By: Lilly Buist / Editor in chief
When Abby Allen joined yearbook her freshman year, she had no idea what she was getting into. While she had been told that yearbook was a “credited study hall,” she soon learned that this was not true.
“My freshman year I was thrown in the deep end, and it’s either sink or swim at that point,” Allen said. “And I learned how to swim, and I actually loved it.”
According to Allen, what kept her coming back was the unique opportunities she received as a member of the group.
“I got to go on the sidelines [at games], I got to be more up front at different games at different events, I got free access to a lot of stuff, and we get really cool field trips to go hear different speakers talk about not just journalism topics, but about life topics in general,” Allen said.
Allen also discovered a new passion through her participation.
“I learned to love photography and catch an eye for different styles and different mediums for different things. So, at the end of my freshman year, I decided, this is way better than a credited study hall, it’s almost like a family,” Allen said. “Everything I learned in yearbook, I learned there. I had no experience with photography, no experience with writing stories unless it was a short story for my English class. These stories are a lot different because they dive in deeper in the community in our school, not just writing about a topic that the teacher picks.”
As a sophomore, Allen became management editor, which is “second to editor-in-chief.”
“I got to help out a lot with our editor-in-chief at the time, and I got to go under her wing and learn different aspects of what it means to be the editor-in-chief, and so I got to do a lot of planning and have more say in what goes on in our yearbook,” Allen said.
Allen received the management editor position again her junior year, allowing her to experience different leadership styles under different editor-in-chiefs and better understand her own.
“My leadership style is servant, so I just learned how to be a servant for other people within the yearbook classroom and to help other people when they need help, or just be there when they need someone to help them,” Allen said.
Allen has had several adult mentors in her life who have helped her grow her strengths and her leadership style, specifically naming [Carrie Lynch], a woman from her church.
“Whenever I feel down for being a servant leader, because sometimes it can feel like you’re getting walked over a little bit, she always helps redirect my mindset back to, ‘you’re not doing this for yourself, you’re doing it for other people. So if it feels like you’re getting walked over, don’t be afraid to stand your ground,but at the same time, make sure your heart’s in the right place.’ And so with that, it’s really helped me to remember I’m not in this for myself, I’m in it for the good of all people,” Allen said.
Now, as editor-in-chief, Allen has several responsibilities that she juggles every day during class.
“I make sure that each editor has what they need to get done. Then, I’m just doing my other basic duties, like editing my photos, editing my page. But I’m always there for people who ask for help,” Allen said. “A lot of times I don’t get my stuff always done, because everyone’s like, ‘hey, can I just have some help.’ I’m like, absolutely, ‘cause that’s what I’m there for. Then when I go home and I have time, I’ll go on and look at the yearbook myself and see what all needs to be addressed the next day or what we should work on, or even I’ll go home and I’ll plan some fun thing for the class for the next day,” Allen said.
Allen encourages anyone who is interested in being editor-in-chief one day to go for it and be unafraid.
“Just fully embrace your personality. Don’t hide,” Allen said. “If it seems like someone’s not gonna like your personality, don’t worry about it. Be confident in yourself and your skills, and if you’re wanting to try new stuff, even as editor-in-chief, go for it. Editor-in-chief is a growing process. It’s not stagnant. You’re continuously growing through it, so don’t be afraid to not know everything. It’s okay. You’re human, you’re not gonna know everything. I think that’s one thing that I try to really embrace and let people know, like, I don’t know everything, so let’s learn together.”
Allen thanks her journalism advisor, Andrew Smith, for her positive experience in yearbook.
“Yearbook has been a big pillar in my high school career,” Allen said. “Mr. Smith has really put a lot of effort into this class and into his students, and it really shows through with the seniors and juniors now. He puts in so much effort and love for this book, and he instills that into us as well.”
