Candidate Background
Self-Analytical Essay
I started my journey of becoming a journalist in my sophomore year. I joined The Wildcat yearbook staff without any experience except that I enjoyed writing creative stories and had amateur photography skills. As a 9th grader, I had wanted to join the junior high yearbook staff, but after having set my mind on graduating high school with highest honors, my schedule quickly filled with AP classes as well as band and sports. My sophomore year had an equally rigorous schedule, but after I wrote my first yearbook story, I realized this was my place. After a successful first year, I was chosen to be a co-editor with a senior. I learned how to organize and manage a staff and all the ins and outs of not only yearbook, but leadership as well. I developed an organizational structure that I carried into my senior year, but I also encountered many obstacles.
One of the first challenges I faced as an editor was right before our first deadline, when our server crashed. We lost every design and every spread. It was a difficult way to start the year, because we were frantically trying to play catch-up. It took a lot of work, but we finally got back on track. The yearbook leadership was challenged daily as our copy editor created a hostile working environment. He ignored our countless edits and would belittle not only the people working under him but also me. I learned quickly that I had to stay patient and calm when interacting with him, because otherwise he would blow up. We addressed this situation quickly and removed him from staff leadership. Since my co-editor was a senior, I allowed him to design the majority of the book, which was difficult because we differed in a few creative opinions. However, while I didn’t focus heavily on design like he did, I did focus on managing a staff, which has aided me greatly this year.
I serve as the sole editor of The Wildcat this year, and the staff and I have faced many challenges. With the majority of our staff being new to the program, I had to spend time reteaching aspects of yearbook production. We attended Walsworth’s Elite Weekend in Kansas City, and I was only able to bring two other students, so I took my photo editor and sports editor. I spent all weekend teaching my sports editor how to use InDesign and other programs. Roughly a month after our trip, she unexpectedly stopped coming to class. As our first deadline was approaching, I grew concerned about her and reached out several times. She kept telling me she would be there the next day. As the only member on staff that knew how to design, the first deadline felt heavy on my shoulders. Once she finally came back, she had informed me she was going to be homeschooled due to personal reasons. I was devastated, because not only was I losing my sports editor, but also somebody I considered my friend. While I was searching to find her replacement, I overheard that she wasn’t actually being homeschooled; she just quit yearbook. After being lied to, I felt abandoned and used, but I had no time to sit around in pity. Instead, I put my faith in a new sports editor, who picked up design easily and has already surpassed my expectations.
As a young adult, you never see death coming. We feel as though we can live forever, so it shakes our worlds when a peer dies. One of the hardest things I had to do as an editor occurred this year. Our people section editor unexpectedly passed away. How are you supposed to tell a staff of teenagers that a peer has passed away? How was I supposed to cope with this? Her best friend was also on my staff, and I was prepared to help her heal from this experience. Attending her funeral was one of the hardest things I will do in my life. I didn’t and couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that she was truly gone. How could anyone at this age? But like everything in life, my staff and I got through it and this brought us closer together. We cried together and we haven’t and probably won’t ever fully recover, but we are slowly getting through the healing process. But I can’t stress how much I felt like the rug was pulled from underneath me. I had no clue how to deal with this because none of the classes I attended at state or nationals prepared me for this. I realized that any day could be the last time that any one of the staff members or I walk into the yearbook room. I have to cherish each and every day I have with them as though it was my last.
I am gaining real world experience every single day. My design, photography, writing, and editing skills have grown exponentially over my high school career and continue to improve just a little more every day. I have learned how to manage a staff and meet deadlines. Yearbook and journalism in general has allowed me to learn how to interact with different types of people. Most importantly though, I have discovered my true calling for life and that everyone has a story to tell.
Even through all these challenges, I am proud to say that I have produced one All-American book while taking numerous AP classes, serving as the NHS chairman of the board, and as captain of my school's cross country team and color guard. I will be graduating with highest honors, and I am planning to attend the University of Missouri where I will be pursuing a degree in journalism. My career goal is to become a screenwriter for Disney, a passion I discovered when I joined yearbook my sophomore year.
