Hartfield Academy’s The Legacy Wins Mississippi Yearbook of the Year

For Martha Seals, the recognition was a testament to the students’ hard work and creativity. “It is such an honor! The students poured their hearts into every page while capturing so many memories throughout the year,” she said. “This award celebrates the quality of the yearbook and the growth the team experienced throughout the year.”

Lori Jones compared the achievement to a state championship. “Winning this award shows the fruit of our work,” she said. “It reflects how we’ve grown and matured in our craft of graphic design, writing, and photography. God is working through us, and it’s showing.”

Megan Smith added, “It’s the best feeling ever.”

According to the advisers, The Legacy stands out for its willingness to take creative risks and its careful attention to detail. “Our team focused on a cohesive and meaningful design,” Seals explained. “Every element was intentional, and that made a difference."

Jones credited the yearbook’s bold approach and thoughtful theme. “We create unique designs that stand out,” she said. “This year, we focused on external growth and new achievements, blending newsprint, magazine inspirations, and subtle design choices to highlight the photos.”

Smith emphasized the team’s creativity, saying, “We’re willing to think differently than regular yearbooks. We turned a fun, odd theme into a graphic design dream.”

This year’s theme, “A New Era,” reflected a period of growth and transformation for Hartfield Academy. The team chose to highlight both academic achievements and physical additions to the campus. The design incorporated subdued colors inspired by Taylor Swift’s Reputation album and concluded with a symbolic butterfly to signify resilience.

“We aimed to rebuild our reputation and end on a note of hope,” Jones explained.

When asked about their favorite parts of the yearbook, the advisers shared their personal highlights.

Mrs. Jones chose the Local Arise spread, saying, “The final product was stunning.” Megan pointed to the football spread, which included morse code, calling it “bold and creative.” Mrs. Seals found it hard to choose, noting, “Each page and photo represents a unique aspect of the year.”

The advisers summed up The Legacy with words like “meaningful,” “bold,” and “innovative.”

As Hartfield Academy celebrates this accomplishment, the yearbook team’s hard work continues to inspire! We are so proud of this team.