As graduation approaches, the Shield staff will soon say farewell to seven senior editors: co-editor-in chiefs Chloe Lewcock and Nate Williams, co-web managing editors Noah Braun and Josie Mullan, social media managing editor Camilla Vandegrift, sports editor Callen Romell and opinion editor Shila Gill. Each senior has contributed to the program in a different way, and has learned a combination of different lessons. 

Surprisingly, a few of the editors never even intended on joining the Shield. Braun saw “digital media” on his choice sheet and was under the impression it was a graphic design class. 

“I decided to go with the program even though I wasn’t really sure of what I was getting into,” Braun said. “I ended up joining newspaper the following year and discovered that I really like opinion writing.”

Similarly to Braun, Romell found her love for journalism unexpectedly. She was accidentally placed into digital media, and though she had no original interest in the course, she soon developed a passion for sports coverage.

“I think it’s crazy that I went from not knowing or having any interest in journalism to now majoring in it next year at UT,” Romell said. “It just really clicked with me.”

While the seven senior editors had different experiences being introduced to the MacJournalism program, all of them grew to love the class. 

For Mullan, who transferred from Austin High her junior year, the program served as the perfect means to integrate into the school community.

“Joining the newspaper program really helped me learn the school and gave me a place to grow,” Mullan said. 

Gill had a similar experience. 

“Newspaper class has really helped me learn to communicate and find connections with people I wouldn’t normally talk to, which has helped me feel more a part of the McCallum community,” Gill said. “I love learning about all of the different groups at McCallum and feeling more connected with them.”

Vandegrift enjoys the connection the newspaper creates as well. 

“I love getting to know the people I interview, sports profiles are very interesting to me because athletes are always doing all kinds of cool stuff,” Vandegrift said. 

This unique experience has led multiple of the editors to continue their journalism careers post-graduation, even if they don’t plan to major in it.

“I want to continue writing about people, and in college,” Lewcock said. “I’m hoping to join my school paper. I decided not to major in it because it’s just too focused on something that I find so much joy in, and I don’t want to take the joy out of it.” 

Additionally, both Braun and Romell plan to major in journalism next year at the University of Texas at Austin. Gill plans to continue studying journalism at Emory University, and Williams is undecided in his major but believes he has a potential future continuing his writing career.

Even though not all editors are planning to study journalism, each will carry the skills they have learned during their time with The Shield into this next chapter of their lives. 

“Newspaper has taught me collaboration, time management and leadership,” Romell said, ”because no matter what your role is on staff, you kind of have to do a little bit of everything, which has given me a lot of insight on how to work with a lot of different people and really contribute to a team.” 

“It was really special after working so hard this summer to really put together the curriculum and our point sheets and our guide,” Lewcock said.

Being an editor has allowed each senior to become a leader. Nowhere is that opportunity more apparent than with the  co-editors in chief, Lewcock and Williams. The duo have led the entire staff throughout the year. 

“It’s a lot of being a leader, like running a class and learning how to get people to work together in different areas with different interests,” Williams said. 

Lewcock agrees that the workload is strenuous. Over the summer of 2024, Lewcock and Williams had to plan out the year’s curriculum, along with a grading system. 

The Shield has had a big impact on all of the senior editors. They are sad to leave it behind, but excited for their next steps in life. Just as the staff is going to miss these editors, the senior editors will miss the staff.

“Most of the people on staff are excited about what they do,” Braun said. “I think it would be easy for it to be the other way around, and have a lot of people that don’t really care, but at The Shield majority of the staff is actually enthusiastic about contributing to the program, which is special.”

—with reporting by Sienna Martens and Priya Thoppil