Tiffany Zhu

My wish for this year is that the journalism team not only continues reporting important news, but also deepens the bonds we share as a staff. I hope we forge friendships and support each other through challenges.

Every new year is like standing in an empty garden, a space full of possibility. There’s excitement for what might bloom, a touch of nostalgia for what has passed and fear for what will take root. Starting this year anew, we have the chance to plant important seeds in our lives, seeds that will eventually blossom into something meaningful and lasting. Even as a senior, I am still planting ones myself — no matter our age or role on campus, there is always room to grow.

There exist different types of seeds, some of which are personal. Whether it’s nurturing habits of productivity or learning how to balance schoolwork with social time, these seeds shape the routines we build that eventually allow us to succeed.

But other seeds sprout leaves that reach beyond ourselves. For journalism, I hope that experimenting with newspaper layouts in this first issue serves as a catalyst for continued creativity in the coming issues. Not just in design, but in the ways we tell stories and represent our students and faculty. Each decision on font, image or article may seem small, but together they shape how our readers experience and connect with our work.

Most importantly, the seeds I strive to plant are ones of connection, both within the journalism team and everyone we encounter at school. As a Winged Post Editor-in-Chief this year, I want to set an example of creating relationships with both those closest to me and those I’m unfamiliar with. 

My wish for this year is that the journalism team not only continues reporting important news, but also deepens the bonds we share as a staff. I hope we forge friendships and support each other through challenges. After all, these are the people who will stand by your side during highs and lows, spend hours pondering over designs and cheer you on long after cycle deadlines are due. Embrace the people who come your way — they will serve as fellow staff members in the journalism room and friends beyond it.

At the same time, every interview and article is an opportunity to encounter new voices across campus and beyond. Just a few weeks ago, I took the Caltrain up to San Francisco to meet an alum for our Blooming from the STEM repeater. Similarly, many of our staff members had the opportunity during Editors’ Week to interview new upper school teachers for the 2025-26 school year and learn about their backgrounds and aspirations. Each of these conversations plants seeds of understanding, bringing together our community. Throughout this year, I encourage our staff to use journalism as a conduit for meeting people from all walks of life.  

Setting these standards early and holding ourselves accountable will allow our gardens to flourish. So as we begin this year together, I encourage each of you, before August slips away, to plant your own seeds of tomorrow.