Dear Editor:
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” My involvement in the Ramapo News was spurred by the effort of my editing mentor, Danielle Reed. Rebecca and I would like to thank you for all of the hard work you put in every week to train us properly.
Danielle was always patient and understanding when explaining the processes of editing and laying out pages, knowing that she had trouble with the task herself when she was learning the ropes. Thanks to her incredible effort, I am now able to confidently perform everything that needs to be done as Arts and Entertainment Editor.
It was not enough for her to just teach the basics and demonstrate through example, she was encouraging week after week and made sure that Rebecca and I felt comfortable and wanted to continue in our training. This was not special treatment, however. Danielle reaches out to all of her writers and compliments them on well-written articles, even offering advice on how to improve their writing.
I never expected to be an editor when I started writing for the newspaper, but Danielle saw something in me that made her believe that I had the ability to take on such a large challenge. Without her encouragement and feedback, I doubt that I would have wanted to go through with it and probably would have remained a writer instead.
I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable and responsible person to train me and although there will be very big shoes to fill, Rebecca and I will do our best to make her proud for selecting us to take her place at the helm of Arts and Entertainment. One day I, too, will have the task of training a future editor and it will come easily for me because I had such a positive experience in my own training.
The newsroom will not be the same without her unyielding support and calm presence, but because of her, the future of the Ramapo News is in the right hands. Rebecca and I wish her the best in her future endeavors and hope that she comes back to visit to see the legacy that she left behind. This is not a goodbye but simply a farewell for now. Thank you again for always being exceedingly supportive and more importantly, for being an unbelievable mentor.
