Macjournalism

Macjournalism The official page of the Shield (news magazine) and the Knight (yearbook) at McCallum High School in Austin.

READY TO RETIRE Printmaking teacher William Cauthern receives a congratulatory handshake from principal Andy Baxa on Thu...
05/18/2026

READY TO RETIRE Printmaking teacher William Cauthern receives a congratulatory handshake from principal Andy Baxa on Thursday, May 7. Friends, family, students and staff members of Cauthern’s gathered in the McCallum Arts Center to celebrate Cauthern’s retirement.

Along with food and drinks from the Visual Arts Booster Club, the gallery was full of art made strictly in Cauthern’s classroom. Intaglio prints, linocuts, clay heads and miscellaneous drawings from both present and past students accompanied Cauthern’s own prints. Despite having never taken a printmaking class himself, Cauthern spent 20-plus years teaching printmaking at McCallum.

“Cauthern has been the most impactful teacher I’ve ever had,” junior Toby Altuna said. “He is one of the first teachers that I’ve felt genuinely cares about his students.”

Altuna joined Cauthern’s class in their sophomore year. Not knowing a lot about him seemed daunting at the start, but less so as the year progressed, Altuna admitted. They appreciated how engaging and fun he made the class, but also Cauthern’s welcoming and playful attitude that came with his teaching.

“I am going to miss having a teacher who makes me laugh and talks about real things,” Altuna said. “He really allows students to figure out their art on their own. He is very adamant about creating for yourself and not just trying to make something for a grade, which makes the entire process of creating art so much more satisfying.”

Cauthern believes in self-discovery and determination, and runs his classroom under the principle of spontaneity. Even though he doesn’t follow it strictly, he’s always advocated for weirdness and fun. His impact on McCallum Fine Arts and the school as a whole is years-long and lasting.

Caption and photos by Carlo Hinsdale.

This fall, senior Ashton Ward will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, where they plan to double major in ae...
05/18/2026

This fall, senior Ashton Ward will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, where they plan to double major in aerospace engineering and Plan II Honors. They were drawn to UT for its unique balance of rigorous technical education and interdisciplinary learning.

“I chose UT because it has both an amazing engineering program and the Plan II honors program,” Ward said. “I really wanted the experience of a liberal arts school that has small discussion classes, while still having access to the resources and engineering courses of a large research university.”

Ward looks forward to continuing an education that blends multiple interests while preparing for a future in engineering.

“It’s really important to me that I can continue having an interdisciplinary education while still pursuing the specific career I’m interested in,” Ward said.

Throughout high school, Ward has been deeply involved in both academics and the arts. As an orchestra major in the Fine Arts Academy, they found a strong sense of community through music.

“Being in orchestra has given me a community of thoughtful, hard-working and talented people that I’m lucky to know and get to play music with,” Ward said. “I’m so grateful to have been taught by Mr. Pringle and Ms. Elder.”

Ward began playing the violin at a young age, and their experience in orchestra became a defining part of their high school years.

“I started playing violin when I was around 5 years old,” Ward said. “Although I won’t continue playing violin professionally, music will still continue to be a big part of my life and the memories I have made in orchestra will stick with me.”

In addition to their involvement in the arts, Ward has made a strong impact academically. They serve as an officer in both Science National Honor Society and Japanese National Honor Society, are a National Merit Finalist, a member of National Honor Society and a lead tutor at the math center.

Despite their many accomplishments, Ward values the everyday moments the most.

Caption continues in comments.

In the fall, senior Emerson Merritt will be attending Austin Community College to major in journalism and minor in educa...
05/18/2026

In the fall, senior Emerson Merritt will be attending Austin Community College to major in journalism and minor in education. She is planning on transferring to an in-state college to pursue journalism further and she is leaning towards the University of Texas due to their well-reputable program.

“I chose to major in journalism mainly because of my experience in journalism at McCallum,” Merritt said. “I’ve had a lot of amazing opportunities with Mac Journalism and the Knight yearbook, so I really took that into account when I decided I wanted to continue that as a possible career.”

