Rooted in Memories: Yearbook Graduating Seniors

Yearbook seniors share how they feel about working behind the scenes for Redwood and how they are feeling about moving on.

By: Beth Musto

As the 2025-2026 school year comes to an end, yearbook seniors are getting ready for their biggest night of the year, Log Night.

Log Night is on May 26th, and students are able to get their long awaited yearbooks, and the staff that created the book get to look back at all the memories they had while making it.

For some of the senior yearbook staff, this is their last time working behind the scenes for Redwood.

Yearbook editor in chief, Haley Urena, ‘26, says, “It’s honestly, like, so bittersweet [to leave] because this place has really become, like, my home. 
I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a person, thanks to Feehan, and this program has got me so involved in so many things, [that] I didn’t even know, like, happened here, and it’s made me, like, so many lifelong friends that I’ll have forever,”

Mr. Calvin Feehan, the Redwood yearbook advisor, says that Urena has been phenomenal since her freshman year. He says, “She’s always been, like, the one who seems to know everybody on campus, like she’s always able to help figure out who’s involved in what and identify people and really get everybody plugged in.”

Urena has been in yearbook all four years of her high school career. Mr. Feehan, says that he has two seniors that have been with him for the past four years, one being Urena, and the other being Daniel Labogin, ‘26, who’s also a yearbook editor in chief.

Labogin says, “I’m pretty much sad to leave it, because I’ve been in there since freshman year, all four years. I put a lot into it, but I’m happy to move on, though.”

Mr. Feehan says that he has seen a lot of growth in Labogin. “[Daniel] was, um, like his freshman year, he was just kind of the sit in the corner and sit on his computer and do his work kind of guy, and, um, I don’t think he even went to a football game until, like, late in his sophomore year or, like, late in fall of the sophomore year. And, um, like, suddenly realized he loved it and loved going out and taking pictures, and he’s absolutely blossomed in photography. He’s super into film photography now, and has really taken the lead on a lot of the photography projects for the class, he has developed a huge talent there.”

Three year member, and an editor in chief, Jenna Landin, ‘26, says, “I’ve been in it for three years, and it actually, like, makes me kind of, like, sad [to leave], because I’ve, like, made so much, like, connections in the class, and there’s, like, a lot of younger classmen that I see as my littles, and, like, they kind of just follow me around, and I’m really gonna miss, like, seeing them every day. And I hope they don’t forget about me.”

Mr. Feehan says that he has seen a lot of improvement and growth in both Landin and assistant editor, Rebecca Kaelble, ‘26, in the way they help contribute to the class and the way they teach other yearbook students around them.

“I mean, I’m definitely kind of sad because I’ve been in it since my sophomore year, but, um, I’m just excited for what’s next.” Says Kaelble.

Mr. Feehan says that Isla Esquivel, ‘26, and Miranda Huerta, ‘26, are both in their second year of yearbook, joining the team during their junior year. He says, “[Isla], she’s always had a good eye for photography. 
Like, she has a background with her family from that, and, so she’s been phenomenal.”

Mr. Feehan says that he had Huerta in his Spanish class her sophomore year, but when she joined yearbook she blossomed and realized how cool he was.

“And then she blossomed and, you know, realized how cool I really am. And she loves being in [the class] and loves contributing,” Mr. Feehan says about Huerta.

First yearbook member, Keira Kirby, ‘26, says, “So this is my first year in yearbook, and it truly has, like, changed my perspective on a lot of things. 
I got to go to a lot more events and do a lot more things around the school, and I really loved it.”

Feehan says that Kirby is, “in ASB and she’s very, very plugged in, very spirited. So it’s nice to have kind of [have] that perspective as well.”

With working behind the scenes at Redwood, all of the yearbook seniors have a special memory that they have. If it’s from going to most of the football games, rallies, or trying something new for the first time, they are all holding onto something close to their hearts.

