By: Hayley Strahs

Graphics Editor

Between crafting the LGHS Yearbook, instructing karate, and performing in Color Guard, senior Quinn Mekler is a force to be reckoned with.

Mekler joined Yearbook in their sophomore year, and is currently one of four editors-in-chief. During fourth period, Mekler and the LGHS Yearbook team work to design, write, edit, and bring the whole book together for LGHS students to pick up on May 22. Mekler “has never been more excited to see a yearbook in [their] entire life,” and described, “with the amount of time I’ve spent looking at some of these pages, it’s just so rewarding to know that soon I’m gonna have a final product that I get to hold and keep forever.” Along with tangible design skills, Mekler learned all about leadership and communication that they will utilize throughout their time in college and beyond.

Since the start of freshman year, Mekler has also been involved in LGHS’s Color Guard, including as a captain for both the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 seasons. Every year, Color Guard’s Winter season, or Winter Guard, takes place between December and April, when they separate from the marching band to perform a show of their own. This year, Mekler and their teammates combined flags, wooden rifles, and mock sabers with dance in order to perform an intense five-minute show to The Pretender by The Foo Fighters. Mekler initially joined Color Guard because of both their positive experience with dance in middle school and because “it was a cool way to interact with a bunch of the friends [they] had in the marching band.”

Mekler plans to attend UC Santa Cruz this fall, studying either cognitive science or neuroscience. For Mekler, the nationally accredited research institution was the perfect pick because of its nearby location and unique campus. While UC Santa Cruz doesn’t have a color guard, Mekler is intent on joining one of the school’s martial arts clubs. Currently, Mekler participates in karate, and started instructing youth classes in January. Mekler began learning karate in seventh grade, and recently earned their ikkyu rank, the final rank before becoming a black belt.

Despite their numerous extracurriculars, Mekler is always sure to make time for their friends. In fact, Mekler’s favorite part of their entire high school experience has been spending time with peers, “whether it’s through a sport, like Color Guard, or just through finding time in between classes to talk people.” They advised underclassmen to “enjoy hanging out with people and don’t feel stressed out or feel like you have to keep a plan every single day.”

From tossing color guard equipment, sparring at their karate dojo, or simply hanging out  with their friends on a Saturday, Mekler is finishing out their senior year with a bang.