Thomas Edison once said, “there is no substitute for hard work.” If anyone embodies this quotes, it this year’s co-Editor in Chief, Sarah Jeffers. Sarah kept the Chronicle humming all year! Beyond our weekly meetings, she worked in her office aide period to draft our weekly emails, post social media updates, follow up on leads, and publish finalized articles. Sarah was the last pass for the paper before it went out to the world, sharing responsibility with Lila to formally publish all articles.
Being an editor means dealing with this “polishing” aspect of newspaper articles – carefully reviewing the writing, the organization, the images. Sarah’s diligent attention to all of the articles in our weekly publications helped our newspaper to be professional and engaging. She put eyes on all of the articles before they went out, and she was always willing to work a little harder to make sure the Chronicle continues to publish regularly. And this was in addition to writing and publishing her own articles – a varied mix of topics about South, about the world, and always written with an interesting, journalistic perspective.
And her hard work helped the paper publish weekly ALL YEAR! Despite a courseload of AP classes and a heavy schedule of dance classes outside of school, Sarah never missed a week of publishing, whether she was in charge or was helping her co-editor finalize things. Under her guidance the paper published over 150 pieces this year – no small feat. But more than anything it was her consistent hard work that helped the paper run so smoothly. She has been invested in the paper’s continued livelihood for several years now, but under her guidance during her senior year, it especially flourished.
What I’ll miss most about Sarah is how this hard work ethic showed up not only in her weekly work, but in her willingness to step up to help with anything that was needed. She would step up to help with it all. A new title for an article. A revised image for the feature photo. A follow up email to clarify information. Sarah understood all year that being a leader doesn’t mean to just lead, but also to help in all roles when needed.
I have no doubt that Sarah’s legacy will be the paper’s continued high-functioning output – her hard work helped keep our rigorous schedule all year, yet also made this goal attainable. She is an example of what can be created when one is talented, when one is invested – and when is willing to put in the hard work to create something great. Good luck in the future Sarah, and thank you from all of us at the Chronicle!
