Letter from the Incoming Editors & Advisor

Letter from the Incoming Editors

This year, I’m closing my chapter at Cooper City High and relocating to the Atlanta, Georgia area. This also means that after four years, I am handing The Lariat off to a new adviser. This is a bittersweet moment for me because The Lariat has been not only my passion project but it has held my heart and was the home of some of my favorite memories as a teacher. It’s where I learned to let go of expectations and where students proved to me how much they care about their school, community and the world around them. My staff writers confirmed how informed and involved teenagers really are and that their only limitations are the ones society places on them. It’s because of this I know I’m leaving The Lariat in great hands. Thank you to my past staffers, the OG’s, for being guinea pigs as I found my way as an adviser, which is NOTHING like being a professional journalist. I was quickly humbled but I think I found my way. A particular shout out to my original EIC’s: Alex, Genna and Abbie. I couldn’t have survived my first year without you all. You helped set the tone for my era as adviser and I will forever be grateful. To Arielle and Emma - we made the best of it through Covid; you all deserved better but I hope you remember your time at The Lariat as fondly as I think of your contributions and efforts. You only made The Lariat stronger. To Chris, Elena and Kayla - Thank you for guiding The Lariat through the return to campus and helping to transition the new staff into the next adventure without us. Your input and impact has been immeasurable. To Emily, Nikki, Olivia and Orian - I’m saddened not to see the amazing things you’re about to do with The Lariat but I hoped I’ve prepared you well. I know you’ll elevate the paper; you’re too talented for mediocre.

Thank you always for reading and supporting The Lariat, Fallan Patterson The Lariat Adviser 2018 - 2022

To the 2021-22 Editors-in-Chief and Ms. Patterson, We all thank you dearly for your wisdom. We have each learned a lot from you all this past year, and are dreading the day you all spread your wings and trade in your cowboy lassos to become Gators. We know you all will do incredible things, and you have all inspired us to become better writers, leaders and mentors to the new staff members. Elena, your energy is absolutely unmatched. You inspire us all each and every single day with your passion and incomparable devotion to all that you do. Your laugh can light up the entire classroom, and we will miss seeing your smile in our newsroom. Chris, we thank you for putting up with this gang of girls. Your calming presence and kind advice is something that we all strive to model after. We cherish all the memories we’ve made and will miss your sense of humor. Kayla, you are so underrated in all that you do both inside and outside of the newspaper. You are so multi-talented and have undeniable amounts of patience that we can only hope to recreate next year. Ms. Patterson, the incoming EICs cannot thank you enough for the dedication that you have shown to The Lariat. We are tremendously proud of how far we have come under your guidance and we could not have done it without you. You have connected us all to our journalistic roots in unfathomable ways. You have been a positive force on us all as journalists, writers, editors and most importantly, people. We are thankful that you’ll get the opportunity to spread your love and talent to more students. Atlanta is beyond lucky to have you. Thank you all for being such an impact in our journalism careers and lives. We have connected to you four on so many levels and the thought of you all leaving is incredibly bittersweet. You have never hesitated to answer our endless questions or to listen to our endless ramblings. You have served as amazing role models to us all and we hope to be able to live up to the incredibly high standard you have set. We will miss our older brother and sisters next year.