Legend, the school’s yearbook, won Best in State for the first time ever in Wando’s history at South Carolina Scholastic Press Association fall convention Oct. 18..

“It was still just pure elation, overjoyed, you know just that swell up of intensity that finally we are there, finally we got it,” Yearbook Advisor Phillip Caston said.

Caston has been the yearbook advisor for the past five years, and has been determined to claim this title.

“We had never won Best in State through SCSPA in Wando’s 45 years,” said Greyson Webb, co-editor in chief.

The Best in State yearbook was the 2017-2018 edition called Echos under the direction of co–editor in chiefs Brooke Fletcher and Abbey Grace Byrd.

“It was Ms. [Principal Lucy] Beckham’s dream for Wando to win Best in State. She told him [Caston] in his interview that she wanted him to make us the best yearbook in the state,” said Marguerite Peterseim co-editor in chief.

“In my job interview she made it pretty clear that she wanted the best yearbook in the state. That’s kinda the tone she set for everything here at Wando — she wanted the best.” Caston said. The book winning Best in State meant so much to the staff because it was dedicated to Faith Dutton, who died in a car accident in May 2017.

“It felt like a bit of redemption for us. I mean we’ve had a very difficult time the last year and a half on yearbook, with our loss, and we dedicated the book to Faith Dutton, and it was feeling like we won it for her,” Caston said.

“Last year’s book was dedicated to Faith, so the fact that it won Best in State, everyone worked so hard to make a book for her, so the fact that it won really hit home.” Peterseim said.

Staffers won individual awards as well. Frank Jeffries won first place for Best Sports Photo, Olivia Wander won second place for two of her photos, and the yearbook cover won second best in the state for theme development and Greyson Webb and Ry Ulmer first place for page design. Another meaningful win for the team was Merritt Redden’s story about Faith, which received first place.

“Just a lot of things that were tied to this singular win that all kind of built up,” Webb said, “and meant a lot to the staff for various reasons.”