Meet Mrs. Kim Yeyna. This is Mrs. Yeyna’s 20th year as an English teacher here at Poly High School and her fourth year as Poly Spotlight’s advisor. During her free time, which she doesn’t actually have much of during the school year, she loves spending valuable time with her family, friends and pups, reading just for fun and dance parties. Mrs. Yeyna feels blessed to work alongside such dedicated, conscientious and gifted editors who go above and beyond to publish timely news that spotlights the diverse student population here at Poly. She is so impressed with the fresh new ideas and changes the Spotlight staff are making to engage the Poly community and is always amazed with the creativity and ingenuity of these budding writers.
Meet Julia Bailey – a new member of Spotlight this year and an “editor-in-training.” In her free time she enjoys playing soccer, reading, and baking. Through her time in Spotlight she has learned that “being a good writer is all about your determination and attention to detail.”
Meet Taylor Bates- a member of the Poly Spotlight for one year. In her free time, she enjoys working out, camping, and becoming fluent in ASL. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned “how to film and edit videos in an enticing and entertaining way, as well as discovering a new passion I might like to pursue in the future.”
Meet Sophia Caruso- a new member of Spotlight staff this year. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and binging Netflix shows. Through the time she has been in Spotlight, she has learned that “sometimes Spotlight can bring you out of your comfort zone, but it also opens the doors to so many doors and opportunities.”
Meet Amelia Chavez-a member of Poly Spotlight for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and painting. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned “writing can show the depths of human emotions.”
This is Aaron Cuellar’s first year as a member of Poly Spotlight. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing the bass, and musical theater. Throughout his time on Spotlight, he has learned that “everyone has a story to tell, and those stories most often untold are the most interesting.”
Meet Kate Di Guglielmo – a member of the Poly Spotlight for the past four years. She has been Chief Editor for the past two years. In her free time, she enjoys varsity water polo and swim and exploring the great outdoors. Throughout her years on Spotlight, she has learned that “writing brings a freedom to your life that you can’t get anywhere else.”
Meet Malia Douglas – a new member of the Poly Spotlight. In her free time, she enjoys varsity tennis, being captain of her dance company, and going to the beach with friends. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “a good story is a powerful connection between people.”
Meet Ava Erickson- a new member of Poly Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and swimming. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned “how to express herself and her opinions better through writing.”
Meet Caitlin Gann- a member of the Poly Spotlight for two years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, puzzle-making, and spending time with her pets. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “writing is my outlet to understand life and communicate with others.”
Meet Jaidyn Gayman – a member of Poly Spotlight for the past two years. In her free time, she likes to play tennis and paint. Throughout her years on Spotlight, she has learned “writing is like free therapy.”
Meet Pascale Gibbs, a new member of the Poly Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys performing in musical theater shows, going to rock concerts, and watching Star Wars. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned to “express [her]self through the art of writing.”
Meet Alina Gomez- a member of the Poly Spotlight for her first year. In her free time, she enjoys painting portraits of others, theater improv, and contemporary and modern dance. Throughout her time in the Spotlight, she has learned “writing is a lovely way to help work through things on [her] mind that are too difficult to look up close.”
Meet Kathryn Harbauer – a new member of the Poly Spotlight. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her dogs and theater. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned “teamwork can keep you motivated through any project.”
Meet Arabella Kats – a new member of Poly Spotlight for her first year. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin, reading, and writing. Throughout her time at spotlight, she has learned that “writing can capture a moment, conjure emotion, and leave people spellbound.”
Meet Jenna Largent – a new member of Poly Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and taking photographs. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “there can be fun found in all aspects of creative writing and editing.”
Meet Mikey Lysiak. A new member of the Poly Spotlight, joining earlier this year. In his free time, he enjoys writing creative pieces and playing music. Throughout their time on Spotlight, he has learned to “pursue what you value, write what you would love to read, and be novel.”
