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LEADING THE WAY - NEW ANCHOR STAFF
The 2026-2027 school year has been in full swing for a few weeks now, meaning many students throughout the school are adjusting to their new responsibilities. The students who make up the staff of The Anchor are no exception. A new school year means new (and returning) leaders and editors for The Anchor’s staff, and this year, there are many new leaders and leadership positions.
Editor-in-Chief - Benjamin Brenner
Being the Editor-in-Chief comes with countless responsibilities, and Benjamin Brenner (Junior) will be the one to take on these responsibilities for The Anchor. Brenner will be in charge of looking over everything on each newspaper edition, be in charge of making decisions for The Anchor team, and be the one who many staff members will go to for assistance. Brenner’s newspaper career began his freshman year, when he worked on writing articles and occasionally helped design the newspaper. He joined the newspaper team because he had always enjoyed writing and was curious about the class, later ending up liking it. At the beginning of his sophomore year last year, The Anchor’s advisor, Marissa Moore, gave him the title of “Chief-in-Training.” In an interview, Brenner stated, “I actually didn't intend to be Editor-in-Chief.” He had started out wanting to help writers with editorials instead, but later applied for the role of Editor-in-Chief after being the Chief-in-Training for a year. When asked about how he feels about being The Anchor’s new Editor-in-Chief, Brenner replied, “I'm a little nervous to be responsible for the whole newspaper,” He continued, “But I'm also excited to keep working in my favorite (and the indisputable best) class at CCAHS.”
Web Editor - Elliott Cisco
The role of Web Editor is a new one, meaning Elliott Cisco (Junior) is the first ever Web Editor on The Anchor staff. As Web Editor, Cisco will be responsible for running the Anchor website and helping to fix any technology-related issues that our staff may face. Cisco first joined the Anchor staff last school year (his sophomore year) because he had been contacted by Moore. He then spent his first year as a writer and graphic designer. When the opportunity to apply for the role of a leader came, Cisco applied for the position of Web Editor because of his “considerable tech experience.” He initially had little interest in this role, but was interested in the idea of managing the website. So far, Cisco hasn’t had the chance to interact with the website, but, when asked what he is excited for this semester with his new role, he replied, “I am excited to try and fix some of the problems with the website…and add new features.”
Copy Editor - Kinsley Morin
A Copy Editor reads through articles before they are published in The Anchor and spots any grammatical errors, suggests things that can make a sentence easier to understand, and helps writers turn their writing into an article that is clear and easy to read.
This year, I have stepped into this role for the Anchor. I joined the Anchor staff last year (my sophomore year) and worked as a writer. I mainly joined the team because I had a friend who was already on the team and a friend who was planning on joining, but I’ve also always enjoyed writing. I applied for the role of Copy Editor after being a writer for a year because I enjoy helping others express their ideas in a way that is easy for others to read, even though I never thought of myself having a leadership role for The Anchor. Having the role of Copy Editor is a bit stressful due to all of the deadlines and articles that need editing, but I am excited to continue to help others with their writing.
Photography Editor - Gabi Henriquez
Being the Photography Editor for The Anchor means being in charge of all things photography. This year, Gabi Henriquez (Senior) will be in charge of helping other photographers’ skills grow, helping them come up with ideas for photos, and more. Henriquez joined The Anchor staff at the start of her junior year because her friend, who was The Anchor’s Editor-in-Chief at the time, thought that it would be a great opportunity for her because she is part of the Yearbook staff and also already enjoyed journalism because of “how easy it is to connect and get through to other people.” Henriquez started out as a part of the photography team, becoming the Co-Photography Editor only a few weeks later. Henriquez decided to apply for the role of Photography Editor because of the significant impact that photography has had on her life and her love of teaching others about photography. When it comes to her future as the Photography Editor of The Anchor, Henriquez says, “I'm excited to take more photos with deeper meaning behind them, not just taking a picture, but why it was important.”
Assistant Photography Editor - Kailee Carver
The Assistant Photography Editor helps the Photography Editor with whatever photography-related tasks they need assistance with, and this year, Kailee Carver (Junior) will be taking up this role. Carver started her career on The Anchor team during her freshman year when she was put into the class, but she stayed because of the people on the team and how she was allowed to be creative. Last year, she worked as a photographer for The Anchor which “allowed [her] to grow as a creator and made [her] feel like [she] had a place to go.” She wanted to have the role of Assistant Photography Editor because she wanted to allow anyone joining The Anchor’s
photography team to experience that same feeling. When asked about her feelings regarding her new role, Carver claims that it feels weird, her reason being, “I’m the person people go to now for their questions, but that wasn’t always the case,” She continues with, “And it has made me think about how close the end of my newspaper career is.” For the year ahead, Carver is excited to grow skill-wise and help others grow, too.
Staff Editor - Rebeca Rojas Afanador
Staff Editor responsibilities include planning and helping other staff members writing tasks. Rebeca Rojas Afanador (Junior) is stepping into this role for The Anchor this year. Rojas Afanador joined the Anchor staff during her sophomore year after being contacted by Moore and found herself as a part of The Anchor’s writing team. Later, she found that, while she enjoys writing, she also enjoys graphic design. Graphic design and writing provided her with new opportunities after she experienced burnout from her sophomore year. Later in her sophomore year, she applied for the role of Writing Lead (later renamed “Staff Editor”) because writing is her top priority and biggest strength. Rojas Afanador is excited to have this role and says that, “...now I get more freedom and influence into what ideas go into the newspaper.” She is also “looking forward to getting all the great awards [for] our hard work.”
Co-Design Editors - Kalli York and Royce Pohlman
The role of Design Editor can sometimes be a stressful one, as so many different aspects of The Anchor’s physical newspapers require lots of design elements, all of which need to be designed within a tight timeline. This year, both Kalli York (Senior) and Royce Pohlman (Senior) will be taking on this role as Co-Design Editors. York joined the Anchor staff during her sophomore year when Moore recommended taking the class, and after joining, she helped with writing and designing. Due to her interest in design and the fact that the senior who was then Design Lead was graduating, York applied for the role of Design Editor and is excited to be co-leads with Pohlman. She is also looking forward to the future accomplishments of The Anchor and hopes that “past issues will be able to get ironed out.” York says, “I'm excited to be consumed by the chaos that ensues during the creation of The Anchor.” Like York, Pohlman joined the Anchor staff after Moore recommended he take the class because of his writing skills in his freshman year. Initially, he worked as a writer, but he later switched to graphic design. Pohlman is excited to continue being a part of the design team for The Anchor.
Social Media Editor - Ryan Weber
Being The Anchor’s Social Media Editor comes with responsibilities like planning social media posts, helping others on the social media team with content ideas, and more. Ryan Weber will be stepping into this role for The Anchor this year. Weber joined the Anchor team during his sophomore year after being convinced by Moore (who Weber claims was “very persistent”) to take the class. Weber first focused on writing for the newspaper with some designing thrown in, but was then given the role of Social Media Editor. Weber then reapplied for this role because of his love for making video content for others to watch. Although he hadn’t always been that interested in social media, Weber later came to enjoy it. This year, Weber’s role has more responsibilities than it ever had before, which he admits is scary and is “going to make it tougher.” However, Weber is looking forward to continuing to be The Anchor’s Social Media Editor and says, “...what I'm most excited for is to expand and grow what we cover on social media.”
All of these leaders are great at what they do and will help The Anchor grow and succeed this year, along with the other staff members of The Anchor. The next time you read The Anchor, visit our website, or check out our social media, please make sure you take some time to appreciate the effort that is put into each piece by every member of The Anchor’s staff.
