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MICHAELA

BARNEY

Editor in Chief of The Bird's Eye yearbook and sports editor for The Talon newspaper at Fivay High School

Positioning herself for a perspective shot of the junior class in chant, Michaela Barney ('18) focuses the lens and prepares to snap a photo. The winter sports pep rally was held on January 15, 2018 with the announcement of all winter athletic programs in addition to major events for the upcoming months.

"Journalism...that's like creative writing or something, right?"

At the commencement of my freshman year, I fell ill and was not able to regularly attend school for the first semester of my high school career. Once I stepped foot on campus on the first day of second semester and was there to stay, I was handed a course card by my guidance counselor and was told to choose a Fine Arts for my elective credit, so I could meet a graduation requirement once I hit the ground running. I was hesitant in making a selection--I was not musically savvy, nor was I artistically inclined. I did not have a particular interest in theater or acting, and web design was not of interest either. I noticed that there was a section on the back of the course card that read "Journalism." I told my guidance counselor with boredom and fatigue that I would just do the journalism class. I say in all seriousness, I thought that I would be walking into a creative writing or scrapbooking class. To make the assertion that I did not know what I was getting myself into is a conventional understatement. The first day that I stepped foot into Fivay High School's Journalism-Yearbook class was a day that changed my life forever. Journalism has become the most integral constituent of my scholastic career and my life. Not only have I developed a fine-tuned sense of truth and integrity, I have also learned the importance of building bonds with like-minded individuals as we tirelessly work to create a scholastic artifact. The greatest portion of my secondary education was spent writing, editing, designing, taking photos and interviewing. If my ignorance had not been so prevalent on the first day of second semester, freshman year, I may never know which profession I want to dedicate myself to for the rest of my life. Ignorance really is bliss.

evolving

"Yearbook girl". Not the average nickname, but I live by it.

As the Editor-in-Chief of The Bird's Eye yearbook and sports editor for The Talon newspaper, I can almost always be found in our adviser's classroom writing a story, editing photos, altering layouts, or offering assistance to staff members that may need it. My dedication to journalism has earned me four All-Florida awards, one in Sports Action Photography, one in Quick-turn Summer Spread and two in Yearbook Content Spread amongst several other excellent and honorable mention awards. I also placed first in the school-wide photography contest hosted by the sponsor of the photography club here at Fivay.

While my journalistic involvement may appear limited to newspaper and yearbook, I am interested in all forms of journalism and media as I have made several commercials for each publication and assisted with video editing amongst the broadcast students.

My primary responsibilities as both a section editor for The Talon newspaper and as the Editor-in-Chief of The Bird's Eye yearbook involve assisting staff members in writing stories, improving their photography skills and advising staffers to utilize layouts that emphasize the personality of their spreads.

The Bird's Eye and The Talon are recognized for student coverage of diverse topics as well as holistic reporting. I believe that, as a scholastic journalist, I have evolved into an individual who is inclined to uncover the truth in every encounter; I have evolved into an individual who is fascinated by interacting with the people of my community; I have become an individual who advocates candor through reporting and storytelling that have profound impacts. My staff and I work tirelessly to produce these publications to inform and to capture memories. Collectively, we have all evolved.

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