Dear Readers,

Hello! We are very excited to be the new editor-in-chiefs for the Forest Grove High School newspaper, The Advocate! Being able to represent The Advocate is an honor, that we are very excited to take on. Our goal is to create a space where students have a creative outlet while also being able to share their opinions. Watching the newspaper further grow and develop is something the both of us are very excited to see happen. We believe in the power of student voices, and the importance of sharing opinions and embracing creativity. Both of us are very passionate about diversity and inclusion within journalism. We hope that The Advocate gets more recognition next school year and that there is a way to better promote the amazing articles that our writers create and produce. Watching The Advocate grow and change throughout this year has been a  privilege that has inspired us to continue this growth and find new ways to continue the evolution of The Advocate. 

To wrap up this school year, and begin to focus on the potential for the next, below is a personal letter from each of us!

From Hazel Smith

Hello dear reader! I am so excited to be taking over the newspaper with Gwen. I am passionate about the art of journalism and I believe that this newspaper is an incredible way to uplift student voices and embrace the diversity of our school. I joined this class as a junior here at Forest Grove, and I immediately found myself at home in this classroom and found joy in sharing stories, mine and others. I mostly enjoy writing articles in the arts and entertainment section and sharing my love for the arts.  I am eager to see where this new role as editor-in-chief takes me, and I look forward to sharing that excitement with you all!  

From Gwen Woods, 

It has been a great privilege of mine to watch The Advocate evolve and grow throughout recent years. It is quite bittersweet to be taking over The Advocate, as I so clearly remember my first year in journalism as a freshman, which seems like just yesterday. Writing, and journalism have always been very important to me and intriguing. Reading people’s articles, and being enlightened with new information, opinions, and recommendations is such a great thing that often goes overlooked. Giving more recognition to the writers of The Advocate is one of my main goals for next year, as many accomplishments of the journalists go overlooked within the school. Other than writing and journalism, I am very passionate about music, comedy, reading, and most importantly the relationships I have in my life, especially friendships. I hope to create a safe place between the walls of the Journalism classroom and create many more relationships with the writers in the class next year. I know that I will do everything in my power to uplift the writers and continue the growth of the newspaper, and I am very excited that Hazel is doing it with me!