Merritt is looking forward to learning more about journalism in college, but after her leadership positions within the yearbook she is also excited to minor in education.

“I originally didn’t think I wanted to be a teacher, but being editor in chief for yearbook two years in a row changed my mind,” Merritt said. “I really love teaching staffers, helping around the classroom and taking that lead role.”

While she is eager to see the opportunities she will have as a journalist, she is going to miss her friends and family.

“My little brother, Truman, is going to be a freshman next year and [when] I had the opportunity to be a freshman while my older sister was a senior it really made my freshmen year much better,” Merritt said. “Even though I'm staying home this upcoming year, still not being at the same school as him makes me sad.”

Merritt is excited to enter the college world and expand her experiences within journalism.

“I love going to events and meeting new people, specifically for journalism, so I'm really excited to take the next step and do it at a college level,” Merritt said. “While minoring in education, I'm also excited to see if I decide to pursue teaching or not in the future. I’ve thrown around a lot of possible jobs so I'm ready to see where I end up.”

Caption by Carson Duncan. Photo courtesy of Emerson Merritt.

Senior Elliana Rocap will be attending Colorado University at Boulder in the fall to major in biochemistry. After taking...
05/18/2026

Senior Elliana Rocap will be attending Colorado University at Boulder in the fall to major in biochemistry. After taking the AP Biology course at McCallum last year, Rocap knew she had found her passion.

“I chose biochemistry because I want to go into the medical field and I have always been really interested in biology,” Rocap said.

While knowing she wanted to go into the science or medical field, during her visit, Rocap attended a seminar, confirming her decision at CU Boulder.

“I chose CU Boulder because when I attended admitted students day I went to a seminar about the pre-health counseling and it was extremely comprehensive,” Rocap said.

After all the friendships she has formed and the lessons she’s learned, Rocap is excited for her next chapter in a new city.

“I am looking forward to meeting new people and living in a new place,” Rocap said. “But I am also nervous about starting over away from my friends and family in an unfamiliar city.”

Rocap is a three sport athlete in high school, majoring in dance, playing volleyball and running track. She plans to continue her passion for athletics in the future through the medical or science field.

“I plan to go to either medical school or [physical therapy] school and I hope to become a physical therapist or go into physical medicine and rehabilitation for athletes and dancers,” Rocap said.

While getting ready to end her senior year, Rocap reflects on the effects McCallum has had on her through her high school years, and how it has prepared her to start her freshman year at CU Boulder next fall.

“McCallum has prepared me by allowing me to learn how to manage my own schedule and conflicts,” Rocap said. “And the diversity brought from the fine arts program has really benefited me through the years and allowed me to meet so many amazing people.”

Caption by Piper Adair. Photo courtesy of Elliana Rocap.

Starting in the fall of 2026, senior Rylie Ruppersburg will attend UT Austin, to major in business. When it came to pick...
05/18/2026

Starting in the fall of 2026, senior Rylie Ruppersburg will attend UT Austin, to major in business. When it came to picking a college, Ruppersburg was attracted to the university’s business program along with the opportunities that come with being in the city.

“I’ve wanted to be close to home, but it’s also a big city, so that’s nice,” Ruppersburg said.

Starting from a young age, Ruppersburg was intrigued with entrepreneurship and quickly learned that it was something that she wanted to pursue.

“I have always liked entrepreneurship and I had different little businesses when I was a little kid,” Ruppersburg said. “I knew that I wanted to do something like that in the future.”

Reflecting back on her experiences at McCallum, Ruppersburg has enjoyed your classic high school activities, like football games and dress up days.

“Participating in spirit days, like dressing up for halloween, that’s always fun,” Ruppersburg said.

Ruppersburg has been a part of many groups at McCallum including student council, yearbook—where this year she is the senior ad editor—NHS, Keyclub, and on top of all of that, an art major. Between everything, she is looking forward to college and the new experiences it will bring her.

“I look forward to meeting new people and also getting more independence,” Ruppersburg said.

Even though she anticipates the change, she will remember the things that McCallum has taught her, like helping with her management of school and extracurriculars, along with the connections she’s created.

