These past few weeks have been surreal–working on my last issue of The Spotlight and getting ready to say goodbye to Southern Lehigh. When I first signed up for Mrs. Spritzer’s class as a middle schooler, I could hardly imagine what lay ahead of me. I now feel privileged to call myself a part of The Spotlight community and grateful to have left my mark on the publication.
I remember how intimidated I was as a freshman. I had never been in a class with students four years older than me, let alone published my own writing. I was apprehensive about interviewing new people, keeping up with deadlines, sharing my opinions, and offering my writing up for criticism. After struggling with newspaper-style writing during the first issue, I felt defeated. I told my dad that it was a mistake to take this class (little did I know I would sign up for it for the next three years).
Looking back on the person I was in my freshman year, I am amazed at the ways The Spotlight has helped me to grow as both a writer and a person. Developing my own articles has challenged me how to have open conversations with those who have different opinions than my own. Listening to feedback from editors and our advisor has taught me resilience and patience. And, stepping up as an editor of the publication has taught me that great leadership happens not in the absence of adversity, but despite it.
In addition to my own growth, I am proud to see the ways The Spotlight has changed over the years. During my junior year, I was shocked at the attention our publication received from Best of School Newspaper Online, earning three awards for our editorials. From there, we did not lose momentum. We went on to earn two National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) First Class Ratings. This year we have especially improved the publication—updating the website, social media, and print layout. This success is derived solely from the passion of our staff. Day in and day out, we were focused on making the paper better in whatever new and exciting way we came up with.
After I leave behind the publication what I will miss most is the camaraderie of our editorial staff. Some of my favorite memories from school involved just working around the “Pub Lab” table and talking with the rest of the editors. Whether we were stressing about deadlines together, commiserating about our course load or laughing at Kishore for spilling coffee everywhere, I felt uniquely seen. Thank you to my fellow editors, Alexis, Kelcie, Morgan, and Tessa, for your guidance and, more importantly, your friendship.
Additionally, I want to thank our advisor Mrs. Spritzer. In one moment or another, you have believed in and stood up for each of us on the staff. Although I first joined your class as a shy freshman, struggling to keep up with deadlines, you saw the potential in me and have helped me develop into a confident and capable writer.
More now than ever, I am thankful that I decided to sign up for a journalism class. I do not think I would be the same person I am without it. Although it is hard to let go, I am excited to see what lies in store for The Spotlight next.
Sincerely,
Gianna Cusumano
Letter from the Co-Editor-In-Chief: Gianna Cusumano
Gianna Cusumano looks back at her journey with “The Spotlight,” grateful for the memories created and people met along the way.
About the Contributor
Gianna Cusumano, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Spotlight co-editor-in-chief Gianna Cusumano will graduate this May, leaving behind four years of dedicated involvement to the high school’s student newspaper. Throughout that time, she filled the roles of entertainment and features editor, and this year served as head of the website and social media. In each position, she embraced opportunities to express her passion for advocacy.
“Writing is such a big passion of mine, and giving people information and letting them make their own opinions is really important to me,” she said.
Cusumano first joined the Spotlight out of her general love for writing, which she’s always lived out through writing creative stories. Upon entering high school, she jumped at the chance to join a newspaper writing class in hopes of broadening her skills and finding a community of students with similar interests. Now, she feels that she’s gained all that and more, with fond memories ranging from former editor-in-chief Kishore Annambhotla spilling coffee grains across the publication lab to celebrating the editorial team’s first Best of SNO (School Newspapers Online) award.
“I definitely think the Spotlight has helped me grow as a person and as a writer. The aspect of getting to interview and talk to new people, especially people who have opinions and perspectives different from my own, has definitely made me more confident and outgoing,” Cusumano said. “It’s definitely made me realize I want to pursue journalism further, whether as a career or on my college’s paper.”
Cusumano is excited to pursue news writing further, even after leaving the Spotlight. While she majors in Politics and Public Policy at Lehigh University this coming fall, she will seek out ways to report current events on the side—hopefully through the college’s award winning student newspaper, The Brown and White. This will keep her plenty busy, as her studies are part of a pre-law program on a four-plus-one track, allowing her to earn both her bachelors and masters degrees by 2030.
Gianna is no stranger to hard work, though, as she’s been deeply involved in various activities throughout high school. Her greatest commitment, other than the Spotlight, has been participation in the Southern Lehigh swim team. She’s been part of one swim team or another since age eight, and finished out this year as a team captain. Looking back, she has fond memories from all four years with the group.
“It was really special when I was a freshman. I was swimming in one of our meets and I got a [personal record], and my whole team was beside the lane cheering me on,” she said. “It was really cool to get to celebrate that accomplishment with my team.”
Gianna is also a member of the high school’s National Honor Society and Athletic Leadership Council. Additionally, Cusumano took on the leadership role of co-president of Habitat for Humanity this year, a platform from which she was able to help address housing inequality in the area.
That issue has always been important to her, so much so that she confronted it in an article—one of her favorites among all those she’s written for the Spotlight. She was excited to cover such an impactful topic for her community, as well as explore reporting through different media types as she invited kids to illustrate their concepts of “home.” The piece she wrote was recognized by the National School Press Association’s Fred Ross Systemic Change Journalism Competition, earning it republication in local newspaper, The Morning Call.
“I was really excited to write about current events and inform people on things going on in the world,” she said. “It was really cool to learn more about my community and what was happening around it.”
Now, as she moves on from high school, Cusumano looks forward to a future in public policy, where she can employ skills gained from journalism for her community’s benefit.
“I definitely hope I still have that passion for advocacy, working on things I believe in,” she said. “I also really hope my love for writing stays with me, whether that be with journalism or some other form.”
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