Ukiah High alumni Ayled Zazueta is a former member and Editor and Chief of UHS News and now studies Journalism at the University of Redlands. We spoke to her about her time at Ukiah High and how the school and the people within it affected her life.
Zazueta told us that during her time at Ukiah High two things affected her deeply starting her freshman year. English and creative writing teacher Micheal Riedell helped her change her perspective on life. In her English I class, she was able to read literature that “helped teach empathy and that not everything is just black and white.”
When Mr. Riedell was asked about his former student, he mentioned that she is “great at balancing fun and work.” She was a light to have in the classroom, Mr. Riedell said, and always spoke her mind. His favorite thing was being able to watch her grow from a freshman to a senior.
Although her time with Riedell was special, another huge part of her experience at Ukiah High took place in the newsroom. The journalism class sparked her passion for writing news and articles to bring people together. During her time in the newsroom, she worked alongside the Journalism advisor Matt LaFever to build up the news team and create a professional atmosphere along with professional writing. Overall, she helped LaFever make a bigger and better newsroom.
Now Zazueta is studying Journalism at university and is headed to make a great career out of her passion. She chose the University of Redland because “ it was affordable more so than any of the other schools I was accepted into.” She also chose it because the school offered a “liberal arts education [that] gave me the freedom to explore different interests.”
Through everything she had gone through in her time here at Ukiah High, from good to bad, this will always be the place that made her who she is. Ukiah High and UHS News are happy to see their alumni Ayled Zazueta soar.
