As a dedicated and hard-working staff member of the Warrior Wire staff, senior Maddy Lawson goes above and beyond toward writing about newsmakers at North Atlanta. Her ability to draw readers into her amazingly written stories has left a great impact on her peers. But perhaps it needs to be investigated how a newswriter is making news on her own account as she concludes her widely successful high school career. 

          Lawson has been a journalism pathway all star throughout her high school career, earning her high praise for her quality work starting with noteworthy achievements in Journalism 1 and 2 introductory courses. With the guidance of journalism instructor Jack Stenger she has become more comfortable writing stories and expressing her creativity. “Mr. Stenger made journalism fun to be a part of because you could choose your own topics for story ideas,” she said.

            The origin of her journey to becoming a top writer began when she realized her passion for writing stories. The best part for her is reporting daily to extract quotes from sources to enhance her eloquent style of writing. “I learned how to become comfortable writing stories and getting quotes from my peers,” said Lawson. “My goal was to tell the story in an interesting way and stay on top of my deadlines.” 

           Her hard work meant securing a highly selective staff position on the Wire and leading conversations during story generations assignments. By bringing high energy into the newsroom every day she’s making big contributions towards the Wire’s growing popularity. She’s always committed to writing challenging stories which established her as a writer who shoots for the moon at every opportunity. “I choose stories that are interesting and stand out so students at school will read our newspaper,” she said.

Among the stories she’s written during her prolific senior year have been a feature story on senior Drew Barber and choosing winners and losers among Netflix original programs. 

            After her story idea is approved by her up line editor she begins with an introduction that will keep the readers interested from start to finish. She follows by including the most buzz-worthy quotes in her stories, from features to top sports events. Warriors have been able to relate to her work as she brings to life the varied experiences of students at school. She allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in her words by delivering facts in a clever way. This has allowed her stories to reach another level of transparency that keeps the readers wanting more. “My contribution to the Wire has made me a better writer every day,” she said. “I’m grateful that my stories have brought attention to the newspaper and allowed me to make new connections.”

       By joining school clubs such as Black Student Union, and Quill and Scroll, the Journalism Honor Society, she has become more aware of the opportunities her student body has to offer. Although her success on the Wire is well known, she says her greatest achievement is getting involved in the culture at North Atlanta. She stepped outside of her comfort zone and became the stage manager for the Chicago Musical. This experience made her realize she has support from those who want to see her shine in various positions.  “I originally wasn’t going to do it but Drew Barber gave me confidence to take advantage of the opportunity,” she said. 

        During her free time she enjoys wearing eye make-up, dressing up, and watching the popular drama TV series “Bridgerton” on Netflix. She likes hanging out with friends on the weekends at the Ponce City Market, and then heads to Round 1 to hit a few strikes and play arcade games. The adventure ends with a visit to Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant where she indulges in her favorites, their lasagna and caesar salad. Her influence on her classmates has made for an eventful social life and has kept the senioritis at bay. “I’m friends with a lot of people so introducing everyone to each other has allowed the class of 22’ to become closer,” she said. 

       With her senior year coming to a close she looks forward to attending Georgia State University in the fall and majoring in entrepreneurship. Now more than ever she plans to improve her organization skills in order to become an effective business woman in the future. “I’ve learned to figure out what I want in life instead of playing it by ear,” she said.                  

        There is no doubt that Maddy’s determination to achieve excellence has greatly influenced many of her peers. Her high school journey has helped her plan her goals post college which is to open a hair and makeup salon in the heart of Atlanta. But her goals don’t stop there, as she hopes to open-up locations in Miami and New York in order to expand her brand. For now we’ll have to embrace all the memories she’s captured in her stories and watch her continue to blossom in her life endeavors.