As a sophomore at Mackenzie High School, when Delia Graham read The Mackenzie Dial, she was amazed that students in her school actually wrote the stories. Her English teacher, Leland Stein, was also the journalism teacher, and he told Graham she should join the newspaper staff.
“I’m not sure if I’ll like it, but I’ll give it a try,” Graham remembered saying when offered the chance.
Graham stayed on the staff of the Mackenzie Dial until she graduated in 2007, serving as editor-in-chief for her last two years and gaining leadership skills that continue to help her.
“Being the Editor-In-Chief meant that I was responsible for not only my articles, but helping my team find what they needed for their articles and editing their work to represent our school,” Graham said.
Writing for the newspaper also helped Graham gain confidence in her ability to express herself.
“The story I wrote about the conditions of our school and an article about marijuana use among teens, helped me to be fearless in my delivery of a given topic and be an advocate for my community,” Graham said.
After graduation, Graham went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she got both her bachelor's degree. Now she works at U-M as a clinical research coordinator for the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health where she helps with the placement of educational resources. She said being a high school journalist taught her lessons she uses when she works on the newsletter her department writes for clinical research professionals at U-M.
“I am constantly looking for feedback from others and I understand that it is a team effort to maintain consistency and quality in our publications,” Graham said.
Graham was editor for the final edition of The Mackenzie Dial. Because of low enrollment in the district, Detroit Public Schools announced that Mackenzie High School would close in June 2007 as Graham was graduating. This was a chance for the Dial staff to do an issue about how students, parents, teachers and alumni felt about the closing.
“It was sweet to graduate and know that I was moving to the next level, but it was sad because I knew I could never visit my old high school again,” Graham said.
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