One of the first challenges I faced as an editor was right before our first deadline, when our server crashed. We lost every design and every spread. It was a difficult way to start the year, because we were frantically trying to play catch-up. It took a lot of work, but we finally got back on track. The yearbook leadership was challenged daily as our copy editor created a hostile working environment. He ignored our countless edits and would belittle not only the people working under him but also me. I learned quickly that I had to stay patient and calm when interacting with him, because otherwise he would blow up. We addressed this situation quickly and removed him from staff leadership. Since my co-editor was a senior, I allowed him to design the majority of the book, which was difficult because we differed in a few creative opinions. However, while I didn’t focus heavily on design like he did, I did focus on managing a staff, which has aided me greatly this year.
I serve as the sole editor of The Wildcat this year, and the staff and I have faced many challenges. With the majority of our staff being new to the program, I had to spend time reteaching aspects of yearbook production. We attended Walsworth’s Elite Weekend in Kansas City, and I was only able to bring two other students, so I took my photo editor and sports editor. I spent all weekend teaching my sports editor how to use InDesign and other programs. Roughly a month after our trip, she unexpectedly stopped coming to class. As our first deadline was approaching, I grew concerned about her and reached out several times. She kept telling me she would be there the next day. As the only member on staff that knew how to design, the first deadline felt heavy on my shoulders. Once she finally came back, she had informed me she was going to be homeschooled due to personal reasons. I was devastated, because not only was I losing my sports editor, but also somebody I considered my friend. While I was searching to find her replacement, I overheard that she wasn’t actually being homeschooled; she just quit yearbook. After being lied to, I felt abandoned and used, but I had no time to sit around in pity. Instead, I put my faith in a new sports editor, who picked up design easily and has already surpassed my expectations.
As a young adult, you never see death coming. We feel as though we can live forever, so it shakes our worlds when a peer dies. One of the hardest things I had to do as an editor occurred this year. Our people section editor unexpectedly passed away. How are you supposed to tell a staff of teenagers that a peer has passed away? How was I supposed to cope with this? Her best friend was also on my staff, and I was prepared to help her heal from this experience. Attending her funeral was one of the hardest things I will do in my life. I didn’t and couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that she was truly gone. How could anyone at this age? But like everything in life, my staff and I got through it and this brought us closer together. We cried together and we haven’t and probably won’t ever fully recover, but we are slowly getting through the healing process. But I can’t stress how much I felt like the rug was pulled from underneath me. I had no clue how to deal with this because none of the classes I attended at state or nationals prepared me for this. I realized that any day could be the last time that any one of the staff members or I walk into the yearbook room. I have to cherish each and every day I have with them as though it was my last.
I am gaining real world experience every single day. My design, photography, writing, and editing skills have grown exponentially over my high school career and continue to improve just a little more every day. I have learned how to manage a staff and meet deadlines. Yearbook and journalism in general has allowed me to learn how to interact with different types of people. Most importantly though, I have discovered my true calling for life and that everyone has a story to tell.
Even through all these challenges, I am proud to say that I have produced one All-American book while taking numerous AP classes, serving as the NHS chairman of the board, and as captain of my school's cross country team and color guard. I will be graduating with highest honors, and I am planning to attend the University of Missouri where I will be pursuing a degree in journalism. My career goal is to become a screenwriter for Disney, a passion I discovered when I joined yearbook my sophomore year.
Letters of Recommendation
To whom it may concern:
I have had the privilege of knowing Madelyn Stout for three years now. In that time, Madelyn has never once ceased to impress me with her spunk for life, her grace in helping others, and her constant dedication to being the best that she can be.
I teach the Color Guard for our high school marching band, and I can still clearly remember when Madelyn tried out during the end of her freshman year. She had so much energy and enthusiasm while working to learn a completely new skill that she easily stood out from the rest of her peers. I remember that she stayed after practice every day asking for specific help and she never accepted failure at the new skills. She knew if she kept trying, she would figure it out. Her work ethic then was simply a preface of what I would get to see grow and develop through her high school years. Madelyn made the team as a sophomore and continued to work hard every single day. As a junior she made co- captain and as senior she moved up to captain. She learned and practiced our routines with the team, but she also excelled at leading the day-to-day practices from a place of relatability, realness and fun that comes with making and owning up to mistakes herself to show others how to push through difficulty. She boldly would ask for help from her teammates while constantly being an encouragement to all of them. She always was the first to volunteer to stay late or show up early to help someone who needed extra time, and she always came out with a positive, radiating attitude that encouraged the whole group and even myself. Her positive persona and spunk led us all to so many happier times and stronger relationships.
