This previously ran in our 2022 June Senior Issue.

If you flip open a copy of The Stinger and direct your way to the centerfold of the pages, you’re met with a beautiful, impactful design and a story that matches this description; the work of Rylee Dang, the managing features editor of The Stinger.

During her time on staff, Dang worked in both the features and sports sections of the paper. Outside of the newspaper, Dang was a part of Hornet Ambassadors, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America, serving as secretary of the club.

This coming semester, Dang will attend Syracuse University to major in public relations, with a minor yet to be decided. 

Stinger: You were recently crowned prom queen: what was this experience like? Has your life changed since? 

Dang: It took a second to process and then I was like, holy sh** like what? Like, why me, we’re on the newspaper? Why are we, prom king and queen? Things don’t line up here. It was really odd. I’m very happy and it’s definitely like, brought out the whole diva side to me. We wore our crowns to the movie and to Wawa afterward. It was a really fun experience. I still genuinely don’t know how it happened. I am so confused still, but I’ll take it. Prom queen is never anything that I would have thought I would have on my resume. 

Stinger: What did being on The Stinger mean to you? How did this define your high school career? 

Dang: It defined my high school career a lot more than I thought it would. I only took journalism my freshman year because my mom forced me to. I fought with her so much [over it]; I told her that I didn’t want to take another class where all I did was just write. I really hate to say it, but I’m really glad that she made me take it. I was also terrified to take journalism because I had Ms. Reaman for two classes freshman year and I thought I was going to hate her for some reason. But, I’m glad that I ended up loving her. [The Stinger] has taken up so much of my time – but I’m not mad about it. I’m glad that I was able to produce something and give birth to the paper at the end of every issue. 

Stinger: What design and story package are you most proud of from your time on staff? 

Dang: My favorite story was probably the profile that I did on Jillian [Sayre], just because it was so insightful to hear what her life is like. I honestly had no idea that there was someone going through something that difficult in our school, and it was just kind of heartbreaking. But, she was also really inspiring about the way she approached everything.