As the final days of my high school journey draw near, I find myself reflecting on the countless memories and lessons learned, with one class in particular standing out among the rest — Publications. Stepping into the classroom each day, I am overwhelmed by a bittersweet wave of nostalgia, knowing that this marks the end of an era filled with creativity, collaboration, and growth. Let us reminisce about the journey that has shaped not only my writing skills but also my understanding of teamwork, resilience, and the power of storytelling.  

     First, coming into this class, it was exciting to start with an organized schedule and set due dates for assignments that would be due at the end of the year. At first, it was difficult to get into the routines during my first year since it was also challenging to balance the high school routine. But once I got used to the routine of when assignments were, I was on a roll. Being that assignments are due exclusively on Tuesdays and Thursdays, this provides students with a consistent schedule, balanced workload, and opportunities for timely feedback that involves collecting interviews for articles. Fostering accountability and promoting a healthier work-life balance are considerable positive factors in this course. This is what intrigued me the most with this course, and being able to communicate with people who some have never even spoken to really promotes excellent communication skills as well as helping make more friends, as this was a huge one for me for my first year.
    There are so many great opportunities with this course that just made me love it more and more throughout the years. It helped me tremendously with my writing skills and exceeded my expectations regarding writing assignments for my English classes. Although the writing skills that come out of this class help others, there is a lot more to it. Creating the yearbook pages opens a fantastic opportunity for students to be creative in how they design the pages, as there are specific guidelines that they must follow.
    Consistency and organization play huge parts in this course; although it can be tricky to balance, it is still an easy A if students really put their minds to it. Having the right mindset and motivation really matters to get the job done. I have loved this course overall because I knew what to expect when I came in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which kept me balanced throughout the whole year. And with this year being my last year of Publications, it was a fantastic journey coming from being a freshman to a sophomore and a junior. I wanted to experience more opportunities that I could get with other classes that would eventually help me to the career I am willing to take part in for the rest of my life. It was truly heartbreaking for me to make this decision. Still, in the long run, I know how much this class has helped me tremendously with my writing skills, and I hope other students will be able to enjoy my experience and get the same skills that I have learned with my years being in Publications. Overall, making friends and being more communicative with other students here at HAHS has genuinely helped me a lot with my time here, and I wish the best to all who have helped me on the way.