Dear Rampage,
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as one of your Editors-in-Chief. Over the past year, this role has taught me the importance of being a strong and communicative leader, responsibility, collaboration, and what it truly means to be part of a team where each person plays an integral role in bringing our shared goals to fruition. Creating each monthly edition is a true team effort, and every person’s contribution helps make our final product possible!
Being part of this club for the past four years has been an amazing experience, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunities it has given me. From starting as a staff writer my freshman year to serving as News Editor and now Co-Editor-in-Chief, each step has helped me grow both personally and professionally.
Most importantly, Rampage helped me discover a genuine love for journalism and storytelling that has shaped both my high school experience and my future goals. I am so excited to continue pursuing that passion at the University of Southern California, where I will be studying journalism and political science. I will always be grateful for everything this club has given me and for the people who made these past four years so memorable.
I would like to thank our section editors this year, Caroline McDermott (Entertainment Editor), Zooey Zhou (Sports Editor), and Aubrey Kwon (Life Editor), for coming to our monthly meetings with topic ideas and a willingness to collaborate. Being a section editor is a great privilege! Thank you for bringing qualities of dedication and care into writing your own articles, editing the work of others, and helping support our team’s overall process.
A special thank you to Aubrey Kwon, who stepped up this year and played an invaluable role in helping Lana and me produce the layout for our print editions of Rampage. Your willingness to take on additional responsibilities and your growth and commitment throughout the year were truly meaningful to watch! Our paper editions would not have been the same without your hard work and support!
Thank you to our Assistant Editors, Avery Gomberg, Gavin Fromberg, and Jennah Ghoujal, whose hard work and dedication played an important role in the success of every editor. By editing articles, providing thoughtful feedback, and helping ease the workload of our section editors, you helped keep our publication running smoothly. We are incredibly grateful for all that you contributed to Rampage this year!
A special thank you to Lana Jepsen, my Co-Editor-in-Chief, for being a great partner throughout this year. From managing our online publication as Online Editor, to working together, organizing meetings, producing layouts for our print editions, and writing and editing countless articles, we truly did it all! I’m grateful for your dedication, leadership, and the collaboration we built as a team. Having been a part of Rampage together since freshman year, we’ve had the opportunity to grow alongside the publication from staff writers to leadership positions. Running a publication comes with plenty of obstacles, but working together taught us how to navigate those moments and keep things moving forward!
Thank you, Ms. Casey, for your support and dedication to Rampage throughout the years. We truly appreciate the time you spend helping our staff and supporting the publication. Your encouragement and willingness to be a part of our program always help contribute to a positive experience for everyone!
Thank you, Ms. Manzo, for your unwavering support, guidance, and dedication to Rampage. Thank you for always encouraging us to grow as writers, leaders, and journalists while trusting us to make this publication our own. Your mentorship meant so much to me, and I am incredibly grateful for the role you played in fostering my passion for journalism over the past four years! You truly embody what it means to be an advisor for a club, and your outside contributions toward this club are truly so meaningful!
At its core, journalism is about ethical reporting, timely publication, and providing the public with accurate, unbiased information. Those principles have always been at the heart of Rampage, and I could not be more proud to have been part of a publication that upholds them so strongly. Being a member of this staff for the past four years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my high school career, and I will always be grateful for the people, lessons, and opportunities that made it so meaningful. I wish you all the best in the years ahead. I cannot wait to see what the next generation of Ramapo journalists accomplishes. Remember that every story matters because every person has a story worth telling. Continue to ask questions, seek truth, and never underestimate the impact your words can have. It has been an honor to work alongside each of you, and I cannot wait to see where your talents take you!
Sincerely,
Your Co-Editor-in-Chief and News Editor
Emma Ufakacar
