Coral Platt found her way into journalism thanks to a casual suggestion from her mom, and like many freshmen unsure of what classes to take, she figured: “Why not?”

Now, after many deadlines, interviews, and mild existential crises, Senior Editor-in-Chief Coral Platt has grown as a person and learned lessons that will stick with her far beyond the newsroom.

Platt’s spark for journalism was not immediate, as she had no idea what to expect. Her first article, a piece on the environmental justice club, introduced her to what journalism had to offer. 

“I had so much fun getting all the interviews,” said Platt. “And it was back in the old building, so I remember meeting in the courtyard with all the people. And I just enjoyed putting [the article] together.” 

After a year in Intro to Mass Communications, Platt joined The Cardinal Times as a reporter. Her passion for journalism grew from there.

“I had so much fun writing more articles and just getting better at it. It’s funny, looking back and seeing how much my work has grown. Going from like writing a maybe 400-word piece about,  environmental justice club to writing 800 words about Jane Goodall [this year]. “ 

As Platt’s appreciation for writing articles grew, so did her role on the paper. In her junior year, Platt was assigned the role of digital editor, tasked with uploading articles and updating website design. 

“It wasn’t a leadership position, but I do think that it had a lot of responsibility, and you had to accurately put things on [the website], otherwise you could be  [undermining] other reporters,” said Platt. 

After Platt’s junior year, she decided to apply for the role of Editor-in-Chief. Platt says she tries her best to lead with grace and compassion. This year, she managed a 20-person staff, led her team to produce work for seven issues, and edited every article. 

Aside from being Editor-in-Chief, Platt is involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities, including choir, mock trial, and rock climbing. 

One of Platt’s friends and fellow Cardinal Times reporter, senior Sonia Modha, finds her dedication remarkable. 

“I find it so admirable how even up until this year, she [Platt] was involved in so many different extracurriculars and she was able to balance it out so well,” said Modha. “I remember after production parties she would be like ‘oh, I have to go to mock trial now until like 8 PM’ and I’d be like ‘oh my God, like what, like how like how are you doing all this?’” 

Platt says she has changed a lot since the beginning of high school and is proud of the person she has become. 

“In freshman year, I didn’t have a lot of direction, and I was very involved in just getting my schoolwork done,” said Platt. “I didn’t take the time to develop who I was as a person beyond the student. And I think that that has changed, where I’m still  learning and stuff, but I also have really grown into who I am.”