Senior Rain Shibata has been on Camas High School’s (CHS) yearbook staff for the past 3 years, serving this year as the editor-in-chief. She was recommended for yearbook her freshman year and has been a member of the program ever since. Her hard work and initiative set her apart from the beginning and have only developed as she has made her way through the program.

“She’s a really strong writer, a really strong designer, and she’s grown immensely in her leadership skills,” Yearbook adviser Kate Gooding said.

Through the yearbook, Shibata hopes not only to capture individual students and activities that deserve more coverage, but also to encapsulate CHS as a whole.

“[My goal is] just to make something that’s really honest and true to what the students want to see and what really represents our school community,” Shibata said. 

The heart and passion that Shibata brings to her work have left a lasting impact on other students in yearbook, specifically junior Sophie Jacobs. Jacobs and Shibata have known each other since they were four years old and Shibata was the one who convinced Jacobs to join yearbook. Jacobs will be the editor-in-chief for the CHS yearbook program for the 2025-2026 school year. She shared how she plans to carry on Shibata’s legacy.

“Rain is fantastic at knowing people’s strengths and playing to them as well as possible,” Jacobs said. “My goal is to keep that going to make it as efficient as possible because Rain really has that down.” 

In addition to her work on the yearbook, Shibata has also gained renown among her class for her artistic achievements. She was nominated as “most artistically gifted” for this year’s senior superlatives. 

“I honestly really don’t know [how I was nominated for the superlative], I didn’t even know I was in the running until people crowned me for it,” Shibata said. “But I think it shows through with people in ways that you wouldn’t expect.”

Shibata has been painting and drawing for nearly her whole life, but has really pushed her skills throughout high school. She has taken multiple years of Painting and Drawing, and is now in AP Studio Art with CHS art teacher Heidi Keith.

“She’s extremely thoughtful and articulate, and I think that what really jumps out is that she brings a lot of heart as well as a really high technical ability, which I think is kind of a rare combo,” Keith said.

Shibata’s work in art, writing, and design has allowed her to contribute to the CHS community in multiple departments, making achievements in art and design that will carry into her future.