We checked in to see what former Horizon editors-in-chief over the past 10 years remember most about their time at LHS and also on what they are up to now. Here is what Ryann Moelis (LHS ’15) had to say:

Q: What’s your favorite Horizon memory?

A: Horizon was very much a family. Like all families, we had conflict and dysfunction, but we were united by our determination to produce quality journalism. My favorite Horizon memory would most certainly be each night before the paper went to print. The managing editors and I would camp out in the Horizon office (bringing sweatpants and blankets, I kid you not) and meticulously comb through the issue, looking for mistakes and adjusting InDesign margins. We laughed, we cried, and we supported each other until the night was over. It was only a few hours each issue, but those hours were some of the most meaningful to me. They captured the essence of Horizon, which is a dedication to the craft but also a dedication to each other. As staff members, you rely on each other for support, not only when it comes to deadlines but sometimes when it comes to life.

Q: Deadlines. Reaction?

A: I must say, I’ll always cringe at this one. Deadlines are a beautiful idea. But that’s just it; they’re an idea. A theory. A figment of the imagination that sounds lovely in your mind but almost certainly becomes a disaster in practice. Our staff did its best, but inevitably there were conflicts. As a publication, you are constantly dependent upon other people to meet your deadlines. Those you must interview, those who write, those who edit, you name it. You are never working independently from the rest of the staff. This means that when one person falls, we all fall. However, I must say, deadlines create quite a bit of comic relief. It would surprise you the excuses people come up with for not meeting them….

Q: What college did you attend? What was your major?

A: I am currently a junior at the University of Virginia. I am Pre-Law and in the Honors program for Media Policy.

Q: What are you doing now?

A: I am currently a student, and as a member of the honors program, am responsible for producing a thesis at the end of my senior year. This requires defending a proposal to the Media Studies department, conducting my own research, and subsequently producing a presentation for University faculty on my findings in addition to a lengthy paper. While I am currently working on this, I am involved in many additional things outside of class. I work at a criminal defense law firm in the Charlottesville area, preparing to apply to law school this coming Fall. I am a member of UVA’s Pre-Law fraternity, for which I organize philanthropy and networking events with local charities and firms. I am a copy editor for our newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, which means I am responsible for fact checking, grammar, and all the work that most people dread. I have a similar position with our Undergraduate Law Review journal, for which I edit incoming legal papers from many other universities. I am a member of the Meriwether Lewis Fellowship cohort, which works closely with faculty and University stakeholders to make important decisions regarding the University as a whole. Similarly, I am an appointee to the Judicial Review Board, which works with administration to oversee appeals from all of our University’s judicial bodies. In my spare time (of which there is little, I assure you), I volunteer at nursing homes in the area, our legal aid justice center, and sometimes at local elementary and middle schools as a teaching assistant.

Q: What do you remember most about LHS?

A: I must say, I most remember the intimacy of the LHS community. While I have made an effort to incorporate myself here in Charlottesville, I think Lynbrook was truly a place where I felt comfortable. I was familiar with nearly all of the faculty, largely due to my work with Horizon, and felt I had a place in the student body. Attending a university far from home brings with it many wonderful learning opportunities, but it can never quite replace the feeling of home.

Q: If you could go back and talk to your high school self, what would you say?

A: Anyone who knew me in high school knew that I was, and still am, incredibly uptight. Don’t get me wrong, this certainly works to my benefit. It keeps me focused on my goals and busy nearly at all hours of the day and night. However, life is short. Moments pass you by, and if you don’t enjoy them, what have you truly gained? If I could talk to my high school self, I would tell her to chill out. To take a deep breath every once and a while and to enjoy the life she is creating for herself. I was and am surrounded by beautiful people and opportunities. I would be remiss not to acknowledge and enjoy that.