Beyond Graduation

Class of 2025 Andalusian Alumni and Where They Are Now

Photos by Blair Bayliss / Maclay Andalusian

Vine Butler (‘25 Print Editor-in-Chief)

Vine Butler is attending Florida State University, and is majoring in English. She joined The Andalusian in her sophomore year, and remained on staff for three years, serving as Print Editor in Chief during her senior year.  While on the newspaper, Butler learned various skills like writing in AP style, as well as navigating InDesign and other Adobe platforms. She didn’t expect these to be useful at first, but has come to realize knowing these things can be surprisingly helpful in her classes and many future career opportunities. 

Butler has always been passionate about writing, and the newspaper gave her both valuable experiences and confidence as a writer. This further influenced her decision of pursuing English in college. 

“Being on The Andalusian staff for sure influenced me to ultimately decide on doing that [pursuing English],” Butler said. 

She looks forward to getting involved in similar college activities in the future. 

Leah Song (‘25 Online Editor-in-Chief)

Leah Song is attending Duke University, and plans to major in computer science and economics. She worked on The Andalusian for three years, and served as the Online Editor in Chief during her senior year. While on staff, Song learned about being involved in a community, how a team has many moving parts and how there are always meaningful ways to contribute.

Though the newspaper didn’t necessarily impact her choice on a major, being on The Andalusian helped Song find her own voice, not only as writer, but also as a person. 

“One of the biggest things I learned is to become confident in my voice by writing articles,” Song said. “Doing research and interviewing people from various backgrounds helped me shape my opinions and voices.” 

Song now applies these skills every day, confidently writing in her voice and engaging with different people from various backgrounds.

Andrew Berenson (‘25 Sports Editor)

Andrew Berenson started at the University of Georgia this fall, and is studying political science. He was on The Andalusian for two years and was the Head Sports Editor as a senior. While on the newspaper, he had a lot of exposure to reading and writing, and this helped him strengthen his  techniques, learn how to better apply information and gain more experience as a writer. 

These skills on the newspaper helped Berenson find his interests. 

“One of the significant reasons I am minoring in political science and plan to attend law school is because of how much I enjoyed reading and writing, especially during my time in The Andalusian,” Berenson said. 

Berenson credits his time on the staff with preparing him for college-level English courses and for developing writing skills that he will use in the future. 

Alexis Walters (‘25 Staff Writer)

Alexis Walters is a freshman at North Florida University and is majoring in elementary education. She spent one year on The Andalusian staff as a senior in high school. While on the newspaper, Walters felt that she learned skills like properly editing her work, using her ideas creatively and enjoying the freedom she was given to write in her own voice. Her experience also built confidence for doing things like interviews and talking to students. 

Although Walter’s time on the newspaper did not ultimately influence her choice of major, it gave her valuable skills she continues to use every day. Skills that include checking for mistakes, thinking critically about her work and reviewing formatting will benefit her both in class and in her future.