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Taking a whole school year and condensing all of the events, memories and pictures all into one book takes pure focus and concentration. From each and every person of the 30-member team, they make yearbook construction look effortless.

Their production, the Kabekonian, has received national honors. Out of 3,000 books, they were honorably one of 476 to be selected by the Jostens Look Book for the 11th time since 2001. On top of that, they were one of 30 selected to be a part of the 2015 Jostens Look Book.

The Jostens Look Book is a book containing ideas for every part of the yearbook. Usually Kabekonian’s sports section is one of the strongest, and usually what earns them such awards. Adviser Laurie Hansen and the yearbook committee cannot be thankful enough.

Hansen said,”I decided to open the book and flip through it to see all of my friends’ books who usually make it into the top 30… all of a sudden I turn the page and there’s this red; it was our book from last year and it just took my breath.”

The yearbook team works tremendously hard day in and day out to make sure students and teachers get a full recap from beginning to end.

“I spend the first week getting them into the mindset that if we’re gonna do this, we might as well do it right. So it’s a lot of pep talk in the beginning of the year and about how we’re nationally famous and how people know our book,” said  Hansen.

Hansen’s helping hand, editor-in-chief senior Madi Mckenzie has helped the yearbook foundation blossom with all of her continuous efforts.

“I am the editor-in-chief this year. I am the person that designed the first five pages of the book and the last few. I, along with three others, went to yearbook camp this past summer and came up with the theme and cover design. It is such an honor to be editor-in-chief. Ms. Hansen’s first year of teaching, 25 years ago, my mom was her editor. It’s something really cool we can relate to,” said Mckenzie.

Within the class of 30 students, each and every member has an important role in multiple parts throughout the year.

Senior Briana Gedatus said, “I have really loved working for the yearbook. It’s a lot of work because there are only 30 people making a huge book for everyone in the school, and it’s kind of a lot of pressure because you want it to be perfect.”

They have two deadlines, one early in the year and one about halfway through the school year. For the first deadline, members get to work in teams of two, advancing their skills as much as possible. After that, and after their other training, they are officially on their own and they are given the opportunity to cover an assortment of different aspects of the student body.

“Me as a student and all the other students in the class literally do it all with the help of Ms. Hansen of course. We have to get quotes, make the page layouts, get all the information by asking, questioning and talking to people. We take the pictures and write the stories that go with the pictures,” said Gedatus.

Work ethic, prominent leadership and dedication has planted the foundation of this highly valued publication.

Mckenzie said, “It is such a pleasure to be able to work for the yearbook. I love that this book is something that people will look back on and remember their high school career. It’s one of the best feelings on pass out day, watching peoples’ faces light up seeing pictures of them.”