Blog

Lauryn Karpenko, the head of photography for Redlands Adventist Academy's Yearbook team, snapped a photo of Garrison Chaffee, the youth pastor of PUC Prep, for the interview challenge, just one of many that the Yearbook team conquered on their annual, beginning-of-the-year trip.  This was just one of the many projects and moments captured at the annual Publication Workshop hosted by Pacific Union College, where our yearbook team was joined by other schools' yearbook staff from across the West Coast.
The team's adventure began with an early morning flight (read 6:30 AM), arriving just in time to settle in before dinner and an icebreaker session the first night. At the icebreakers, our team met yearbook teams from other schools and heard some inspiring words from keynote speaker Julie Z. Lee, the executive producer of Maranatha Mission Stories. She emphasized the power of storytelling and reminded everyone in attendance of the importance of their work.
The days that followed were filled with workshops led by PUC professors, where students learned valuable skills in writing, design, and photography. Each student was then assigned a faculty member to interview, photograph, and write an article about, putting all their newfound knowledge to the test. The articles were finished, submitted, and then evaluated by the professors, who provided the students with valuable feedback to improve their work.
Editor Shemariah Tohdjojo reflected on the experience, saying, "We were expecting a story of stress, but in that pressure we found confidence in our team." That confidence is the foundation the team will rely on this year as they work diligently to create this year's masterpiece of a yearbook.
Not only is Publication Workshop a chance for the yearbook teams to gain that foundation of confidence and skills, but it is also a chance to showcase what each team accomplished in the time between the yearly workshops, accompanied by an awards ceremony. This year, the RAA yearbook team dominated, winning awards for Best Photography, Best Writing, Best Layout and Design, and Best Overall Yearbook. It was a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the skills they acquired both at this workshop and as they worked on previous projects.