Caption by Vera Petrowsky. Photo courtesy of Rylie Ruppersburg.

In the fall, Sage Flowers will leave for Colorado State University. Her love for nature and the outdoors drew her to the...
05/18/2026

In the fall, Sage Flowers will leave for Colorado State University. Her love for nature and the outdoors drew her to the college, and she hopes to be able to spend more time exploring the landscape.

“I’ve always loved being outdoors like hiking, biking, backpacking, all that stuff,” Flowers said. “After visiting a couple different places, when I went to Colorado State it just felt right. I could really see myself being here for the next four years.”

Colorado itself is a special place to Flowers, as she grew up going there with her family every summer.

“In my family it was never an issue planning a vacation because every summer we take a road trip to Colorado,” Flowers said. “So it kind of feels like a second home to me in a way.”

Even though Colorado may be comforting to Flowers, she still looks forward to the challenge of living on her own.

“I’ve never really known anything outside of living in Austin,” Flowers said. “I’m really excited to branch out and have an experience that might be uncomfortable, because that’s the time when you grow the most. In all honesty I’m most excited to find who I am outside of my home town.”

Flowers got in for bio-medical sciences, but has been debating switching her major to business. Her interest in bio-medical came from her fascination with sciences and wanting to go into STEM.

“During the college process I started realizing that I wanted to go into something in the STEM field, I just didn’t know what,” Flowers said. “I thought maybe psychology or physical therapy for a long time, so I picked bio-medical to really just be able to explore the STEM field before I pick specifically.”

Looking back, Flowers is most grateful for the community McCallum offered her in her time here.

“Coming from a school where I didn’t know many people, I was really nervous to come to McCallum and make new friends, but everyone here is so supportive and nice that I quickly found my people,” Flowers said. “I’m honestly really going to miss it.”

Caption by Zanna Allen. Photo courtesy of Sage Flowers.

Next spring, senior Chim Becker will attend the University of Texas at Austin after a semester at Austin Community Colle...
05/18/2026

Next spring, senior Chim Becker will attend the University of Texas at Austin after a semester at Austin Community College. Becker was always cognizant of UT, but wasn’t initially interested in attending. As time went on, though, she warmed up to the idea; now taking pride in her acceptance.

“I’ve definitely been aware of UT for a long time,” Becker said. “Being completely frank, I disliked UT for a long time because I just rejected the idea of staying in Texas, and I never really gave it any deeper thought. I didn’t want to give UT a chance, but as soon as I did, I started realizing how cool of a school it really is. I think it’s awesome that it’s considered one of the best public schools in the nation, and it definitely makes me happy that I get the opportunity to go to such a respected university.”

Becker recounts her experience in freshman year, saying that it helped set the tone for the rest of her year, and show her a strength she didn’t know she possessed.

“I was paralyzed freshman year, which definitely taught me a lot, it kind of showed me a strength that I didn't know I had, because I'd never been through something like that,” Becker said. “And I felt like that kind of set the tone for my high school experience because I feel like I've gone through a lot of stuff, whether it be like with my relationships or with, you know, my personal life that have kind of shown me a lot about what kind of things I'm able to sort of get through on my own.”

As a whole, Becker experienced a lot of challenges over the course of her high school career, but she believes that those challenges were necessary for her growth.

“I would say high school has probably been the hardest years of my life, but for a really good reason,” Becker said. “I feel like going through hard things is one of the best things that can happen to you, because it really shows yourself who you are. I also think throughout high school I've made a lot of mistakes.
I've screwed up a lot. High school teaches you a lot, learning from your mistakes is one of the big selling points of high school.”

Senior Charlotte Cross will be attending University of Tampa in the fall, where she will major in criminology. Cross cho...
05/18/2026

Senior Charlotte Cross will be attending University of Tampa in the fall, where she will major in criminology. Cross chose this major, due to her interest in crime documentaries, which have fascinated her since she was young. However, Cross is keeping her mind open to other majors at Tampa in case she decides to switch to something more in the medical field.

“I’ve always been very interested in the psychology behind criminal behavior, so I wanted to start out by majoring in criminology,” Cross said. “I’m also considering majoring in nursing as well, since Tampa is known to have a good nursing program.”

