Saying Thank You - The Last Letter From Your Editor
by Samantha Peltrau, Senior, iPrep Academy
by Samantha Peltrau, Senior, iPrep Academy
Alright iPrep, this is the final edition of the 2021-2022 Phoenix Flyer! Though the Flyer will have many more editions next year, this will forever be my last “Letter From the Editor.” It’s astounding to say that I’ve made it through two entire years of working on the Phoenix Flyer with an amazing team of writers and layout editors. We’ve written about social issues and political events, contributed original works of poetry and short stories and published a year-long college advice column for underclassmen. Thank you to all of this year's writers and contributors – every month, we put together an amazing and vibrant edition of the Flyer!
During my time as a Layout-Editor in Junior Year and the Editor-in-Chief during my senior year, I’ve learned several things about writing and have truly grown as a person. I initially found my love for reading and writing in my third-grade Language Arts classroom, and fiction became my retreat from reality. My passion for reading evolved further into a zest for all things creative. As a young student, I built resilience, expressiveness, and the foundations of my character through writing and storytelling. However, as I journeyed through 11th grade, my classes required me to become familiar and comfortable with non-fiction pieces, and my writing changed accordingly: writing for the Phoenix Flyer allowed me to write non-fiction pieces about real-world issues and school events as a journalist.
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This transition to non-fiction writing for publication in the Phoenix Flyer, scholarships, or college applications pushed me to completely transform my writing process. My work has become more introspective and allows me to show you all how I see the world.
One of the biggest personal lessons that I’ve learned from this leadership position is how to confront a blank page – with only a prompt and a handful of ideas, it can be daunting to begin writing knowing that a deadline is encroaching. However, I’ve learned that the determination to see something to completion will always overshadow the desire to turn away from a struggle. This mindset has helped me defeat many bouts of writer’s block when inspiration is sparse.
I would encourage all rising seniors to consider this message as they prepare for their final year of high school. Next year will be taxing and arduous, but you must be tenacious and persevere through the temporary period of submitting applications, writing countless essays, and making final decisions – finishing the year feeling victorious will be extremely rewarding.
One of the biggest personal lessons that I’ve learned from this leadership position is how to confront a blank page – with only a prompt and a handful of ideas, it can be daunting to begin writing knowing that a deadline is encroaching. However, I’ve learned that the determination to see something to completion will always overshadow the desire to turn away from a struggle. This mindset has helped me defeat many bouts of writer’s block when inspiration is sparse.
I would encourage all rising seniors to consider this message as they prepare for their final year of high school. Next year will be taxing and arduous, but you must be tenacious and persevere through the temporary period of submitting applications, writing countless essays, and making final decisions – finishing the year feeling victorious will be extremely rewarding.
As I conclude my time as an Editor of the Phoenix Flyer, I can say that I’m also swelling with pride and satisfaction at what I’ve been able to contribute to this publication. I wish the best of luck to the next team that will publish monthly editions for the 2022-2023 school year.
The Phoenix Flyer has, and always will, serve a fundamental purpose in iPrep as a source of news and iPrep happenings. Every month, it has been both a joy and challenge to write to you all about topics important to me and to share my creative writing. Thank you, iPrep, for being such wonderful supporters of our “newspaper.” Every edition, you have received our writers with open arms and celebrated their outstanding work. I'm incredibly grateful for your unwavering support, and I am so proud of my classmates' work.