Graduation requirement leads  to Ross’ passion for yearbook

Like most students, Madilyn Ross was looking to find classes to fulfill her requirements.
Then a sophomore at Byron High School, she got involved with the yearbook because of it — and hasn’t looked back.
“I needed to fulfill an arts credit and the class fit the bill,” she said. “At the time, I was looking for something simple to do while managing my other classes. My interest piqued, however, when I realized how much I enjoyed being involved in the yearbook.”
Ross served as a yearbook staff member, assistant editor, then as editor this year, which took some coordination to pull off.
“Madilyn did take on a student editor role last year, her junior year, and it was a no-brainer for me to get her involved again for the 2025-26 yearbook,” yearbook advisor Brooke Bordelon said.
“We did have to play around with scheduling just a little to get her in a position to have time in her day to work on the yearbook.”
Bordelon said it was “an enthusiastic and very quick ‘yes’ when her counselor asked about placing her into an independent study course for yearbook this year.”
“Madilyn has proven to be an exceptional leader in the activities she is involved in. I have had the pleasure of working with her in our SADD chapter at BHS as well,” Bordelon wrote. “I am the new advisor of the SADD program this year, and Madilyn was so helpful at getting our activities up and running, and spent so much of her own time to make sure our events were a success.”
Ross said she loved the yearbook “because it is a group project.”
“Hundreds of people, and yes, I said hundreds, come together to create a book people will read for decades. I love the thrill of interviewing people, hunting down information, sending thousands of emails, and watching something so massive come together beautifully,” Ross said.
“Yearbook helps us learn how to interact in a business environment: how do I send a well-written email? How do I meet deadlines? How can I design this page to be appealing? These skills can’t just be taught, they need to be practiced,” she said.
“Yearbook is a group project that plays to everyone’s strengths. If you aren’t a very outgoing person, you may thrive in the designing domain. If you want to take photos, interview people, find stories — there is a place for you in the yearbook. It really is a beautiful thing to see such a project come together every year.”
In addition to yearbook and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Ross is involved in the Byron Drama Department, Unified Club, choir and National Honor Society.
After high school, Ross will serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She will then attend Brigham Young University-Idaho to pursue a degree in English education.
The way Bordelon sees it, Ross will be successful no matter what she does.
“Madilyn puts great care into everything she does,” Bordelon wrote. “She is funny, kind, caring and has a passion for getting things done. I cannot say enough positive accolades to sum up Madilyn Ross; she is going to do amazing things.”

Madilyn Ross tallies up the results of a SADD-sponsored seatbelt challenge at Byron High School. The 2026 BHS graduate drew praise from the SADD advisor for the time and effort she spent on making the group a success. 

Madilyn Ross, who will graduate with the Byron High School Class of 2026, will continue her education at Brigham Young University-Idaho after completing a mission for the church.