Aleia Aleman’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. In her sophomore year, she injured her back while playing rugby for her team, Shoreline Spartans. The injury resulted in a herniated disc that caused significant pain in her leg. “It was hitting the nerve in my leg, causing sharp pain, and I didn’t realize the extent of it until weeks later after a tournament in New York,” Aleman explained.
The injury added stress to her already challenging schedule, which included honors and ECE classes, as well as her role as a student journalist. She was a sophomore at the time, and was struggling with how to handle her mental health. Despite the physical and emotional experience of the injury, Aleman continued to manage her academic responsibilities, talking to her teachers and getting assistance with her assignments she had missed. Also, even while attending physical therapy due to the injury, she has continued to push through adversity ever since.
This year, the challenge she finds herself in is entirely different, the role of leader. Aleman had to go through two different processes in order to fulfill her role. First, there was a class vote at the beginning of the year in September, where journalism students were asked to fill out a form to nominate another student for an editor position. The votes helped her be able to secure a spot as an editor. After she had found out the news, Aleman was asked to email Mr. Carroll and talk about how she would be as an editor. She wrote in the email to Carroll that she was the type of leader who communicates with the group, she said, “Anytime I’m in a group setting I always lend a helping ear, and also let everyone get a chance to talk and voice their opinion on matters.”
Throughout her high school career, she has been able to fall in love with journalism. Since her sophomore year, Aleman has contributed to The Morgan PawPrint. Early on she focused on stories of her moms small business 2 Salty Gals, another story where she displayed new-found information like, Junior Wrestling Captains.
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However, this year, as editor-in-chief, she has had to make the final decision on various aspects of the program, including overseeing the new logo design for the website. “I was able to pick the logo for the PawPrint, and I had to make sure the new design was set for Mr. Carroll,” Aleman said. Another role she has had to grow accustomed to is overseeing several peer students, looking through their work, setting deadlines, and keeping them on track.
She takes pride in her ability to guide her team while also ensuring that they stay on task and meet deadlines. “Sometimes my team members would get distracted, but I always made sure they stayed focused so we could hit our deadlines,” she explained.
Some leaders can come off as overbearing and controlling. In a certain situation, a leader can talk down on a person just because they didn’t understand the situation going on. Or in other times, there can be those dictators type of leaders who order and boss around others out of their own satisfaction. This is not anything like Aleman’s leadership style, or how she wants to lead the journalism newsroom.
While Aleman may come off as shy in one-on-one situations, she has learned to lead her group. “I am more introverted in a one-on-one conversation,” she said, “but in a group or class discussion, I feel more comfortable and confident speaking up.” This ability connects when she mentored incoming freshmen as part of the STEP Program. During this summer program, Aleman helped freshmen feel welcomed to Morgan by guiding them through activities and providing support. “It was one of my favorite high school memories,” she said. “I loved seeing new faces each year and helping the freshmen feel more comfortable before their first day at school”.
Aleman also took on a leadership role as a mentor during the STEP Program, a summer initiative that helps freshmen adjust to life at Morgan. During the program, Aleman guided freshmen through activities and provided support, ensuring that they felt comfortable in the school environment. “I loved welcoming freshmen and seeing new faces each year,” she said. She was responsible for making sure the students stayed on track during their sessions. “Some students would wander off or act out, but I made sure they returned to their group and stayed focused,” Aleman explained.
When thinking about the future, Aleman is undecided about where she will attend college, but is considering schools both near home and farther south in places like Florida and North Carolina. She plans to pursue a career in environmental science or journalism. “I love writing, and it comes naturally to me,” Aleman said. “Environmental science is important to me because I want to make a difference in the world.”
Looking back on her high school experience, Aleman explained the importance of finding balance and managing stress. “Don’t pressure yourself too much about grades. Find a safe space to relax and debrief, and learn how to manage your stress,” she said. Aleman manages her own stress by taking breaks when she has been doing school work for about 2–3 hours. “When I feel overwhelmed, I take a break, go on my phone for a bit, and then get back to work,” she said.
Aleman’s involvement in both academics and athletics, along with her role in journalism, have shaped her. As she prepares for the next chapter of her life, her high school experience will continue to shape her goals and aspirations.
