In every school, there’s a class that dedicates their time to taking photos and capturing the memorable events and moments that make up the school year. For that, Pembroke Pines Charter High School’s (PPCHS) yearbook class focuses on creating a unique book that everyone will enjoy. Applying for an American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) award, the Prowler yearbook has received the best yearbook in the nation for the first time.
At the end of the 2024 school year, the editor-in-chief had submitted last year’s yearbook to APSA in hopes of receiving an award for their hard work. Once receiving the email of the award, one of this year’s editor-in-chiefs, senior Mckenna Gregory, exclaimed that “[she] didn’t believe it was real or as big as it seemed when we first won!”
Winning first place at the national level is a major accomplishment for the class, afterall Gregory says this award is “like the Oscar of yearbooks.” Many of their thanks go to their editor-in-chief from last year, Samantha Serrano, as she was able to bring the class together to make this dream a reality.
Yearbook’s other editor in chief, senior Leah Miragliotta, was also ecstatic about this award as she was also in the class last year. “This was very special to me and all the editors who worked hard on the book last year,” Miragliotta expressed. She is overall grateful to see that all their hard work paid off, and this award truly resembles their dedication to making memorable yearbooks.
Finally placing their award on the wall, the Prowler yearbook’s work can officially be shown, valued, and rewarded. The work they continue for next year’s yearbook is nothing short of last year, and the editor in chiefs’ expectations remain high. Miragliotta mentions how they continue to work hard “and we have done everything we can to make it better and want that for the following years to come.”
With Miragliotta and Gregory running the yearbook class this year, they work together to make sure everything runs smoothly to have another successful year. “[Gregory] and I have done our best to organize and make sure everyone is doing their jobs,” Miragliotta explains.
Adding on to her, Greogry feels that “we work so well together organizing, dictating, and teaching a class of aspiring future editors.” For each section of their yearbook, the editor-in-chief’s have organized their plans to remain on track to finish this year’s yearbook. Gregory described, “we perfect and proof the page as it comes together, then we submit it.”
While creating this year’s yearbook, they continue to let their creativity run free within its pages. Gregory mentions how this award has heightened her drive to make another cherishable yearbook: “especially with being editor in chief, our creative direction has to go above and beyond.”
As the second semester begins, the yearbook class is finishing the year strong to ensure that the book is completed on time. At the end, their commitment is admired and “it is worth it in the end to see the final product,” Miragliotta says. All of the Prowler yearbook accomplishments have only prepared the class to earn many more awards in the future.
