Editor’s Note: What’s Your Story?
Maritza Cosano Gomez, Editor-in-Chief
June 9, 2010
Filed under Editor's Note, Top Stories
Just as the middle school Choir and Band Spring Concert was coming to an end last Monday night, a parent turned to me and offered this thought.
“These students are incredible. But I hope they leave the legacy that you might not always be the most talented group, or you might not have the best voice, but hard work can get you where you want to be.”
That parent nailed it. I think if we had had time, I would have offered this reply:
Hard work can definitely get you far. And every person who hopes to leave a good legacy should also know that the effort doesn’t stop once a high achievement has been attained or once their high school career is done. The rest of that person’s story, of course, evolves over time. Successful high school students, who are now CCA alumni, will tell you that a good legacy, just like a good book, takes time to write, with a good dose of perseverance, tenacity, effort, and the willingness to be corrected by God and those people He’s placed in your life. But
unlike a book, a person’s life is not meant to be simply read lightly, lest we miss that person’s heart as we flippantly turn the pages over a hot caramel latté. No, a person’s life is meant to be studied carefully, because there may be hidden lessons between the lines that could offer us a chance to edit our own lives.
In years to come, when we look at the CCA alumni from the Class of 2010 and ask, “So, what’s your story?” We hope each of them has a good story to tell, because we expect good things from each and every one of them. We pray their hard work turned into bestsellers, unencumbered with unnecessary re-writes or unfinished drafts that were left collecting dust on a cluttered desk in an unused room; a book filled with good words strung together by seasoned wordsmiths, whose works prompted us to spread the word that it was a good read.
As I listened to the beautiful voices and music coming from the stage, that parent’s comment resonated in mind. I looked over. She smiled. Little did she know how her words had inspired me to write this editorial note to you. After all, Legacy is the theme of this Graduation Issue. Just then, my daughter’s beautiful singing voice interrupted my thoughts. I was blown away by her performance, knowing full well all the hard work that she had poured into that song—all the days—all the seasons—that had led to that night. It had not been in vain. And now, she, along with her peers was glorifying God with eyes closed and hands held high!
Later that night, I thought of a friend long gone. Her hard work took her far. And it was her reliance on God that carried her to her eternal home. And so, I thought: God takes your hard work and your willing heart and takes you to places you never imagined or hoped for. I’ve seen it in my class, with my awesome band of journalists! This past year, there were times when deadlines were tough to meet. When stories were hard to write and interviews were harder to conduct. Sometimes circumstances made us re-think an issue that we had already “put to bed” (journalism talk for “sent to print!”). But tenacity and willingness to bend to God’s will was key. Lazy people quit. Successful individuals don’t. That’s a lesson I hope my students learned this year. Yes, I know… that’s a hard lesson to learn at such a young age. But that’s life. Better they learn it now in the comfort of a light-touch school newsroom than later, under the hard city lights.
In this special edition of The CCA Weekly, we’ve brought together some of the best voices from the Class of 2010 that have appeared in our publication the last three years, and many others from different grades. Their stories are not finished, so don’t forget to write their names and store them in your heart. And as you pray, lift them up! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and provision. Give Him thanks for our incredible kids and for the time that He’s given us with them.
In the meantime, enjoy a good read.
Grace & Peace,
Maritza Cosano Gomez
Editor-in-Chief