Oivia Fortner

Editor-in-Chief

During my time as Editor-in-Chief, I have spent the last two semesters learning about news writing, content management and team building. I have learned the value of being a disciplined and dependable person. 

Through the Six Mile Post, I was given the opportunity to travel to state and national conferences for journalism. I’ve dug into investigative stories, spent hours in interviews, scribbled notes (because “that’s quote worthy”) and taken photos to produce the best work I can. 

We’ve gone through a paper redesign during my time as the editor, relaunched our website, started a podcast, worked through different project management softwares, fought tooth and nail with InDesign and drank way too much coffee, staying late in the office to meet our publication deadline. And I am proud to say we were never late on our deadline. 

I have had the greatest time working with such a wonderful team. We’ve learned together, grown together and made memories that will last a lifetime. 

Thank you, Six Mile Post! What a grand opportunity.

Samantha Warner

Copy Editor

Working on the Six Mile Post editorial staff has been a dream come true. I have been interested in journalism for a long time, and getting to work in the SMP newsroom confirmed that this is what I want to do. 

There’s something magical about getting to see your name in print after so many hours of hard work. The fact that we brought in several awards this year has really just been the icing on the cake.

I am especially proud of our staff and how well we’ve adapted to all of the challenges we faced this year. We started the year in August with only one returning paid staff member and only three staff members with any sort of training in journalism. We were able to come together as a team and put out a finished product that we can be truly proud of. I feel blessed to have been a part of that group effort.

I am also very proud of how well our team handled the switch to a weekly, online format in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown. Good reporting is more important now than it has ever been, and I feel that our writers and editors really came together to keep our community informed during these unprecedented times. 

It takes strength to spend every week researching new virus statistics, interviewing people who have been affected and writing yet another “downer” news story. I think our staff has handled these issues with grace and resilience, and I could not be prouder to have been able to support them in these last few weeks. 

Bradley Singh

Asst. Sports Editor

After serving as the Six Mile Post assistant sports editor in the spring of 2019, I was lucky to return this past fall for my first full school year as part of the SMP. I was one of the few returning staff members, but we were still able to put together a great team for this year. 

I really enjoyed getting to work with Mrs. Hattaway. She did a remarkable job as advisor in her first year, and I know she will continue to do so. 

When I first started working as part of the SMP, I wasn’t experienced in journalism at all. I have learned so much during my year and a half and I am so grateful to have been able to learn from and work with great people.  

The COVID-19 situation forced the spring baseball and softball seasons to end prematurely, which was very disappointing for me because those were the main sports I covered. However, we were able to adapt and still put out a great online publication despite the challenges.  

Lastly, I want to thank the entire SMP staff for everything. It has been a pleasure to get to work with you all. Even though this is my last semester at GHC, I get to leave with tons of great memories and experiences that I will always remember. I look forward to seeing the continued success of the Six Mile Post. Thank you SMP and Georgia Highlands.

Michelle Hardin 

Photography Editor

I have worked for the Six Mile Post as a staff writer since fall of 2018. It has been a fantastic experience for me. I met so many great people and learned so much. 

Being a two-year school, our staff turnover is high, meaning we must welcome the new and say farewell to the graduates every semester. I’ve watched amazing editors go on to other schools, and my peers and I stepped in to take the reins as editors ourselves. 

 As a photography editor, I’ve learned so many new things this semester. From how to professionally edit photos to taking better pictures, every step of the journey has been incredibly rewarding. I love my coworkers and all the fun memories I have with them, from impromptu photoshoots to early morning walks for donuts, I’ll always remember my time with the SMP. 

Being in a newsroom has a certain aura to it that makes you feel empowered because you’re helping bring reliable news to people with a great team that you can count on. It’s a great feeling, and I can’t express how proud I am of this semester’s staff. We’ve overcome unforeseen challenges in a way I couldn’t have imagined at the beginning of the year. 

Everyone’s dedication to the Six Mile Post showed in the two weeks we had to convert from a print/online publication to a completely online news source with no direct contact with students, faculty or GHC campuses.  

Thank you for all the hard work it took to overcome the challenges we faced, and good luck to all the Six Mile Post staff, wherever you go from here. I know we will be successful because of the fundamental properties of journalism the Six Mile Post taught us. 

Mariah Redmond 

Online & Social Media Editor 

Being able to play a part in the SIx Mile Post during my freshman year is something I’m incredibly thankful for. It opened up different experiences for me, such as being able to attend my first journalism conference in Washington, D.C. and winning an award for my opinion piece on an issue I was and still am extremely passionate about. 

I’m glad I was able to share my experience with social media and use it to help benefit the SMP as a whole. It also introduced me to Facebook which is something I’ve never used before.

Working here has given me the sneak preview into the life of a journalist and showed me how everyone has something unique to contribute in order for everything to work efficiently — especially while switching from print/online to a fully online publication.

Brandon Dyer

Sports Editor

I came to Georgia Highlands with one goal in mind: get on with the Six Mile Post. However, I did not expect to be the sports editor in my first semester.

Interacting with the athletes and coaches on a personal level has been really nice, and I can tell that they love being included in the Six Mile Post. 

The switch from paper publication to solely online was a bit of a challenge, but we got through it.

Mrs. Hattaway has taught me so much in this semester, and I look forward to being back on the staff in the fall.