It is time to say good-bye to our Editor, Jugeiry Perez, as she graduates from South High and heads off to Westfield State University. This past year, Jugeiry served as our Editor-in-Chief. This role includes keeping on top of newspaper articles and maintaining outreach with the South community, but on top of that, Jugeiry contributed some amazing articles to the Chronicle as well!
It is a widely held belief that college is where we find our passions and figure out our future. For many, this is true. It is a wonderful opportunity to take new classes, to meet new people and to understand more about who we are as people.
However, some students are fortunate to make this discovery in high school – and this isn’t a matter of luck. It takes a student like Jugeiry to embrace the opportunities put in front of her and to believe in her ability to grow her talents. Thankfully, the Chronicle is all the better for Jugeiry’s willingness to believe in herself.
It was in her sophomore year that Jugeiry first appeared in my classroom as a student in my Journalism elective. While learning about journalism and developing her writing, Jugeiry also became a large part of the burgeoning online version of the Colonel Chronicle that we are lucky to have today. Over the last three years, Jugeiry has been instrumental in brainstorming topics, editing stories, drafting emails, and covering all sections of the newspaper, culminating in this past year while serving successfully in the role of our Editor-in-Chief.
Watching someone come into who they are meant to be is a privilege, and as her teacher and advisor, I had this privilege of watching Jugeiry hone her craft and develop her passion. I witnessed her grow from a quiet sophomore, working on her journalism assignments, to a member and then the leader of the newspaper staff. Now as a graduating senior, she is ready to shine, bringing all of her experience running the newspaper, and even attending the New England High School Journalism Collaborative last summer.
Jugeiry took a chance on getting involved in something, and it became a passion of hers. She leaves us not only with a thriving newspaper, but with a lesson for us all to think about. Take chances, believe there are things out there to discover, and nurture your talents! We will all miss you, Jugeiry, but wish you the best in the future and we are grateful for your time with us.
