tion. Her sweetness keeps me going on the days I want to give up altogether. Meg Cannistra is vehemently devoted to the mission of YA and reaching our audience. She aspires me to want more for our readers constantly. The Passed Note would not exist without these women.
One woman in particular stood by me during the entire process. Lauryn (Polo, to everyone who knows her) was with me in grad school, where the idea first started. In between classes, we'd meet to talk about writing. When I told Polo about my idea, she overwhelmingly assured my this was not only awesome, but necessary.
We spent so much time over the next several months talking and planning. Polo was there for the first meetings, the first issue. After our first team meeting via Hangouts, Polo was there to reassure me that, despite my doubts, it had actually gone really well. She later would co-run our Instagram with Jeanette and make so many good suggestions for social media campaigns, she’s more than doubled our following.
I’d like to dedicate this issue to my second staff member, the woman who stood by me, and assured me that this idea was worth pursuing. Thank you, Polo. None of this would have happened without you.
Stephanie R. Johnson,
Editor-in-Chief