By Sarah Burnett, Former Current Editor-In-Chief
Here I am. Sitting on my couch at 10 pm writing my last ever journalism article for the River Hill Current. Never in a million years did I ever picture that this would be the way I would be ending my favorite class, but needless to say, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Now I won’t kid myself; me procrastinating and rushing to my article isn’t anything different from when we were in in-person school, but never could I have envisioned myself being the editor in chief of our all virtual newspaper and never having stepped into the building to take classes in over a year.
When I was merely a tiny little eighth grader sitting in the River Hill Auditorium, I remember hearing the seniors say that the 4 years would fly by, but I didn’t think they actually meant it. It feels like just yesterday I was taking intro to journalism with Mrs. Mitchell where I was struggling to make friends and to use Adobe InDesign to create the newspaper, and making the most unforgettable memories for me in high school. While I am forever grateful for how much Journalism improved my writing skills and strengthened my love of storytelling, I am the most thankful for all of the memories I made with my journalism friends over the years; Sleeping on the floor in our duct tape fort, playing online mafia, making tik toks, and cramming in the most stressful Indesign project ever, those were truly the most fun moments I had throughout the school day- None of my other classes could ever compare to the fun we had in journalism.
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason; I never even planned on taking Journalism in high school because I didn’t know it was a class. At the end of my freshman year, I had a scheduling conflict for my sophomore year schedule. One of the science classes I was put into was full, so I had to move to the emptier first period class, and I had to choose a replacement class. The options were German 1, Photography 2 AP, AP Human Geo, Piano 1, and Journalism 1; and there was only one clear choice for me- The class that seemed like the least amount of work! Just kidding, but I knew my love of writing would allow me to thrive in journalism, so I figured I would give it a try. And it became more than just a class to me, it became a passion. From being a regular writer my sophomore year, to features editor my junior year, to being a co-editor in chief my senior year; I was then accepted into one of the most prestigious public schools in the United States, UNC Chapel Hill, to double major in journalism & media and business!!
While I never planned on majoring in journalism in college, I am so thankful I took journalism to help me discover what makes me happy. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Tromble, Gabe- my co-editor in chief, and the rest of my classmates for allowing me to discover my passion for writing, editing, creating content, and unlocking my potential as a journalist. To anyone reading this, enjoy the little moments throughout high school, sign up for journalism, and stay awesome. Thank you for the most amazing 3 years.
Sarah Burnett served as a writer for the Current from 2018 to 2021, additionally serving as the Features Editor from 2019 to 2020, and elatedly finishing off her high school education as the Current Editor-In-Chief. She will be attending the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill beginning in the fall of 2021. Congratulations, Sarah. Thank you for your immense contributions to the journalism program. The Current staff will miss you dearly, and wishes you the best of luck in this next chapter of the book of your life.