Andrea Lahrssen: Print Media Portfolio

LETTER COVER

To Whom It May Concern,

It being one of my dreams to pursue marketing in college and later in my future life, being able to work in an environment such as this summer internship would be a dream come true. My experience and passion for digital design and writing, and my desire to better both of those skills are all reasons as to why I am applying. I hope to use my experiences working with deadlines, on-line design programs, and my time being on a team to do my best in such an amazing opportunity.

Just in my first two years at Gulliver Preparatory High School, I’ve been a member of the yearbook staff for one year, and I’ve been in the journalism program since freshman year. The first year being an introductory class, allowing me to prepare for such an intensive class such as yearbook, both have made me quite experienced with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, as well as working under strict deadlines, and helping me learn how to work as a team to produce our best work possible. Alongside my editors, I created two page layouts that made me write enticing articles, curate the best set of pictures, and create a design that followed yearbook standards and would attract the common students eye as well. All of these work allowed me to really learn how to stay cool and organized in a stressful environment, and remember that I couldn’t let everyone fall down with me if I wasn’t on time. Due to what I learned in such a unique class, I was able to do out of school projects using the same skills, such as creating a program for a local Jewish Cultural Play alongside my fellow staff member, allowing us to expand how we used Adobe programs, and forcing us to think outside the box when it came to design.

Even though yearbook was a very time-consuming class, the ability to stay organized allowed me to be involved in other extracurriculars such as the Varsity Swim Team my sophomore year, as well as being actively involved in clubs such as the environmental club, Achieve Miami, and Students Without Limits clubs, which I could also use my design skills for, as I would create the posters that were hanged throughout the school.

To wrap things up, thank you for considering me for such a wonderful position, and I can promise you my best work if you do decide to choose me out of so many qualified applicants I am sure than you have. I look forward to hearing back from you, and I hope we can work together to create amazing designs, and so I can expand my point of view even more.

Sincerely,

Andrea Lahrssen

RESUME

Education

Gulliver Preparatory School

Class of 2025

Work Experience

JCC Holocaust Impact Theater, Miami Florida

Designed a 16 page program for the JCC HIT program, working closely with the women in charge of the play.

Yearbook Staff

Created InDesign spreads in which I took some of the pictures, wrote the articles and designed the layouts.

Leukemia and Lymphoma South Florida Organization Fundraiser

Alongside a team of other students in South Florida, I individually raised over $1,800, and my team won second place in all of South Florida.

Extracurricular Activities in School Student Disciplinary

Committee

Listen to student cases in which they have broken a major school rule, later decide the correct way to correctly make them learn from their mistakes.

Swimming Team

I have been part of the Varsity Girls Swim team in my sophomore year, as I was training my freshman year to ensure a spot in.

Link Crew

On orientation day, and some mornings of each week, I make freshman feel welcomed and guide them through the scary process of entering high school, for this I had to undergo multiple training sessions.

Awards and Honors Societies

National English Honors Society

National Honors Society

National Spanish Honors Society

FSPA Excellence Award

References

Monica Rodriguez - Yearbook Advisor

Address: 425 Harbor Drive, Key Biscayne

Instagram: @andrelahrssen

Email: lahand20@stu.

gulliverprep.org

Cell: (954)-348-2301

Andrea lahrssen

WRITING & DESIGN

Reflection # 1

most significant spread

Being part of the Oceanography and Marine Biology class, as well as actually taking part in this incredible hands on opportunity made making this spread amazingly easy, as it was something I was passionate about. Although I wasn’t able to take the pictures myself because a privacy policy, as soon as I looked at the pictures they sent me, I could remember each action-packed moment from the long day. I was able to talk to my fellow students on the boat to get their true, raw feelings about the whole endeavor, and it was incredibly fun to be able to describe the event in such detail with my own knowledge on the subject was a new way to be a journalist, and it almost felt like being an on-site reporter in a way, frantically trying to remember as much as I could. Being part of the Oceanography and Marine Biology class, as well as actually taking part in this incredible hands on opportunity made making this spread amazingly easy, as it was something I was passionate about. Although I wasn’t able to take the pictures myself because a privacy policy, as soon as I looked at the pictures they sent me, I could remember each action-packed moment from the long day. I was able to talk to my fellow students on the boat to get their true, raw feelings about the whole endeavor, and it was incredibly fun to be able to describe the event in such detail with my own knowledge on the subject was a new way to be a journalist, and it almost felt like being an on-site reporter in a way, frantically trying to remember as much as I could from the day and the conditions around us. The colorful environment allowed me to create a bright colored spread, achieving that eye-catching factor that I wanted, due to the fact that environmental sciences is something I am passionate about, and I wanted my fellow students and teachers to make sure and stop by this page, even just to learn a smidgen of information about the amazing work that was being done by an outstanding group of students. The colorful environment allowed me to create a bright colored spread, achieving that eye-catching factor that I wanted, due to the fact that environmental sciences is something I am passionate about, and I wanted my fellow students and teachers to make sure and stop by this page, even just to learn a smidgen of information about the amazing work that was being done by an outstanding group of students.

Reflection #2

How was I an asset to the staff?

