SAN FERNANDO, Calif. – For students having their friends and teachers sign their yearbook is a time-honored tradition to look back on for years to come.
What You Need To Know
- Corrie Galvez is co-editor in chief of her school's yearbook
- Students had to complete the yearbook from home after the pandemic hit
- Galvez attends Artes Magnet, an LAUSD Modern Arts School
- She plans to pursue photography in the future
As Corrie Galvez reads over her 2019 yearbook she said, “To see how much I’ve changed over the years, the friends that I’ve kept and stuff. It’s just crazy seeing what people wrote.”
Becoming co-editor in chief of her school’s yearbook her senior year was a dream come true. She loves taking pictures and hopes to continue photography after graduation, even if it’s just a hobby.
“I like capturing memories. I’m really into thinking about the past and keeping things from my past even if it’s not the biggest memory,” said Galvez.
Galvez is part of the Artes Magnet class of 2020, one of the schools within the Cesar E. Chavez Learning Academies Complex in San Fernando. Artes is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District and focuses on modern art.
While this year’s memories include dance performances, senior standouts, and events like the annual earthquake drill held throughout L.A.-area schools, there were obstacles. For example, when their school was evacuated due to a fire hitting too close to campus, but even getting the yearbook done became a challenge once the coronavirus hit.
Once classes were canceled Galvez, her co-editor Melanie Flores, and her yearbook advisor had to finish the yearbook from home.
“We even asked people to send in pictures, for the ones that we didn’t have because we wanted to incorporate everything we could,” said Galvez.
A few things did change from the original layout of the yearbook. Some planned pages were scrapped because the events never happened and other pages were added.
Through it all, Galvez rolled with the punches by staying positive, which is something she owes to her family; a support system that has made all the difference during this pandemic. An addition to the yearbook is a page dedicated to teachers having their first remote staff meeting after classes were canceled.
One of the biggest changes for Galvez will be not getting yearbook signatures from fellow students and teachers.
“I mean, I’m not getting the signatures but I’m definitely getting the memories from the book, so I’m still really excited,” Galvez said.
Memories, that despite a pandemic, she helped archive for the class of 2020.