Cross said that a big reason she chose Tampa was due to its proximity to the beach, where she looks forward to spending her free time aside from school. Cross also was looking for a smaller school where she could find smaller lectures and less chaotic environments.

“Tampa has a smaller and beautiful campus that’s right on the river bay and twenty minutes from the beach,” Cross said, “I’ve always really loved the beach and wanted to be near one during college.”

Cross thinks that her AP United States History class was a class that will prepare her well for college, due to the heavy course load and learning she did on her own. One thing she will miss about McCallum is the sense of community she’s found in the volleyball program, as well as seeing all of her friends everyday.

“The thing I’ll miss most about McCallum are my friends and the community,” Cross said. “I’m really going to miss the volleyball team and playing with all of my best friends.”

Caption by Sienna Martens. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Cross.

Senior Charlotte Cross will be attending University of Tampa in the fall, where she will major in criminology. Cross cho...
05/18/2026

Senior Charlotte Cross will be attending University of Tampa in the fall, where she will major in criminology. Cross chose this major, due to her interest in crime documentaries, which have fascinated her since she was young. However, Cross is keeping her mind open to other majors at Tampa in case she decides to switch to something more in the medical field.

“I’ve always been very interested in the psychology behind criminal behavior, so I wanted to start out by majoring in criminology,” Cross said. “I’m also considering majoring in nursing as well, since Tampa is known to have a good nursing program.”

Cross said that a big reason she chose Tampa was due to its proximity to the beach, where she looks forward to spending her free time aside from school. Cross also was looking for a smaller school where she could find smaller lectures and less chaotic environments.

“Tampa has a smaller and beautiful campus that’s right on the river bay and twenty minutes from the beach,” Cross said, “I’ve always really loved the beach and wanted to be near one during college.”

Cross thinks that her AP United States History class was a class that will prepare her well for college, due to the heavy course load and learning she did on her own. One thing she will miss about McCallum is the sense of community she’s found in the volleyball program, as well as seeing all of her friends everyday.

“The thing I’ll miss most about McCallum are my friends and the community,” Cross said. “I’m really going to miss the volleyball team and playing with all of my best friends.”

Caption by Sienna Martens. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Cross.

Class of 2026 graduate Aiden Reyes plans to take a gap year before majoring in marine sciences at the University of Conn...
05/18/2026

Class of 2026 graduate Aiden Reyes plans to take a gap year before majoring in marine sciences at the University of Connecticut in the fall of 2027. During his gap year, Reyes intends to work a job to be able to financially support himself while going out-of-state and away from home.

“[Taking a gap year] was honestly more so considering the expenses of going to school out of state, but during that time I also wanted to spend some time saying my good-bye’s to people,” Reyes said. “Right now I am going into a seasonal job where I basically check in people who rent a pool. It’s kind of like a lifeguard, but more so I check the chemicals, make sure it’s clean, make sure people follow the rules of the pool and make sure that the correct guests are coming in.”

While working a pool-service job is a new experience for Reyes, working with chemicals, water and people is not going to be unprecedented.

“I used to go to Ann Richards and be in the biomedical sciences pathway so I took microbiology and that familiarized me with working in a lab overall,” Reyes said. “I’m almost known for knowing niche little facts about certain marine animals and so it’s definitely one of my passions.”

With his rather extensive background in science, Reyes aims to go into college majoring in marine sciences in hopes of becoming a marine conservationist.

“Back in freshman year, I took biology and we watched this documentary about the illegal fish market and I found that I wanted to be somebody who contributed to help restore coral reefs,” Reyes said.

Taking his education from Austin to Storrs, Connecticut is a big jump for Reyes, but UConn checked off a variety of criteria that helped him in his decision.

“I went to one of the college visits there and the campus stood out to me,” Reyes said. “The state also felt like a stable area politically and I do like colder weather a lot more so it’d be nice to experience actual snow. Not only that, but UConn is known for basketball and basketball is one of my favorite sports out there to watch, alongside volleyball, so that was definitely a considerable factor.”

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