP style or celebrating a publication, was one that I enjoyed come lunch time. I have not just learned how to write articles, but also the value of collaboration and cooperation as I have worked alongside some amazing people. From working with Aryana Makati ’24 as a freshman, sophomore and junior year, along with Emma Colitz ’26 and Zoya Jooma ’26 my senior year, what was one of the major roles at Berkeley felt like no work at all.
From our frantic text messages planning meetings last-minute, to preparing to deliver our Bi-weekly News Recaps in convo as we nervously scrolled through our scripts and checked that we could properly read them to avoid slip-ups, Emma and Zoya were my rocks during what was a bit of a turbulent year for our club and school. Two hurricanes ravaged through our campus, also stopping some of the progress our club was making early in the year, but that did not stop Emma and Zoya from working hard to make sure the staff was up to date on their submissions and edits. Without my co-Editor-in-Chiefs keeping me in check with deadlines and planning, I truly would have been lost. Emma and Zoya, as long as you both keep the same ambition and drive you have for The Fanfare with the rest of your commitments, you will excel not only academically but in all aspects of your lives. You were both a pleasure to work with and I know that The Fanfare is in the best possible hands.
To Mrs. Ortega and Mrs. Mclean, our wonderful sponsors, you both offered so much guidance and support to our staff. I always looked forward to catching up with you following each meeting, and am also very grateful for the freedom you allowed us to have in expressing ourselves creatively through journalism and the genuine advice that helped not only myself, but the rest of the staff flourish as writers. You both made my role on the Fanfare feel less like a position and more like a way to express one of my passions.
Finally, the amazing group that was our staff allowed us to both get work done and share fun conversations and laughs as friends. I could not have asked for a better group as our Fanfare staff, and I am filled with gratitude to have been a part of such a tight-knit group. I am not one for public speaking, and to be quite honest it is one of the things I consider myself worst at. However, when I addressed the club each week, no part of me felt nervous or anxious to be leading so many people. It felt as though I was speaking to several of my closest friends, and this dynamic is what I believe brought so many of us back each week. The environment within The Fanfare has brought so many in, and as long as this same feeling is kept each year going forward there will be no problem attracting the right people to Mrs. Ortega’s classroom. It is the place to be, and a place to feel welcome at every meeting. With the hardships that come with high school, it was such a blessing to have a space where I could be myself surrounded by genuine, hard-working people with the club’s best interest in mind.
Although journalism is no longer my intended career, it has been a pillar in my time at Berkeley and a passion that I have genuinely enjoyed coming back to each week. The Fanfare is something I will always be thankful for as I head to the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. Despite the fact that I can say for certain that I will not miss all of the time I took trying to navigate Flow and Sno (and failing miserably), I can say that I will miss the culture provided by The Fanfare. The qualities of teamwork, communication and friendship taught to me by this club are ones that will, undoubtedly, guide me in the next chapter of my life. I do not know what I would have done if I did not sign up for The Fanfare at my freshman year club fair, but I know for a fact that I would not have made the priceless connections and memories that I did. Thank you, and always keep writing!
