Elise Patterson has been on the Pitchfork staff for the past 2 years, and she is currently a staff writer for Pitchfork. She plans to attend Kennesaw State University in the fall, with a major in the science of human services, and a minor in psychology.

Q: Other than Pitchfork, what else are you involved with in Marietta?

A: Aside from Pitchfork, I’m in Dance for MHS, and have been in the program for 3 years.  I also volunteer with JP Morgan Chase for community service projects to help high school students with financial literacy, and I’m currently working as a cashier for Zaxby’s.

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork?

A: What made me interested in joining Pitchfork was my love for writing. I started in intro. to Journalism and worked my way all the way up since Freshman year. It’s overall been one of the best experiences I’ve had in my high school years with being able to connect with the students here through interviews, and working with the staff for award winning results.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: The advice I have for the student currently in Pitchfork is get work done as soon as possible. In Pitchfork there’s always something that needs to be done whether that be a web article, social media, or an important topic that needs to be covered. We always need free hands for extra things since there’s only so many of us. The quicker the priorities are done, the more help we get in extra areas that are needed.

Q: What are your favorite memories from Pitchfork?

A: My favorite Pitchfork memory would either have to be the pizza party we had in honor of finishing one our first issue this year, or when the students from Morehouse college visited to give us some insight about being a college student.

Q: What are your favorite memories at MHS?

A: Some of my favorite MHS memories come from dance. Every dress rehearsal and show night is fun for me.

Gia Patterson has been on pitchfork staff for 2 years, and is currently a staff writer. She plans to attend The University of Georgia this fall, majoring in environmental psychology and a minor in design. 

Q: Other than Pitchfork, how else are you involved within Marietta? 

A: Other than Pitchfork, I am also Captain of the Girls Varsity Soccer team, a member of Model UN, a Leader of Whisper, and I am a member of National Honor Society.

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: I always had an interest in the way life is journalistically portrayed, especially in a high school setting.

Q: What advice would you give to people who are interested in Pitchfork? 

A: My advice is to intentionally look for the stories less told, as Marietta High School is so big that so many stories can go unseen; strive to be the one to see them.

Q: What are your favorite memories from Pitchfork? 

A: My favorite Pitchfork memory is going to GSPA at the University of Georgia as it taught me so much about the field of Journalism and about the school itself, ultimately becoming part of the reason I chose Georgia.

Polleen Coates is the social media manager for Pitchfork and has been on pitchfork staff for 3 years. She plans to attend Spelman College in the fall with a major in Health Science and minor in psychology.

Q: Other than Pitchfork, how are you involved within Marietta? 

A: Other than Pitchfork, I am the marketing lead for Black Student Union and an Executive Board member, I am the National Honor Society Secretary, the Living Like Liv Club President, a Cards with Compassion Representative, an FCA Leadership Team member, The Medical Tree Website Content Specialist, a HOSA member, a Certified Nursing Assistant student, a Beta Club member, a Sunday School Teacher, and a previous Varsity Basketball Cheerleader. 

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: I became interested in Pitchfork once I joined the J1 class. Having the insight of journalism and learning how to do foundational skills, such as taking pictures, caption writing, and article writing made me feel confident in the skills that I would bring to the staff. 

Q: What advice would you give to people who are in or interested in Pitchfork?

A: My advice to those who are hoping to join Pitchfork or are already on staff is to soak it up and stick with it. There will be times when you may be frustrated because there are so many things going on with the paper, website, and social media platforms that it seems impossible to get everything done. Staying focused and being confident in your abilities makes everything a lot easier. 

Q: Do you plan on taking journalism with you in college? 

A: Though I am not pursuing journalism in my post-secondary education, it has given me the skills and confidence to apply for the staff at Spelman. It has given me the opportunity to try new things and grow as a leader. It’s been an amazing opportunity and I will never forget it! 

Q: What was your favorite memory during Pitchfork? 

A: My favorite MHS memory was winning both Miss Marietta High School and Homecoming Queen! It was the best experience and I am honored to represent the class of 2026.

Amelia Jenkins is managing editor of Pitchfork and has been on staff for 4 years. She plans on attending Point Park University in the fall, with a BFA in dance and a Masters in PR/Social Media Marketing. 

Q:  Other than Pitchfork, how else are you involved within Marietta? 

