Eva Patel (‘25) walked into her second period class on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and was greeted by an entourage of photographers, all pointing their cameras at the Green Hope Talon Yearbook Editor-in-Chief.
The Green Hope senior is typically accustomed to having the camera in her hands – whether that be at a sports event, club meeting or interviewing students for the Talon’s annual publication. This time, the script flipped.
Patel was awarded the $4,500 Signature Scholarship by Walsworth Yearbooks, and selected by a large pool of applicants. Surrounded by the Talon’s 23-member staff, her parents and advisor Mrs. Kristin Drumheller, she celebrated her achievements as a writer, photographer and leader in the classroom.
The celebration came unexpectedly: Patel hadn’t heard from the organization for several weeks and assumed she hadn’t won.
“Everyone’s there, and I’m just really confused. And then I see my parents, and then I see this, like, comically large check, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this was all for me,’” she said, describing the moment she walked into a room surrounded by her supporters.
Patel’s high school journey didn’t start with yearbook. She joined the staff as a sophomore, interested solely because her friend signed up. “When I first joined yearbook, I never thought about it that deeply, but then being in it for so long, you’re kind of forced to see the importance of it in a way,” she explained. In the subsequent years, however, her talent – and interest – in all aspects proliferated. As she transitioned from writing and designing to initiating projects as Editor-in-Chief, Patel honed her journalism and leadership skills.
The application process for the Walsworth scholarship entailed a significant amount of preparation. To enter the competition, Patel created a video portfolio in response to the prompt: “How do you tell untold stories in your community?”
However, a heavy workload as a senior led to a slow start to the final product – she collaborated with fellow Talon staff members to craft her video, a testament to the trust and close relationships she fosters. “I had my friends, like Aayu and Anna from yearbook, film … video of me, like taking photos,” she said.
According to Walsworth Yearbook’s website, they describe the purpose of the scholarship. “[The Signature Scholarship is] an initiative that recognizes and rewards the outstanding efforts of junior and senior yearbook students who embrace the role of yearbook storyteller to spotlight the stories that may otherwise be overlooked.”
The panel for the scholarship praised Patel’s submission, which highlighted the importance of covering lesser-known stories in the yearbook. According to their site, “[Patel’s] video essay brilliantly explored how looking beyond the surface and asking ‘why’ can reveal unique perspectives, especially in the context of yearbook storytelling.”
Patel’s dedication and passion for her work shone through in her submission, exemplifying the intersection between her willingness to cover a broad swath of topics and her skill in diving deeply into several narratives. “Eva’s creative use of B-roll and transitions, combined with her personal experience as a photographer, helped her to craft a compelling narrative about a gymnast whose story was uncovered through her journalistic efforts.”
Multiple members of the Walsworth Yearbook’s Signature Scholarship program were present at the celebration. Among them was Susie Gillam, who serves as an area manager. She commented on the overarching purpose of the scholarship. “The students who work on yearbook work really hard and typically never get thanked, so we wanted to have a scholarship that really got to the people that do the work.”
Gillman echoed official comments on Patel’s video, emphasizing the Editor-in-Chief’s deft ability to cover stories on a deeper level. “It was clear that she was passionate about yearbook and about stories that typically don’t get covered, so that was really cool,” Gillam said.
Patel described the contribution the award would go toward her education, which she hopes to continue at UNC Chapel Hill as a chemistry major. “I always wanted to go to Chapel Hill, and I got in so I plan on doing a [chemistry] major with a journalism minor, just because I like it,” she said.
Although she is ambivalent regarding getting involved with college journalism, Patel is assured that the skills she developed as part of the Talon will serve her beyond the media industry.
“I’d say yearbook kind of completely changed me as a person, because I went in super just like introverted and quiet,” she stated. “Just being in that class, surrounded by the personalities in there, and having such supportive teachers and mentors that kind of bring you out of your shell, it really changed me.”
Looking into the future, Patel aims for a smooth-sailing remainder of her year, with her final edition of the Talon rounding out her high school career. She reflects on the moments that she’s learned to both cover and savor herself: the perfect, messy and everything in between.
“[Yearbook] forces me to be detail oriented, but also I have to be okay with things not being perfect, and I am a huge perfectionist, so it just has allowed me to grow in that sense.”
