Chelsea Wilson was editor-in-chief from 2004-05. Wilson graduated from the University of Southern California and returned in April 2013 after living in Washington, D.C., for four years. Wilson is public policy communications manager and acts as spokeswoman for Lyft, a transportation system that uses an app to connect customers and drivers.
Q: How did working on the Octagon help you in college and your career?
A: I am an English and political science major. The Octagon was a great lesson in writing quickly and under pressure, which is a great skill to have in college and in the workforce.
Q: Have you kept in touch with any other alumni or Octagon staffers?
A: We all keep in touch through Facebook. I think every time Christmas or Thanksgiving comes around, someone will start a group text and we will grab dinner.
Q: What was your favorite thing about SCDS?
A: The people. Even now, I can go back to Country Day and find teachers who are so welcoming. They’re still really happy and energetic.
Q: Were there any big issues on campus when you were a student?
A: Everyone was always talking about expanding the campus or moving. There were a number of locations that were under consideration. At one point, they thought about moving to downtown Sac.
Q: What are your favorite memories?
A: Learning to write from all of the fantastic English teachers was really great for me. (English teacher Patricia) Fels had a big part in teaching me to write. Dr. (Ron) Bell’s class was always a lot of fun and made people enjoy learning. Ms. (Kay) Schweizer taught AP Art History and taught a fantastic class. I went to Italy with the AP Art History class, which was really cool. I got to see the works of art we learned about in her class. It was a very great trip.
Q: Did the administration ever get upset about the articles you wrote?
A: One of the great things about Country Day was that the school was really understanding of the fact that the Octagon was meant to voice the students’ opinions. I think there were some times when they weren’t thrilled with our articles, but Country Day teaches us to ask questions. It’s great that students can do things like that and push the boundaries.
Q: Any stories about being editor-in-chief?
A: Around paste-up there was always craziness, but a good kind of craziness. I think those were some of the moments when everybody was able to bond over getting the paper out. In general, we had such a fun time.
Q: Were you in any other clubs or any sports teams?
A: I was involved with the theater program. Corrine Cleary was the drama director. She was amazing and incredible. Her husband was involved with all the productions and helped out often.
Q: Biggest lesson from being editor-in-chief?
A: I can still function after not having any sleep! (Also) it was good to have high schoolers know that you can put something out there that has value and people will read. You’re really proud of what you write, and that’s a great feeling.
A shorter version of this column was previously published in the print edition on Nov. 25, 2014.
