The Portola Pilot has and will always hold a special place in my heart, and the experiences that I have had throughout this year can never truly be expressed with any other words except “extraordinary.” This year has been a tumultuous journey filled with ups and downs, new surprises, old friends and a dysfunctional yet amazingly talented family of staff members.

Room 310 holds fond and nostalgic memories for me, and although there have been times when I wanted to pull my hair out of my head, I am positive that this year’s Modern Media class has been one of the most exciting parts of my life. I know that I will be forever grateful for having such a positive, welcoming and chaotic environment that allowed me to develop the person, writer and leader I am today.

From the first online posting to our most current newspaper, the Portola Pilot’s tremendous growth makes me incredibly proud to have been one of this year’s Co-Editors-in-Chief. After pouring my soul into this publication, I am reluctant to bid farewell to the position, but in my heart I know that whoever I pass the torch to will only grow the journalism program from here.

Thank you to my fellow staff members and friends, who have made me laugh harder than ever before, Maya, who has kept me sane throughout this rollercoaster of a year, Ms. Rapp, who has been an excellent adviser and mentor, and the readers, who have been our support throughout these past two years.

I look forward to coming back to this family in the fall, so see you all then.

Sincerely,

Annie Qiao