Color Guard isn’t her only extracurricular activity though. Madelyn has also been a dedicated runner on Cross Country and the Co-Editor and Editor of our school’s yearbook (junior and senior year respectably). There have been so many weeks when I would see Madelyn staying after school every day to either practice out on the marching field herself or help someone else, run at a cross country meet, or stay long nights in the yearbook room editing, then come back in for an early morning AP study session. Her week days and weekends are normally quite full of all of her school activities and studying, and she has juggled a work load so demanding with such elegant grace that her +4.0 GPA is even more impressive to me.
Madelyn is a true joy to know and be around. She will find the positive in situations, which the world definitely needs more of. She is a delight to sit and talk to about anything from Disney to school to life in general. One of her life motto’s is to “just breathe,” something she reminds herself to do and reminds me to do as well. If we just list all the things we need to do, life can seem quite overwhelming, but Madelyn knows that she can do the best that she can with the time and effort she puts in, and that encourages her to always move forward. Madelyn is a difference maker in the world, and I can’t wait to see what type of positive impact she continues to have on her future.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or (479)750- 8777.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Allison Whitehouse, English 10 / Critical Reading Color Guard Instructor Har-Ber High School
I have had the privilege of knowing Madelyn Stout for three years now. In that time, Madelyn has never once ceased to impress me with her spunk for life, her grace in helping others, and her constant dedication to being the best that she can be.
I teach the Color Guard for our high school marching band, and I can still clearly remember when Madelyn tried out during the end of her freshman year. She had so much energy and enthusiasm while working to learn a completely new skill that she easily stood out from the rest of her peers. I remember that she stayed after practice every day asking for specific help and she never accepted failure at the new skills. She knew if she kept trying, she would figure it out. Her work ethic then was simply a preface of what I would get to see grow and develop through her high school years. Madelyn made the team as a sophomore and continued to work hard every single day. As a junior she made co- captain and as senior she moved up to captain. She learned and practiced our routines with the team, but she also excelled at leading the day-to-day practices from a place of relatability, realness and fun that comes with making and owning up to mistakes herself to show others how to push through difficulty. She boldly would ask for help from her teammates while constantly being an encouragement to all of them. She always was the first to volunteer to stay late or show up early to help someone who needed extra time, and she always came out with a positive, radiating attitude that encouraged the whole group and even myself. Her positive persona and spunk led us all to so many happier times and stronger relationships.
Color Guard isn’t her only extracurricular activity though. Madelyn has also been a dedicated runner on Cross Country and the Co-Editor and Editor of our school’s yearbook (junior and senior year respectably). There have been so many weeks when I would see Madelyn staying after school every day to either practice out on the marching field herself or help someone else, run at a cross country meet, or stay long nights in the yearbook room editing, then come back in for an early morning AP study session. Her week days and weekends are normally quite full of all of her school activities and studying, and she has juggled a work load so demanding with such elegant grace that her +4.0 GPA is even more impressive to me.
Madelyn is a true joy to know and be around. She will find the positive in situations, which the world definitely needs more of. She is a delight to sit and talk to about anything from Disney to school to life in general. One of her life motto’s is to “just breathe,” something she reminds herself to do and reminds me to do as well. If we just list all the things we need to do, life can seem quite overwhelming, but Madelyn knows that she can do the best that she can with the time and effort she puts in, and that encourages her to always move forward. Madelyn is a difference maker in the world, and I can’t wait to see what type of positive impact she continues to have on her future.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or (479)750- 8777.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Allison Whitehouse, English 10 / Critical Reading Color Guard Instructor Har-Ber High School
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter in support of senior Madelyn Stout, the Editor-in-Chief of The Wildcat, the student yearbook at Har-Ber High School. I recommend that she be highly considered for Arkansas Scholastic Press Association’s 2020 Journalist of the year because of the value she adds to the staff, her leadership skills, her observance of deadlines and her dedication to scholastic journalism.
When Madelyn came to HBHS as a sophomore, she had a scheduling conflict. Her trouble was my triumph. Her mom approached me about Madelyn being in yearbook, and I, of course, had plenty of room for someone who was willing and was drawn to the program. From the day she walked into C202, my life and our publication have been forever changed. She quickly became a vital part of our sports section and my sports editor’s right hand. Despite not having any experience, she figured out how to serve those in her section and her editor team. As a junior, she became co-editor with a senior, whose strength was design. Madelyn was a solid writer, but her strength was definitely her ability to organize and to delegate. She created an “accountability sheet” to keep track of deadlines and assignments, complete with links to Google docs with the content for pages. She also created Google folders to organize photos and recorded interviews. This was the structure that the senior editor, and our program, needed.
