For Addyson Zay, walking into yearbook for the first time was intimidating.
“At first, I was a little intimidated because I had never been in yearbook before,” Zay said. “I didn’t really know the ropes, and I felt like she knew exactly what she was doing.”
That “she” was Addison Stone, the Harmony Yearbook’s editor-in-chief and a senior now competing for Illinois Journalist of the Year. To new staffers, Stone’s confidence was immediately clear. However, so was her openness.
“I thought maybe I’d be a burden asking for help,” Zay said. “But over time, I realized she’s the go-to person to ask for advice on anything in yearbook.”
That approachability has become a defining part of Stone’s leadership, setting her apart from the rest.
Stone’s path to editor-in-chief wasn’t instant. As a sophomore, she joined the yearbook club with minimal involvement, attending only one photo assignment. What kept her around was not responsibility, but rather the overall environment.
“I loved the classroom and the people,” Stone said. “I would stay after school sometimes and just talk with other yearbook members.”
By her junior year, Stone stepped into an editor role overseeing the portrait section, gaining hands-on experience with design and organization. Over the summer, Stone helped prepare the editorial board, defining roles and expectations before the school year began.
For first year ‘yerds’ like Nuha Bangash, Stone’s leadership was noticeable from the start.
“At first, I was a little intimidated,” Bangash said. “She knew exactly what she was doing.”
That intimidation did not last.
“She’s the go-to person for advice on anything in yearbook,” Bangash said. “Because she’s been here for as long as she has, she knows how to do everything pretty easily.”
Bangash also credits Stone with keeping the staff unified.
“I think Addison does a really great job leading our class every day and making sure all the individual parts of yearbook come together as a whole,” Bangash said. “That’s a really important leadership quality.”
Stone says that the balance between authority and collaboration is intentional.
“Everyone has a life outside of yearbook,” Stone said. “One person shouldn’t be doing way more work just because they’re more motivated.”
Instead, she focuses on connection.
“Everyone wants their voice heard,” Stone said. “My goal is to make sure they feel like their opinion matters.”
One of the most difficult decisions Stone faced this year wasn’t about coverage—it was the yearbook cover.
“I went back and forth so many times,” Stone said. “What it should include, the colors, how to make it bold while still fitting the theme.”
Stone created multiple mockups before settling on a final design, later working with a graphic designer to refine textures and finishes.
“There’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “It’s the first thing people see, and it’s what they’ll remember.”
However, as she competes for Illinois Journalist of the Year, the experience has pushed Stone to rethink what place a yearbook has in the grand scheme of journalism.
“It made me realize how many different aspects of journalism there really are,” she said. “Design, writing, broadcasting, marketing, audience engagement.”
More importantly, it sharpened her sense of purpose.
“My goal as a journalist should be to give a voice to people who don’t have one,” Stone said.
Zay says that mindset shows in Stone’s day-to-day leadership.
“I’m a lot closer with her now than I was at the beginning of the summer,” Zay said. “She really helps everyone.”
And for the students she leads, that sentiment rings true. Long after Stone graduates this May with the Class of 2026, her legacy won’t just be in the pages; it will remain in the leadership behind them.
