Quill and Scroll Releases Issue Five After Hiatus
Founded in 1926 at the University of Iowa, Quill and Scroll is an international honor society recognizing excellence in high school journalism. Following its merger with the National Scholastic Press Association in 2022, it expanded to over 14,000 schools in 38 countries. The organization encourages individual and group achievement in scholastic media, and for many campuses, it represents both prestige and creative opportunity.
At Miami Lakes Educational Center, the chapter is still new, founded in the 2024-2025 school year under the leadership of President Gianna Michel, Vice President Tiffany Perera, Secretary Bella Mia Saborio, Treasurer Edisleibys Cuesta, Historian Camila Garcia, and sponsor Michelle Castillo. All officers were juniors. In one year, they published literary magazines, organized submissions, and coordinated volunteer work, showing initiative beyond publications.
The club’s first year brought visible success. With approximately 80 members and four literary magazines published, Quill and Scroll quickly became a platform for writers and artists across campus. Meetings were active, submissions were consistent, and students were eager to see their work showcased. For many contributors, it was the first time their creativity had a formal platform, and the officers’ efforts inspired participation beyond the club itself.
However, as the 2025-2026 school year began, that momentum slowed. Many founding members graduated, and the officers entered senior year with heavier academic loads and other commitments. The club did not hold regular meetings this year, with only one announced at the last minute. Like many student organizations led by seniors, Quill and Scroll became quieter and less visible to the student body.
Still, the club did not remain inactive. On Feb. 14, 2026, Quill and Scroll released Issue Five, “In the Name of Love,” a Valentine’s Day-themed literary magazine featuring 16 student submissions. Published on The Harbinger’s website, it marked the first release of the 2025-2026 school year. Bella-Mia Saborio, Gianna Michel, and Ms. Castillo led the design, demonstrating that the organization could produce a publication even after months without regular meetings.
Behind the scenes, juniors Sebastian Sanchez and Andrinika Aimable helped organize the issue alongside the officers and Ms. Castillo. Together they gathered submissions, posted reminders and announcements, and kept contributors informed throughout the process. Planning began in late January with a focus on meeting the Valentine’s Day deadline, simplifying submissions and reaching students who might not have realized they could contribute.
“When we were first planning the issue, around late January, me and Ms. Castillo wanted to be realistic about when we could get one out. We thought we could pull together a magazine by February and decided to do the theme of Valentine’s Day and love as it matches with the month.
“First we needed submissions. I made an interest form to try to find people we could get submissions from, then I sent an email linked to a folder to submit their work. Having the folder easy to access was important as a main reason that many people don’t submit is because they don’t know where to submit,” Sebastian said.
While 16 submissions demonstrated that student creativity remained present, some contributors from the 2024-2025 school year chose not to participate in the latest issue. Junior Rachel Vasco, who appeared in multiple issues during the club’s launch year, said the lack of regular meetings influenced her decision.
“Being new in a club definitely motivated me to show my stuff. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to put my art out there and hoped maybe the school would take us artists a little more seriously. It made me feel like I fit in and like we could actually leave an impact on the school.
“I didn’t submit this year for a lot of reasons. I felt like the club was kind of silent, and it felt awkward to just submit to something that maybe wasn’t being appreciated. Why try so hard on something that in the end has no future? But also, I’ve become a lot busier with other things like schoolwork and my own personal life,” said Rachel.
Despite not submitting to the Valentine’s issue, Rachel said she remains open to contributing again if the club regains consistency and visibility.
“Of course I would submit again. If we continue to make issues, have more meetings, and if I’m able to make more art without feeling like it’s a chore, I would love to keep making art for MLEC and this club,” Rachel said.
Sebastian believes structure will determine whether the club can rebuild the momentum it experienced during 2024-2025. He emphasized that talent is not lacking, but organization, awareness, and consistent meetings must improve.
“More meetings for sure. As shown by the latest magazine we do not have a lack of talent, we just need to get organized and keep the members aware. Making the submission process easier is another goal,” Sebastian said.
Quill and Scroll at MLEC now stands at a transitional moment. It has experienced the rapid growth of its founding year and the slowdown that can follow leadership shifts. The release of “In the Name of Love” suggests that the foundation built in 2024-2025 still exists, but it requires consistent effort to sustain the club.
The Valentine’s Day issue proved that creativity is still active in the hallways. The question moving forward is whether that creativity can be matched with regular meetings, better communication, and renewed momentum for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year.
