Dear reader,

Although this moment has come quicker than I could have imagined, it is time to take a look in the rearview and reflect on my time with The Lodge. I am thankful, blessed and honored to have been a part of this publication.
I could not have predicted that I would be writing a letter from the editor, about me, my experiences and how The Lodge has impacted my life, but here we are.

Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Although this was a pretty run-of-the-mill day, going through classes, and ending the day at Ferguson Field with lacrosse practice, one aspect of this day altered the course of my life and as a student at St. George’s.

An email I received from Livi Van Steenberg that day would fully introduce me to The Lodge and, despite not knowing it at the time, change the course of my junior and senior year as a Gryphon.

Over two years later, I have now served as Co-Editor-in-Chief for a year and have become an award-winning photographer. None of it would have been possible without The Lodge.

The countless hours spent in the newsroom have made it almost a second home, and I am truly going to miss all of the little moments that have made the work we do special and enjoyable the past two years.

I am so thankful for all of the people I have had the pleasure to work with and appreciate all of the support that I have received, whether it has been through my journalism or photography work.

First and foremost, Mr. Adcock, you rock. In countless ways, you have helped me grow and develop into a better person and leader through The Lodge. The many afternoons spent in the newsroom, working on various projects and talking on various topics would not have been the same without you. You have taken the voices and talents of several students in this school and given us a place to put them out for the world to see. You have helped educate me and others about the importance of writing, the impact journalism has on our world, the challenges of censorship, and most important of all, integrity in all of the work we do– no other person and no other class could have taught all of this the way you have.

Joining The Lodge with Livi Van Steenberg and Kirklyn Moore as editors made starting with this publication one of the most impactful experiences in my life. I truly do not think I would be the person I am today without being around Sydney Murray, Molly Gorham and Ray Forbes through The Lodge. Thank y’all for being bright lights in our community.

Getting to work with Bo Farnsworth and Colby Wiedower through covering sports with these two was such a fun experience – excellent people as a whole and excellent creators who I am truly thankful I had the privilege to learn from and work alongside.

All of the support and guidance from the 2024-25 staff made my first year as a part of this Lodge family meaningful. Going into my senior year as Co-Editor-in-Chief, I knew that I needed to keep the momentum going and continue leading The Lodge with the same love and appreciation that those before me did.

Although our 2025-26 staff only consisted of five people, I am deeply thankful for each one of them in addition to our contributors who helped pilot the first year of the Lodge Contributors micro. Mason Merkle, Mia Cutrell and Dee Moore, I can not express how grateful I am that y’all decided to stick with The Lodge this year. I know every day was not easy, but I appreciate all of the work y’all did and the amazing moments we shared together this year. Although not officially a staff member, our sixth man, Brayden Dmuchowski, truly added to the team in various capacities. I thank each of you for showing up and putting in work to help us cover stories in our community this year.

Gabi Flohr, my appreciation for all of the hard work and time you pour into this publication is immense and you have helped build this into something special. You have made our goals become reality and The Lodge would not be the same at all without you. Working alongside you as co-editor has really meant the world from the first day in August to the closing days in May. I can not wait to see all of the incredible things you accomplish as a journalist. I know your passion and talent for this will take you so far.

Thank you. Thank you countless times to every staff member, contributor, reader, viewer and supporter who has engaged with work from The Lodge in any capacity. Many hours go into projects we do, and content we create– it would not be the same without everyone involved.

As I look back on my time with The Lodge, I also want to reflect on my time photographing moments at St. George’s. Without me stepping out onto the volleyball court, the soccer field or the football field in the fall of my sophomore year, it is very likely that I would go through the rest of high school without ever thinking about joining The Lodge.

From the beginning of my sophomore year through May 1, 2026, I have photographed over 100 events at or related to St. George’s and have taken roughly 162,000 photos throughout my journey behind the lens.

Following Issue 9.2, I have now written eight feature stories, two on the website and six in our print magazines. Alongside news stories and the Performance of the Week sports reports that add to my Lodge writing portfolio, I’ve developed a passion and love for writing through this publication, one that I did not see coming, and now one I definitely do not see going.

As I close off this letter, I want you, the reader, to know that The Lodge is in the hands of the most incredible co-editor I could have asked for, Gabi Flohr. She is such an inspiration to the work that I do, and I’m so excited to see all of the amazing things The Lodge can accomplish with her at the front. Exciting things are happening with The Lodge, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it. If you’re interested in joining, please do, I promise you will not regret it.

No one truly knows what the future holds in store, but when you have faith in God’s plan for you, you will be guided towards the right path for your life and go through moments to build you into the best version of yourself. I am so thankful my two years on staff for The Lodge were included in the path of my life.

Thank you.