By Ilhan Raage
Guest Column
To say the least, I was shocked that the Echo placed first in General Excellence at the MNA’s Better Newspaper Contest. For the second year in a row!
It’s not that our staff didn’t put in the work to have qualified. As a matter of fact, we worked so hard and I couldn’t be prouder of us.
The reason I was so surprised is because we managed to place first against student newspapers from four-year universities.
This accomplishment is one that I won’t forget and an achievement that I’ll use as encouragement for future goals as well.
I’m so proud of our staff and I’m grateful to Dwight Boyum for his guidance, motivation, and support throughout the year.
Three of our staff members also placed in individual categories. Hawa Sheikh-Adam, our Arts and Entertainment Editor, placed second for arts and entertainment reporting, our Photo Editor Nathan Hoover placed second in feature photography, and Breanna Shen, our second Arts and Entertainment Editor, placed third in column writing.
I was a writer for the Echo for a semester and then I was the editor-in-chief for a year. The experience I had and lessons I learned while working there will last me a lifetime.
I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to write for and be part of such an amazing newspaper. As a staff member, I built better communication skills, learned to be comfortable with interviewing others as well as being interviewed myself, and learned to balance school, the newspaper, and work.
Without a doubt, I believe it is the wonderful people who work at the Echo who made it what it is today, and I’m honored to have been a part of the staff.