A: Outside of Pitchfork, I am involved in the National Honor Society. I am a full International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme student, and am involved in the IB Film pathway. Beyond school, I am a dancer at Georgia Dance Conservatory and a company member of Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre. I am also a student teacher at GDC and I teach two 4-5 year old ballet classes every week. I served as a Hugh O Brian Youth Leadership Ambassador my sophomore year (2023-2024) and this past year (2024-2025) I was a Georgia Scholastic Press Association Ambassador. 

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: Going into high school, I was recommended by many of my teachers for Pitchfork, as writing has always been my strong suit. However, once I got involved on staff my freshman year, I learned there is so much more to Pitchfork than just writing, and immediately became interested in all that Pitchfork had to offer. I loved working to collaborate with my peers to create a tangible end product, and I found camaraderie and friendship with all of those on staff. 

Q: What advice would you give to people who are interested in Pitchfork? 

A: If you are interested in anything journalism related, I would say my biggest piece of advice is to explore and read. Don’t narrow yourself to only writing a specific beat, try everything! You never know what you are going to enjoy or actually end up being very good at. As well, take inspiration from your peers, both those on staff with you or even from other High Schools. Reading other newspapers allows you to learn so much and take inspiration from the work others have done. 

Q: Do you plan on continuing journalism in college?

A: I am taking part of journalism with me to college, and I think that shows that high school can really shape your passions and is a time for you to explore everything until you find something you want to take with you. While my journalistic aspirations career wise have changed over my four years on staff, I have always known I wanted to be involved in communications somehow and Pitchfork has prepared me so well to be a diverse student and employee one day! 

Q: What are your favorite memories from Pitchfork?

A: My favorite memory on staff was working as Editor-In-Chief my junior year. I found a lot of passion in teaching and leading others during this time. I was able to teach different lessons at the front of the class and I got to know the underclassmen very well by working with them so closely. I think this really sparked my leadership skills and grew me as a person. 

Q: What are your favorite memories at MHS?

A: My favorite MHS memory (that also involves Pitchfork) was during my freshman year, where my senior from “Big Sis, Little Sis” and I were on staff together and we covered all the senior/freshman week activities together, while getting to partake in the activities. 

Sydney Hernandez is co-editor in chief of Pitchfork and has been on staff for 4 years. She plans to attend The University of Georgia in the fall with a major in finance with a minor in fashion merchandising. 

Q: Other than Pitchfork, how else are you involved within Marietta? 

A: Other than Pitchfork, I’m the National Honors Society Co-President, the Project Inspire Club President, part of the Cobb Youth Leadership Class of 2025 Graduate, Cards with Compassion Secretary, a Whisper Club Leader, the Living Like Liv Club President, Interact Club publicist, an FCA member and was a Varsity Football and Game Day Cheerleader. 

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: When I started to look into what classes there were Freshman year, Pitchfork peaked my interest. My sister had taken this class all her years of high school and I was able to see all the opportunities and achievements that came along with being. a member of such a hardworking staff.

Q: What advice would you give to people who are interested in Pitchfork? 

A: My advice to students wanting to join Pitchfork is go to every event that presents itself to you. Being a part of organizations and classes like these open doors to many professionals as well as give you information that can help in future endeavors. Although I will not be studying journalism in college, Pitchfork has helped me with time management and learning how to report information the way it should be.

Q: What are your favorite memories from Pitchfork?

A: My favorite memory while being in Pitchfork is receiving my first Superior rating Freshman year for my article about cross country. I was very proud of myself to get this accomplishment my first year on staff.

Addison Moreland is co-editor in chief and has been on Pitchfork staff for four years. She plans to attend Georgia Tech this fall, majoring in biology on a pre-med track.

Q: Other than Pitchfork, how are you involved in Marietta? 

A: Other than Pitchfork, I’m also involved in varsity cheerleading and serve as NHS President, a Student Council representative, and Director of Communications for Project Inspire, while also participating as a Beta Club member, Cards with Compassion treasurer, and FCA member, and working as a sales associate at Doodlebugz, Rhinos, and Rhinestonez Boutique, along with babysitting.

Q: What made you interested in joining Pitchfork? 

A: My interest in journalism stemmed from a long-standing love of writing, but Pitchfork stood out to me because it allowed me to talk and collaborate with people I would not normally interact with, as well as gain a better understanding of my school community and the world.

Q: What advice would you give to people who are interested in Pitchfork? 

A:My advice for students interested in joining Pitchfork is to cover a variety of beats coming into it, so you can find what you genuinely enjoy writing about. 

Q: What was your favorite Pitchfork memory? 

A:My favorite Pitchfork memory is when we attended GSPA at the University of Georgia, and learned from accomplished journalism students.