Why do we do yearbook? Why do we put in countless hours interviewing, photographing, designing and editing page after page? Through the process, we end up attaining new skills, meeting new people and broadening our horizons. Through all the work we put into creating a yearbook, we fall in love with journalism and telling stories along the way. There are so many reasons why we YBK. Those reasons may change over time, but remembering our “why” is what keeps that love alive.

Carrie Faust, MJE, is the yearbook adviser at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, CO. This long-time yearbooker started out as a high school staffer and now has been the Summit adviser for more than 20 years. She knows yearbookers are the voice of the school community, and we have a very important job to do when we tell their stories. Watch below as she discusses her reasons “why,” and what makes a great student-driven atmosphere to foster the love of journalism that’s needed to produce an amazing yearbook.