Letter from the Editor

I have always created stories. My parents have often described to me their memory of my smaller self waddling over to them with my pad of scribble-covered pages.

As all parents do when given artwork they can’t discern the point of, they would ask, “What’s this, Katie?” and I would smile and tell them I had written a story—orally expressing it to them. 

As I grew, writing became a huge part of my life. Composing letters, essays, poems, and songs, my love for the English language blossomed. 

I started in print publications when I was 13 with my middle school’s yearbook. Learning how to take pictures, layout pages, and write cultivated a passion that followed me into high school when I became a staff writer for the newspaper.

I vividly recall the first time I saw a printed paper with my story in it. The rush of exhilaration I felt holding onto the words I poured out from my heart onto the keys of my laptop was now physically in my hands and shared with my peers. 

From that moment on, I was completely hooked. I wrote whenever I could, happy to refine my skills. I edited my papers with red-colored pens until the writing was practically illegible, hopeful that each pen stroke would teach me to write better.

While at Vanguard, I learned a valuable lesson—God gave me this gift and it has a purpose. my passion has since grown to glorify Him through whatever I write. In that, God has opened some amazing opportunities, one of these being my position as Editor-in-Chief of The Voice this year. 

While the story of my artistic growth may not be relevant to you, I write this to share my heart, which is this: to pour all the passion I have for writing, and glorifying God with it, into this paper. 

It is a year full of changes on campus as we approach our centennial. We’ve come out of a long year of miscommunications among students and administration. I have witnessed our campus’ increase in frustration and bitterness each time a student feels under-informed, and I’ve seen how rumors escalate when students seek answers on their own.

In taking on the position of Editor-in-Chief this fall, I come with a goal in mind: to transform this paper into a consistent staple of the Vanguard community, committed to maintaining integrity while presenting unbiased, rumor-breaking articles that inform you of news taking place campus-wide. 

As you read our first issue of the 2019-2020 school year, I hope you see the staff’s desire to achieve this goal, as well as seeing your voices heard.

Enjoy!