Senior Camryn Lumada-Williams, the current Entertainment Editor and journalist of The Lariat, has contributed so much to the journalism program at Shadow Ridge High School. She has been writing as a journalist for the Lariat for two years now, but will soon be graduating and moving onto even greater things.
“I joined journalism to see if it’d be a good career choice for me in the future. It was like a test-run in a way,” Lumada-Williams explains. “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved giving others a voice. So when I realized I could do that with journalism, I knew it was a place I had to be. I didn’t know what I was in for in the beginning, but I definitely do not regret any of it.”
Lumada-Williams was not always certain about joining journalism, but she ended up loving it.
“It’s normal to be scared of the unknown, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still go for something you want. When I was looking over the electives, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I had just taken creative writing class my sophomore year and I wanted to continue writing in school as an outlet for everything else going on. With there being only one year of creative writing class, I decided to look for other options that would still provide that opportunity to help me grow as a writer. That’s when I saw journalism,” Lumada-Williams reveals. “I was terrified at first, especially when we started writing articles and my name was now out there. But I say, if you are passionate about writing, or making a difference—journalism would be a great fit for you. It can get overwhelming sometimes, but it’s also so rewarding when you get to be that voice for someone. It’s natural to be scared, but you shouldn’t let the fear stop you from doing something you love.”
After her “test-run” with journalism, Lumada-Williams now plans to pursue journalism or a related field as a career after high school so she can continue to give voices to people. She will be attending the College of Southern Nevada for two years to get her associate’s degree in English. Following that, she intends to transfer to the UNLV or Nevada State University to get her Bachelor’s degree.
Journalism teacher, Mrs. Smith, shares, “Camryn has been invaluable as the Entertainment Editor and journalist. She takes great pride in making sure the fine and performing arts at Shadow are covered in the school newspaper. A lot of times, high school newspapers are dominated by sports but Camryn ensures there is an equal balance for The Lariat.”
Not only is she the Entertainment Editor for the Lariat, but she also has many other leadership roles around the campus including president of the Best Buddies Club and Vice President of Fashion Club.
“I have loved having Camryn in Journalism I and II. She is someone on whom I can totally depend. I don’t have to keep reminding her to do things; once I have given her a job, she does it and I don’t have to check up on her,” Smith comments. “She is the quiet workhorse behind the scenes. She is also ALWAYS willing to help when she sees that I am stressed out or need something done. She really is the sweetest.”
Lumada-Williams’ hardworking attitude and reliability has been beneficial to The Lariat and is greatly appreciated by Smith and readers of The Lariat.
“My favorite memory [from journalism] has to be our potluck for our ‘semester exam’. I love how we got to all just be together and have fun. The white elephant was also really funny,” Lumada-Williams states.
Journalism is more than just a writing class, it is a community that enjoys being together and having fun.
Lumada-Williams’ departure from The Lariat is a bittersweet feeling because she will be missed, but she will accomplish so many great things beyond high school.
“Camryn has been ride or die for The Lariat since day one and I couldn’t even begin to properly thank her for all of the amazing work she has done for this program. She is going to leave Shadow Ridge a better place,” Smith remarks.
