Nayeli,
As our managing editor and main music provider, we are going to miss you so much. You have been such an influential member of the staff since the day you joined, and the staff will not be the same without you.
I’m going to miss the late nights where you played your 70s music and ate all the food Mrs. Hopkins gave us. I’m going to miss talking newspaper tea with you and laughing over the stupidest things together. I’ll even miss constantly hounding you down to turn in your article because you’re five days past due (Actually, I’m not sure if I will miss that).
Undoubtedly, you have helped this staff grow and improve so much in your two years with us, and we are so grateful for all the work you have done for and with us. You are one of our most creative staff members and one of our best photographers. We’re going to miss you so much, but we know that you’re going to succeed in all you do in college and beyond.

Much love,
Your Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Singleton 

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Messages from the Staff: 

Nayeli, oh my goodness, two years flew by so fast! I will ever forget first meeting you and how helpful you were. I knew nothing about InDesign or journalism but you patiently sat down and explained what I had to do and where to find things. We may not always agree on everything, but I am so glad I got the chance to meet you and spend some special journalism moments with you. Good luck!
~ Catherine Smith

Nayeli has been the social consciousness of our paper. She writes for the underdog. She has written stories on domestic violence and transgender youth. Her opinion piece on immigration won second place in the Virginia High School Media Championships.

But that is only part of how Nayeli contributed to the Falconer. Most upperclassmen who signed up for the class looked around at all the green freshmen and dropped the class. Nayeli did not. She mentored the newbies and helped them gain confidence. She showed them how to research and write and then shared credit with them on bylines. She took them on interviews and photoshoots.

We will never forget spending freezing cold nights at football games trying to solicit donations for Nayeli’s homemade, ugly, great-tasting brownies, so we could attend the convention. We will never forget her refusal to use commas in her run-on sentences. We will endeavor to keep a food basket full in her honor, and whenever a ‘70’s song will come on during proofing week, our hearts will miss her.
~ Mrs. Hopkins

Nayeli, you are so fun to be around whether it was hard workouts during cross country or fun afternoons in journalism. You are caring, funny, inspiring and rock mom jeans like no other. I will truly miss having you around.
Best wishes,
~ Ashley Halbrook.

The effort and work you put into journalism did not go unnoticed even by the least observational person around. I apprenticed all the help and advice you gave me, and your sense of fashion was second to none. I hope you had a great time in high school and wish many more great times to come. 🙂
~ Hannah N.