When The Sidekick leadership team was announced for the 2025-26 school year, my eyes locked in on a picture of a girl with black hair to her shoulders, a wide smile and a confident demeanor. I followed the picture down to the position and name. 

Executive news editor: Caitlyn Concepcion

Little did I know she would become my right-hand woman.

Caitlyn and I had never talked to each other before this year. We were just two other staff members out of 102 other students.

I remember on schedule pick-up day, everyone in the 2025-26 leadership team group chat shared our assigned Sidekick class periods. 

I texted: 2/6th period.

Caitlyn liked my message and said: me too.

On the other side of the screen, my face lit up with excitement; that is where history started. 

I am the assignment editor who handles news coverage and daily news while she is the editor in charge of large-scale news stories. 

In the beginning of our partnership, we started tossing ideas back and forth, trying to find good stories The Sidekick could cover. 

Whether dissecting The Coppell Gazette or looking at notes from Coppell City Council and Coppell ISD Board of Trustees meetings, we accomplished a lot that day and found a variety of stories. 

That’s when a lightbulb flickered in my mind. The news binds Caitlyn and I. 

Who would have thought that being a newshound could form bonds? Whenever I have a question, I go to Caitlyn. Whenever she has a question, she comes to me.

Somehow, the girl I once knew with black hair to her shoulders, a wide smile and a confident demeanor is more than my executive news editor.

She is a friend, my partner in crime and my fellow newshound. 

Follow Zaara (@sincerely_zaara) and @CHSCampusNews on X.