In the fall of 2019 I took on the role of Eagles Nest Journalism Advisor for the first time. This was when the school newspaper was still published on paper, printing costs were high, and deadlines were much more static. Upon collaborating with colleagues, we determined that the best course of action going forward was an online news publication that the community could access 24/7 anywhere in the world. The new Eagles Nest was born at semhseaglesnest.com. The students who at the time were journalism veterans took on the new medium in stride, and executed their new responsibilities skillfully and diligently. Six months later the global pandemic disrupted all of our lives, however we couldn’t have been more prepared for the transition to digital, since all the tools we needed were at our fingertips with our laptops, desktops, or phones. We persevered through the unprecedented experience of distance learning, and came back ready to tackle the new challenges being back in the classroom presented.

Students continue to outline, draft, edit, and publish school related news, sports, fashion, editorials, and features for the South El Monte community, but now have the resources to produce creative digital content via an online web platform. The last four years we have just begun to tap into the resource potential of the SNO platform. In the future, I hope to see the students of South El Monte High produce videos, and podcasts that can be published on the website to provide multimedia content for the school community. It has been my pleasure leading the journalism class and student website these past four years, and I am excited to pass the torch to Mr. Rosales, who will be leading the class into the future! My advice to the incoming students of journalism is to not be afraid of taking on new challenges and breaking new ground. Whether it’s with the topics you address, the technology you utilize, or the platforms you explore, create your pathway. I wish the current and future students of journalism all the best and look forward to reading and watching the new content published next year and beyond, onward!