Big Red Co-Editors-in-Chief Graduate

After contributing to The Big Red since their freshmen year, recent graduates Ella Spuria and Katelyn Sarkis, are saying goodbye. Although they each joined for different reasons, the newspaper ended up playing an important part in their high school careers.

During her freshman year, Spuria joined a journalism class without even understanding what it was. She didn’t have many interests at the time, but as time went on she ended up enjoying it a lot and stayed throughout the entire four years.

Being able to speak about anything and share your thoughts was what she loved most about it, “It’s a great way to speak your mind,” she said.

Spuria didn’t even write her favorite story. She helped her friend Avani in writing an article about the security issues in the tech department. Even though it was hard to find answers, she said that doing research and speaking with administrators was enjoyable. “I remember it was really challenging to get clear answers and having to talk to administrators,” Spuria said, “but that was honestly the best part for me.”

The Big Red also introduced Spuria to her passion for photography. She said that although she wasn’t very good at first, she found something she truly loves after trying something new. She believes that getting involved with The Big Red taught her new skills and increased her knowledge of the news.

“If I didn’t stick with photography even when I was awful at it, I wouldn’t have grown into the photographer I am today,” she added.

She intends to major in communications and media studies at the University of San Francisco this fall. 

Sarkis’s path was a little different. Journalism sounded like an enjoyable path for her, she already enjoyed writing and had taken Creative Writing in eighth grade. She said that she really enjoyed working in a group where each person had something to do, such as taking pictures, editing, or writing. Editing articles and making sure they were solid was her favorite part. 

She started out nervous about doing interviews, but she eventually gained confidence and now finds them to be very enjoyable. Sarkis said contributing to the newspaper let her develop as a student and become more engaged in the classroom. Writing about clubs and how they benefit the school community was one of her favorite topics.

“Being part of the paper helped me grow as a student and become more involved in my school community,” Sarkis said. “I really loved that we got to tell stories that mattered to students.”

Sarkis is heading to UMass Amherst to study business, but she said she still wants to do journalism in college if she can.

Spuria chose “unexpected” and Sarkis chose “rewarding” when asked to sum up their experience with The Big Red in one word. They both said they made many memories and learned a lot. when asked what advice would they give to younger students. They said even if you’re not sure you’ll be good at something, try it. You never know what you might fall in love with.