Meet Reese McCarty-a new member of Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys playing water polo and spending time with friends. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned “how to express my opinions through writing.”
Meet Naomi Morales- a member of Spotlight for two years. In her free time, she enjoys baking cookies, taking strolls on the beach, being a goalie on the water polo team and running the podcast with fellow classmate Tea Summers. Through her time in Spotlight, she has learned that “it is important to manage your time well when writing an article to create a quality paper.”
Meet Alex Mueller – A member of the Poly Spotlight for the past two years and an editor starting this year. In his free time, Mueller enjoys growing gourmet mushrooms, hiking and researching odd topics. Throughout their time in Spotlight, he has learned that “when life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade, instead ask the lemon 50 questions to attain its perspective on the whole situation.”
Meet Hannah Nasluchacz – a member of Poly Spotlight for this year. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, photography and playing with her animals. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “being passionate about writing is a way of expressing myself.”
Meet Delaney Norris-a member of Poly Spotlight for three years. In her free time, she enjoys sports such as water polo and swim, spending time with friends, and reading. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “writing doesn’t have to be a stressful chore. It can be fun and be about whatever you want.”
Meet Patrick Novak – a member of Poly Spotlight for two years. In their free time, they enjoy making music, watching movies, and spending time with loved ones. Throughout their time on Spotlight, they have learned that “writing is a valuable tool for self expression and can offer a unique freedom of creativity that most art mediums are unable to offer.”
Meet Mylo Ortega – a member of the Poly Spotlight for 2 years. In his free time, he enjoys theater, poetry and graphic design. Throughout his time on Spotlight, he has learned: “you can write as much as you want but if you don’t show other souls, your words will be full of nothing but transparency.”
Meet Holly Pulley – a member of Poly Spotlight for two years. In their free time, they enjoy listening to music, reading music, and writing stories. Throughout their time at Spotlight, they have learned to “write about something that not only interests you, but empowers you.”
Meet Emily Rogers – a new member of poly spotlight. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, going out with friends, and doing her nails. Throughout her time on spotlight, she has learned that “writing doesn’t always have to be a chore.”
Meet Thatiana Smith – a member of the Poly Spotlight for this year. In her free time, she enjoys theater, show choir, and reading books in print and online. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she’s learned that “deadlines are important and need to be met with the best writing that you’ve got.”
Meet Addison Snider – a member of Poly Spotlight for their first year. In their free time, they enjoy photography, art, and theater. Throughout their time in Spotlight, they have learned “not to put things off and procrastinate.”
Meet Sakura Snyder- a member of the Poly Spotlight for the past year. In her free time, she enjoys reading comics, drawing in the columns of her math homework, and searching for new cookie recipes. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned that “challenging yourself can greatly improve your writing style.”
Meet Rylee Sturgis- a new member of the Poly Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying out new writing styles, and running track. Throughout her time on Spotlight, she has learned: “writing gives a chance to show yourself to the world.”
Meet Tea Summers – a member of Poly Spotlight for the past two years. In her free time, she enjoys playing water polo, listening to music, and going on drives. Throughout her time in Spotlight, she has discovered that “writing can actually be fun.”
Meet Devin Varner – a member of Poly Spotlight for three years and an editor this year. In her free time, she enjoys playing club and highschool soccer and volunteering in her community. Throughout her time in Spotlight, she learned that “there are more to people than what meets the eye.”
Meet Jerry Vaughan – a member of the Poly Spotlight for one year. In his free time, he enjoys varsity soccer and track and listening to different kinds of music. Throughout his time on Spotlight, he has learned that “writing is the gateway to many new opportunities.”
Meet Mackenzie Watkins – a new member of Poly Spotlight this year. In her free time, she enjoys doing theater, listening to David Bowie, and reading Spider-Man comics. Throughout her time in Spotlight, she has learned: “inspiration is a trickster that sneaks up on you when you least expect it.”