My name is Leila Harper. I am currently a junior at Armijo High School, and I write for the school newspaper, The Armijo Signal and I am serving as my second year as Beyond the Gates editor. Three out of four of those things you could probably infer from clicking on the article itself. To reestablish and extend upon my last Editor Focus, I’m still enrolled in the IB Program—three cheers for intentionally increasing my  stress this year; college better be worth it—and I am still enjoying my time as an editor. I couldn’t be happier.

Writing for the Signal is liberating. I have always loved to write. When I was put into Journalism for freshman year, learning the craft of writing non-fiction news-centered stories was such an amazing, unique experience for me. It gave me a place in the school that had a title of importance on it. It still does, especially now that I’m a junior and still an editor. The position gives me a sense of enlivening responsibility. Writing for the paper is stability, it’s maturity, it’s a chance for me to let out my creativity.

As I briefly mentioned a few times, I am a junior, meaning that this is the toughest, most planning-for-your-future-oriented year of high school. Through the heaps and heaps of work and outlining for college—and the anticipation stress already taking a toll—I plan to stay writing for the paper. Not only is it good for college applications, but I wholeheartedly just enjoy everything entailed with the job. Although I am still wary when it comes to interviewing people, I’m eager to branch out from my comfort zone and continue to do what I love.