The South Windsor High School Yearbook is created by the students and for the students. It has many students that take the class year after year because they love the creative side to the class.

There are many different reasons that students have gotten involved in the yearbook, including their love for photography and influences from older students already in the class. SWHS senior, Dakota Skinner, is a returning member that has been in the class since her sophomore year. She shares that she got involved in the class because “A girl in my American Sign Language class freshman year was in it and told me it would be something I would be good at.” The upperclassmen had unknowingly involved Skinner in a class that she would grow to love. Skinner hopes to pursue a career in which she will be able to use her designing skills.

Another SWHS senior, Maria Hanchuk, was also influenced by an upperclassman, her sister. Hanchuk’s sister had been in the class for two years and was an editor when Maria started. It also became a highlight of Hanchuk’s high school career. She explained that she “Loves being involved in the school in any way that she can and that being a yearbook editor is right up her alley.” She also said that “This is probably the one thing that I will miss when I graduate this year.”

The yearbook has been a great way for both Skinner and Hanchuk to get outside of their comfort zones. Skinner shares that “It made me change a lot over the years. I was super shy when I was a sophomore and now I am able to talk to whoever I need to for yearbook and in normal conversations.” Hanchuk had a similar experience because it made her “More open to new ideas and meeting new people along the way who I would’ve never associated with otherwise.”

Being a part of creating the yearbook has been a great experience for students. They recommend to anyone with a creative side to get involved in this class. The yearbook has been successfully run by students for many years and hopes to continue on this path.