A Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

As I’m writing this article in the Edward R. Fenimore Jr. Library reading room, it’s hard to believe this is my final piece for The Gilman News. With my time at Gilman and The News coming to a close, I’ve started to reflect on how my experiences here, whether sitting in the classrooms of Carey Hall or debating with others in the Publications Lab, have shaped me.

When I first entered Gilman in sixth grade, it almost didn’t feel like I was switching schools. I already knew a handful of students, and one of my friends, Derick Su ‘25, came with me from the same elementary school, creating a seamless transition.

Yet, if you ask any of my middle school teachers about what I was like, most will describe me as “quiet”—a recurring observation in practically every teacher's comment. While I wasn’t usually the first to raise my hand in Mr. Wachtmeister’s Pre-Algebra class, nor was I great friends with many of the students in my grade, I made great memories playing soccer or pill ball during recess and talking to my fellow advisees at lunch.

Middle school was also my introduction to journalism. Eighth graders choose from a diverse selection of electives for their sixth course. Despite not knowing what the word meant, I decided to take the Journalism class. While hectic, being in that class was the first time I genuinely felt excited about writing. It was the first time I conducted interviews, and the articles I produced about the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on our community and the competitive Rubik’s cube scene were the longest pieces I’d written for any middle school class.

Upper School opened new doors—most notably, clubs that presented a perfect opportunity to try something new and develop my passions. I furthered my interest in journalism by joining The Gilman News and Cynosure. From then on, almost every afternoon of my week was spent in the Publab, immersed in article drafts for the next issue or spreads for the yearbook. Though I remained relatively quiet, I found a group of close friends in each club—and in the Pub Lab, I slowly grew to embrace its lively, collaborative atmosphere.

In the following years, I grew increasingly involved in The News, whether helping edit others’ work or staying after meetings with Zach Minkin ‘24 and Jamie Howard ‘24 to finish writing an article. The weekly News meetings soon became a highlight I looked forward to all week, especially after a long day of calculus tests and history papers. The people I met in the Pub Lab were always supportive, helping me craft intriguing articles and fostering engaging conversations about almost anything.

This school year, Miles Guth ‘25 and I stepped into the role of Editors-in-Chief of The Gilman News. Although the increased responsibility was difficult at first, we worked to improve each issue of The News. Seeing students and faculty poring over our finished product in the Carey Hall main lobby was especially rewarding—a reminder of the impact our work could have on the Gilman community. I’m especially grateful to Miles Guth ‘25, Ms. Bhalla, Mr. Slutkin ‘17, Mr. Zealand, and Ms. Rauseo for making my journey at The News so rewarding.

Looking back on my time at Gilman, it’s impossible not to acknowledge how transformative these years have been. My involvement in The Gilman News and Cynosure helped me become more engaged with the community and build my confidence to be a better leader. In classrooms like Mr. Fitzgibbon’s Biology and Dr. Yeager’s U.S. History class, I learned to speak up, think critically, and take intellectual risks. On the golf course, I discovered the importance of teamwork and communication. As an anxious sixth grader entering a new school, I never could have imagined the person I’d become today, June 7th, 2025, on the day of the Class of 2025’s Founders Day Ceremony.

While my time is inevitably up, I think it’s best not to dwell on the sadness of leaving. Instead, I’m grateful to say that Gilman has been an incredible home for the past seven years, developing who I am as a person, and I’m excited to look forward to what’s to come. I want to thank my family, friends, teachers, and the Class of 2025 for being so supportive and contributing to my Gilman experience. For as long as they’ve been around, newspapers have sought to inform the public with up-to-date news and connect their readers, and I hope the 124th volume of The Gilman News accomplished just that for the Gilman community.