This was previously published in the 2026 senior issue.
As Thomas McDonnell captures his final moments at Emmaus High School, his future at the University of Vermont has come into focus to develop his future in engineering. McDonnell aspires to become a traveling engineer or a personal photographer.
In addition to being the lead photographer and photo manager for The Tattler, McDonnell has been involved with chorale and concert choir, band, marching band, brass ensemble, Fermata Nowhere, graphics club, theater, and both the National Honor and Tri-M Music Honor Societies.
Stinger: What inspired you to pursue engineering and photography?
McDonnell: Engineering is just because of my parents. Both of my parents are engineers, and math-science stuff just runs in the family. Photography is a bit more difficult. That was a project in eighth grade, the 20 percent project… I did mine on videography, and I was like, “Ah, cool, whatever.” Hate videography, but I discovered photography, and kind of fell in love.
Stinger: What do you do with photography outside of school?
McDonnell: I have a couple jobs lined up over the summer to do sports photography. It’s [photography] just my fun thing, so I’ll illegally sneak onto highways and take photos of cars passing by, or I’ll go to race tracks, or do what I can just to take photos of everything I can.
Stinger: What impact do you think you have left on Emmaus High School?
McDonnell: I’d like to think I inspired some good photographers. I’d like to think that the impact I’ve left has been photography and a positive attitude towards getting better, because I used to be a very, very bad photographer, and I am not anymore.
Stinger: What advice would you give to underclassmen?
McDonnell: It’s cliché, but try everything. Literally, photography was a joke. It was an accident that had happened. You have to be willing to fail, and fail a lot to get good at anything, or to find anything you’re good at. There have been lots of things that I have done that I’m not good at, but there are lots of things that I am good at that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try.
Stinger: Throughout your time on the yearbook, which yearbook has been your favorite final product?
McDonnell: This year’s by far, because, very long story short, the yearbook only became a student-run organization the year before I joined, and then it was more student-run the year I joined, and every year since then we’ve kind of improved the book. It used to be this tiny little thing that was terrible. Two years ago, we had a theme idea, then last year we made it all cohesive, and this year we’ve kind of put it all together.
Stinger: What do you foresee for the future of The Tattler?
McDonnell: I think they’re going to keep improving. I think [Steve] Braglio is going to keep pushing them. I think it might be bumpy for a little bit just because there’s going to be a lot of the new officers coming in. That’s gonna be challenging because knowing the processes is kind of just a known thing, and not an explained thing, but I think once they settle into it, there’s a lot of potential in the club now.
Stinger: What is your favorite bathroom in the school?
McDonnell: Oh auditorium, for sure. Auditorium, the ones that are never open, except if you’re in theater, and then you get to use them all the time. They’re beautiful. They’re so nice. They’re clean. All of the dispensers work. There’s a door on all of the stalls. Love that bathroom.