Having the opportunity to be part of the yearbook staff was really special to me, and it was probably one of my favorite parts of sophomore year. I believe I was an asset to the staff by completing my work on time and always having at least usable content on my spreads. I like to believe that I helped out fellow staff members when they felt overwhelmed and just needed a hand with their work. I helped by taking pictures, interviewing or helping them find more things to cover to fill up their spreads. At the beginning of the year, I felt so clueless and lost when I heard veteran members talk about the work we were going to be doing. Despite my initial lack of experience, I quickly adapted to the fast-paced environment and utilized my problem-solving skills to overcome challenges along the way. My commitment to the publication was unwavering as I dedicated countless hours to researching, brainstorming, and perfecting various aspects of the yearbook. I embraced feedback and actively sought opportunities to grow, both as an individual and as a staff member. Through this process, I honed my communication skills, developed a keen eye for detail, and became proficient in the use of design software. I wholeheartedly invested myself in this project, ensuring its success by meeting deadlines, collaborating effectively with teammates, and consistently delivering high-quality work. My growth as a staff member is evident in my increased confidence, expanded skill set, and ability to handle the demands of the yearbook production process. Overall, I believe my dedication, adaptability, and growth have made me a valuable asset to both the staff and the overall publication this year.

Reflection #3

What weakness did i overcome?

Being someone who was often overwhelmed, I encountered a serious problem throughout the entire year. I frequently felt uncomfortable and stressed out due to the yearbook staff’s hectic pace and the pressure of fulfilling deadlines. But I quickly became aware of this flaw and actively looked for solutions to solve it. I discovered how crucial it was to set deadlines and use time-saving techniques to make sure I completed my assignments on schedule. I also forced myself to step outside of my comfort zone and asked for assistance when I needed it. I saw the need of drawing on the knowledge of others, whether it was through asking more seasoned employees for advice or working together on challenging tasks with coworkers. The benefits of going through this experience were enormous to me in a variety of ways. I first became more self-aware and learn how to recognize my talents and flaws. Second, I gained incredibly useful abilities in organization, priority, and planning that will surely help me in my future undertakings. Finally, I developed a fresh understanding of the value of working as a team and the necessity of requesting assistance when facing difficulties. In the end, I was able to advance both personally and professionally by overcoming my propensity to become overloaded. I also realized that I couldn’t do it all by myself and that asking for help was a show of strength rather than weakness. I actively sought advice from more seasoned team members, who gave me insightful advice and mentor ship. I was able to overcome obstacles more successfully and get a deeper understanding of the yearbook publication process because to their knowledge and willingness to help. In addition, I promoted teamwork among my colleagues since I knew that combining our abilities and knowledge would produce superior results. We collaborated on challenging projects while generating concepts, delegating tasks, and supporting one another as needed. This spirit of cooperation and teamwork not only reduced my burden but also helped the yearbook crew feel a feeling of unity. In the end, I was able to advance both personally and professionally by overcoming my propensity to become overloaded. I was able to handle the demands of the yearbook staff by learning to organize my time, manage my time well, and ask for help. In the process, I also learned vital abilities that will guide my future undertakings. I am pleased with the advancements I achieved this past year and the fortitude I showed in the face of difficulty. This experience has given me a renewed sense of confidence and the conviction that, with the appropriate attitude and techniques, I can overcome any obstacle in my path.

Reflection #4

Snapping the perfect pic

Since I can remember, I’ve loved taking pictures, but when it comes to taking yearbook level pictures, its a whole new ballpark. Learning about what makes a picture great has completed opened my eyes to new ways to make sure to get the most interesting, enticing picture possible. A good picture has the potential to tell an entire story, invoke powerful emotions, and make the viewer laugh,cry or all of the above. In the first picture you see below this, I actually took it and used it for one of my spreads covering a Black History Month school celebration, I took an angle that would lead the eye down the table to see all of the cultural foods, and the happy faces of the people getting to enjoy the fresh goods. Using a more ground-level view and leading lines. I did a similar thing with the 4th picture, take it from behind to make sure you could see what this kid was doing, controlling the music bass, volume, and more. Taking it from more of a birds-eye view helped achieve this goal. Now for the 2nd and 3rd picture on the list, I used my phone camera’s portrait mode in order to create a little depth, and take the eye directly to the object of the photo. For the 2nd picture, the goal was to include her face, and her hair accessories in the picture, all while keeping a happy feeling throughout the picture. Using a white background, and her dark hair, I created some contrast in order for the hair clip to be easily noticeable in the picture. As for the 3rd picture, the assignment was to cover the first day of school, wanting to capture the re-encounter of past students and teachers, which is why I used a angle where you would see the students face almost from the point of view of the teacher, while still being able to see both people in the conversation, as if you were right there with them.

WRITING & DESIGN

WRITING & DESIGN

YEARBOOK PORTFOLIO 2022-2023

WRITING & DESIGN

WRITING & DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY

WRITING & DESIGN & SOME PHOTOGRAPHY

2022-2023

WRITING & DESIGN

WRITING & DESIGN

ABOUT ME

Hello!

My name is Andrea Lahrssen, and I’m passionate about journalism and design. I love to take pictures of everything and anything, and pretty much have my phone camera on 24/7. My favorite thing to do with my free time is be with my family, and there’s nothing better than traveling the world with the people I love. I’m a very outdoorsy person and I would spend all my time outside on the beach if I could. My dream is to pursue marketing professionally in the future. I’m good at working under deadlines and working in a team, and I genuinely enjoy planning out my work in order to fit a timeline. My favorite part about being in yearbook is definitely choosing the design spread, and interviewing a variety of students and teachers.