An email appeared in my inbox almost seven years ago from Rich Zahradnik. He described the sad demise of the News of Pelham and asked, “What should we do next?” This question was not a simple one to answer, but many students were thinking the same thing: Start a newspaper run by us, the students who had just lost the only remaining print newspaper serving the Pelham community. As a sixth grader, I had no clue about the can of worms I would open or the true impact of what lay ahead. But what rose from the ashes was the Pelham Examiner, a newspaper that is reshaping journalism and became the most impactful job I’ve ever had. 

I say job because, unlike what some may think, the Pelham Examiner has been a 9-to-5 for me over the past seven years. Every day was spent with at least one thought about interviewing, editing, writing or publishing. Looking back on those years, I see how I matured and polished my journalism skills. Starting as a naive sixth grader who thought I knew it all and would get upset when reading edited versions of my articles, I have become a better writer and listener, more precise—and discovered the confidence to lead. 

Along with life skills, I gained a community of people who were always there to lend a hand or piece of good advice. Tips to help me through high school, like when fellow founder Ella Stern told me I should drop my language by senior year, or former Executive Editor Cristina Stefanizzi, who said I should become friends with kids outside my grade. Listening to George Freeman, one of our board members and the former chief First Amendment lawyer for the New York Times, explain the dangers of libel to a newspaper, or Sarah Trombley, who taught me how to create community guidelines for the Examiner. I would never have sparked my inner activist without working for New Voices in New York to fight for student press rights or learned podcasting from “The 803 Podcast.” These connections and all of the advice will last a lifetime. 

I couldn’t write this piece without mentioning Zahradnik, my mentor since fourth grade at Colonial School and the person who has pushed me to be the best journalist I could be with the help of some tough love and motivational words. Mr. Z, as I have called him since the beginning, has helped the staff of the Pelham Examiner build a platform in Pelham for true, unbiased news and a place where members of the community can turn to when they have questions. As I prepare to leave Pelham, I know I will always have his number in my back pocket when I need someone to proofread an article or find a connection. 

But while I have all these internal thank yous, my biggest thank you is to each of you reading this. The Pelham Examiner could not have reached the success it achieved without the readers. Despite this being an unconventional newspaper, you let us prove to you what we could become, and we exceeded many people’s expectations along the way, gaining respect and support. Favorites among the articles I have written are profiles of Pelhamites such as Barbara Klein, Bennett Wies, Leila Brady, Donald Otondi, Jordan Salama, Vito Pisano, the DeCiccos and Patricia Dwyer. Connecting with the Pelham community has let me find a place here. I walk down the street and see these familiar faces. 

As I say goodbye to this newspaper, I hope readers pick up on two things. The Examiner graduates a class of seniors every year, and every year we look for new journalists to fill many roles. We need writers, photographers, artists and anyone of any background and skill to help the paper cover the villages of Pelham and Pelham Manor. And to have a paper for future journalists to learn from, we need an audience. We need readers to keep their expectations high, subscribe to our email, wait on our website for election coverage or follow us on social media. The support of this community—whether it be the journalists who come through the paper or the readers who click on any article—keeps the Pelham Examiner alive and the future of journalism certain in this town.

Gabby Ahitow is a founder of the Pelham Examiner and served as its executive editor for the year through May 31. She is a member of the board of directors of the Hudson Valley Local News Lab Inc., publisher of the Examiner.