Being part of the leadership team as a junior paved the way for her to be Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She has attended Elite Weekend for the past two years in Kansas City, she participated in a leadership training sessions at national convention in Anaheim, and she has worked with Jim Jordan throughout our yearbook production process. She collaborates with Jim on the design of our pages and the execution of our theme. She always looks for ways to improve the book and to improve her leadership skills. She finds inspiration while sitting in AP Statistics class or in Spanish class, and then she tries to figure out how to include that inspiration into the book. She continues to challenge and to inspire those around her...and me. Because we have three different classes who are involved in the production process, I have struggled to balance the workload across those three periods. We have two managing editors in the other classes, but the bulk of the responsibility has fallen on Madelyn’s shoulders. We will meet our final deadline because of her work ethic and commitment to our publication.
Following the censorship of a newspaper story and an accompanying editorial, our yearbook was put under prior review. Madelyn had to face that challenge due to no fault of her own. As a result, Madelyn prepared a statement and led a group of students to speak out at the Springdale School Board meeting about the unjust treatment of HBHS student publications. She also testified in front of the education committee during the General Assembly of the 2019 legislative session in Little Rock. She spoke to the committee about how yearbook is scholastic journalism and not just a book full “of cute pictures.” She spoke in favor of the bills that would provide greater protection for student journalists and that would allow protection for me, her adviser. She was well-spoken and direct. She impressed those in the audience and those on the committee. I was so proud of her.
Sincerely,
Karla Sprague, Har-Ber High School Student Publications
I am writing this letter in support of senior Madelyn Stout, the Editor-in-Chief of The Wildcat, the student yearbook at Har-Ber High School. I recommend that she be highly considered for Arkansas Scholastic Press Association’s 2020 Journalist of the year because of the value she adds to the staff, her leadership skills, her observance of deadlines and her dedication to scholastic journalism.
When Madelyn came to HBHS as a sophomore, she had a scheduling conflict. Her trouble was my triumph. Her mom approached me about Madelyn being in yearbook, and I, of course, had plenty of room for someone who was willing and was drawn to the program. From the day she walked into C202, my life and our publication have been forever changed. She quickly became a vital part of our sports section and my sports editor’s right hand. Despite not having any experience, she figured out how to serve those in her section and her editor team. As a junior, she became co-editor with a senior, whose strength was design. Madelyn was a solid writer, but her strength was definitely her ability to organize and to delegate. She created an “accountability sheet” to keep track of deadlines and assignments, complete with links to Google docs with the content for pages. She also created Google folders to organize photos and recorded interviews. This was the structure that the senior editor, and our program, needed.
Being part of the leadership team as a junior paved the way for her to be Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She has attended Elite Weekend for the past two years in Kansas City, she participated in a leadership training sessions at national convention in Anaheim, and she has worked with Jim Jordan throughout our yearbook production process. She collaborates with Jim on the design of our pages and the execution of our theme. She always looks for ways to improve the book and to improve her leadership skills. She finds inspiration while sitting in AP Statistics class or in Spanish class, and then she tries to figure out how to include that inspiration into the book. She continues to challenge and to inspire those around her...and me. Because we have three different classes who are involved in the production process, I have struggled to balance the workload across those three periods. We have two managing editors in the other classes, but the bulk of the responsibility has fallen on Madelyn’s shoulders. We will meet our final deadline because of her work ethic and commitment to our publication.
Following the censorship of a newspaper story and an accompanying editorial, our yearbook was put under prior review. Madelyn had to face that challenge due to no fault of her own. As a result, Madelyn prepared a statement and led a group of students to speak out at the Springdale School Board meeting about the unjust treatment of HBHS student publications. She also testified in front of the education committee during the General Assembly of the 2019 legislative session in Little Rock. She spoke to the committee about how yearbook is scholastic journalism and not just a book full “of cute pictures.” She spoke in favor of the bills that would provide greater protection for student journalists and that would allow protection for me, her adviser. She was well-spoken and direct. She impressed those in the audience and those on the committee. I was so proud of her.
Sincerely,
Karla Sprague, Har-Ber High School Student Publications