Kaelble says, “Honestly, sports photography is really fun, and just, like, I think it’s really cool because you can go to events that you never would have really gone to and, like, take pictures and interview people. And I also really like, we do, like, Q&As sometimes, you can just kind of just go into a random classes, [and get] a bunch of random kids who wouldn’t, maybe, necessarily [won’t be] in the yearbook as much.”

“I think for sure, like, capturing everyone else’s stories and, like, knowing that you’re the one who gets to, like, make sure all their memories are printed for people to see. And look back on, like, the important things. It’s a really big thing about our theme this year, so I’m excited for everyone to see that. And I just think that capturing everyone’s stories is super important to me.” Urena says.

Mr. Feehan even has favorite memoirs from this set of seniors. He says, “Daniel and I have developed film in class a couple times. Like I said, he’s really into film photography, so we’ve done the whole chemical processing [in] class, twice, which is really cool. Fun for the rest of the classes, see how it works and see kind of the origins of photography.” 


He also says that Urena and Labogin have known each other since kindergarten, and that sometimes they can act like brothers and sisters, as far as fighting here and there, and also making sure to lift each other up. He says that he has been fun to see both of them grow from when they were both freshman.

Kirby says that her favorite thing about yearbook is, “Probably just, like, meeting all the new people, and talking to a lot of new people, because before, you obviously only talk to your friends at, like, games and stuff, only go to things that your friends are going to, but having to go to this stuff, and interviewing people for sections in the yearbook, you learn a lot more about people.”

As the school year of 2025-2026 comes to the end of its chapter, the yearbook seniors want to leave some advice for the next generation of yearbookers, for the next set of kids that will keep the tradition running.

Kirby says, “Just have fun. It goes by so fast, and, 
I’m so sad. I already missed football season as soon as it was over, but just, yeah, just have fun, talk to people, get to know everyone. It’ll be great.”

“Don’t get stressed, because, like, being stressed will just, like, cause you just to, like, freak out and just, like, think you’re not good enough. And, like, if you just, kind of, sit back and you just, like, watch what you’re doing, then you’ll just be like, Oh, wait, I’m actually doing great,” Landin says.

Urena says, “I would just say to really get on top of your work and be confident in what you do, because I feel like a lot of us sometimes go through, like, not thinking our work is good enough, because it goes out to 2,500 kids, and so, like, just really being confident in themselves and knowing that they’re doing good work, especially for the chiefs next year, like, they really need to be confident in what they’re doing in their theme, and just being in control of the class things.”

“Probably just start planning the book early, make sure you hit deadlines, because [if] you miss any of them, the book [gets] delayed. 
But just definitely start planning stuff earlier.” Labogin says.

As the seniors around about to get ready to leave and start their new lives after high school, Mr. Feehan makes sure to remind them to keep doing the great things, and to never forget what they did to help contribute to Redwood.

“Keep doing it, like, they’re not all going into journalism related fields or photography, design related fields, but, I think some of them have really developed a passion for what they’ve been doing. And so, whether it’s, you know, integrating it with their majors, integrating it with their future careers or just continuing it as a hobby, continuing it as a, you know, a side gig, um, I really want to see them continuing photography. I know some of them, I think, Haley and Jenna are both wanting to be teachers. 
So I think a lot of the leadership skills that they aim as editors, morally help them with that. And so it’s like, you know, I just want them to not forget what they’ve done here, but also be able to move forward and, um, you know, sometimes it seems like high school is the greatest years of your life, but, um, it really leads to the best parts of your life. So it’s like you know, remember what you did here. Take this with you. But go out and do great things,” Mr. Feehan says.

As an editor in chief, and a four year member, Urena makes sure to thank Mr. Feehan for all of the things he did for the team, and all he did for her. She says, “I just, like, want to say thank you to Mr. Feehan for, like, bringing me out of my shell, because, I came out of, like, a small middle school. And so, like, this program really helped me, like become who I am.”

Tags: clubs & lifestyles, log rally, print edition, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, senior edition, visalia ca, yearbook