From handwritten stories at a young age to award-winning articles, senior Meghan Whitten has always loved writing, and that passion led her to become co-editor-in-chief of The Cardinal Times this year.

“I’ve always been a writer. My mom’s an educator, and she always encouraged me to write and to read and to really enjoy traditional writing,” said Whitten.

Whitten joined the Mass Communications class her freshman year. She was inspired by neighbor Leela Moreno, a former editor-in-chief of The Cardinal Times in 2022-23. Mary Rechner, the teacher of the class, quickly became her favorite teacher and sparked her love of journalism.

“When I came as a freshman, I was very insecure… but having an area where you can get out of your comfort zone, [like The Cardinal Times, is] really important and helps you grow,” said Whitten.

Whitten’s favorite article was her award-winning feature on Portland’s Tursi Soccer store. The piece explored the store’s struggle with vandalism and how the owners overcame it by partnering with a non-profit organization to create a mural.

Whitten wants to tell stories that are important to people.

“I realized that I can cover hard topics and cover things that are happening here at Lincoln and also on the national scale, like budget cuts and immigration,” said Whitten.

Friend and teammate Katherine Warner-Frey met Whitten at lacrosse practice in 8th grade. The two are now teammates on the varsity lacrosse team.

“I would say one thing that makes Meghan so amazing is that she’s incredibly hardworking. She’s completely dedicated and committed to everything she does,” said Warner-Frey.

Rechner knew Whitten would be a good fit for editor-in-chief when she applied for the position at the end of her junior year.

“There’s a lot of originality with the work that Meghan does. She can tell a story, and she’s a really good interviewer. She makes people feel comfortable when they’re talking to them. She comes across as really trustworthy and really respectful. She comes across as caring because she does care,” said Rechner.

Whitten is grateful for the leadership skills she learned through being editor-in-chief.

“I’ve learned as a leader to be very empathetic and just help people learn and help them grow: help them have this love for the field that I have,” said Whitten. “Youth reporting about things that are happening to us, especially now, is so important.”