Commitment to Diversity
My school, Bryant High School, has a very diverse student body. It's important to me that I show the wide range of students we have and highlight their unique experiences.
Story Coverage
I've created a large range of stories across print and video medias, featuring, but not limited to:
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Code Blue, a step club made up of black female students
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Student athletic trainers
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Archery
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Girls in wrestling
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Foreign exchange students in swim
I strive to cover the groups and people that are often unrepresented, and cover them correctly.
Page Ladders
At the start of the year, us editors list out every sport, club, academic and student life thing we want to cover. Then we decided which month each specific thing should be covered in. Then, we separate them into spreads that have two to six "must-haves." Doing this ensures everything gets covered at least once.
Preferred Names
My school has many students who go by a nickname, middle name or are transgender. I want to ensure that everyone is called their correct name. To follow this, I made a name change request form. We hang up portraits and names for two weeks so students can check it and the spelling, and if something is wrong, then can scan a QR code and fill out a form.
I emphasize to staffers how important it is to always ask a person what their name is and how to spell at the start of an interview. Doing this means anyone with a preferred name can choose to use it.
I believe this is very important so that we are not mislabeling people. Names are one of the most crucial part of someones identity, and it's something we need to get right.
Theme Photos
When picking out theme photos, I keep track of groups, genders, grades and races to ensure we're showing our school's diverse student body.
At the Fall 2025 JEA Convention, two other editors and I were meeting with Margaret Sorrows and other Jostens Education Ambassadors. As we were flipping through our opening spreads, they get more and more excited as they realized each spread's subjects were different grades, not just seniors.
Especially on theme spreads, it's important to feature this diversity because these are the first and biggest photos people are seeing.
Staff Recruitment
Editors make a trifold for our school’s club annual showcase night. We print out a few of our favorite spreads we want to sneak peak, a bunch of photos of us traveling, taking photos or just having fun, and then we craft it into a colorful advertisement to join staff. All night, we stand at our booth and talk to freshmen and their parents, pitching to them how our staff operates and why they should join. We hand out a ton of applications and are able to help get our name out there.
Additionally, in spring 2025, I went with another junior editor to talk to the media and English classes at the junior high, talking about yearbook and giving out applications.
Not everyone knows what goes on in yearbook, and reaching out and telling everybody about it means more applications and a more diverse staff.
