Keys to success

If I have one regret as a high school student, it would be that I did not do running start full time and not attend high school at all. However, due to prior engagements that I would not give up for anything, I remained in the high school setting. Regardless of the frustrations that came from constantly feeling like I couldn't relate to my peers, there are people I have come in contact with that I hold the utmost respect for. As a graduating senior, this is my thanks.

As a sophomore entering a new school with new rules and new people, I was terrified. The diversity at my school is astonishing. So many backgrounds with so little conflict. It did not take long for me to realize that Spanaway Lake High School (SLHS), no matter how bad others think it may be, is a school that everyone should have the opportunity to experience. The administration and staff members of SLHS work hard to provide students with a safe environment, as well as offer guidance not only academically but also personally.

One goal that SLHS has for its students is that each student find a mentor in a staff member. With a school full of teachers eager to help their students succeed, it didn't take long for me to find my mentor in Todd Keister.

While journalism is a class, it differs from the rest in that it provides an atmosphere of unity between each student, as well as the advisor. I'm certain that other high school publications can agree with me when I say that when you're a part of a journalism class you become part of a second family. While that second family, over three years, has had its ups and downs, gained as well as lost members and developed a new product, one thing remained the same: Keister was always there advising us the best way he could.

There was never a time when he would say no in helping any student further in their pursuit of a goal, or say no to listening to a rant about personal issues or irritants that happened within that family. He tried his best to drill the importance of first amendment and ethical issues into his students’ minds so they could understand the legal aspect of a publication. He’s devoted his time to help our publication grow to where it is today.

In my senior year when I was selected to lead the On Guard as editor-in-chief, I wanted to push the envelope as much as I could. I wanted to obtain useful information for the student body and present it in a manor that would appeal to the papers’ readers. When a problem arouse after the release of our first issue I landed myself in the office of assistant principal Julie Baublits.

When I thought I was going to be scolded for a bad lack of judgment, I received the opposite. I was praised for standing strong against what I thought was right and necessary and gained her support. She understood just as much as the newspaper staff did the first amendment rights of a publication and backed us 110% in every issue we sought out to do after that. Her groans of “what now Chelsea,” were never discouraging and she always made time to meet with me when I had a question or needed her approval.

When she was unavailable, principal Michelle Ledbetter and fellow administrators Cindy Adams and Seth Humphrey were just as willing to offer their time to help me in my endeavors. I am lucky to have had the chance to attend a school where the administration is more than willing to offer their time to their students.

Aside from my time as journalism student at SLHS, my time as a regular student was just as rewarding. Every staff member I’ve had the opportunity to come across in a classroom setting, and those that I haven’t, has showed me the keys to success. I hope they rest well in knowing that they have made a difference, in some way, in not only my life, but also the lives of the students at SLHS.