Like many children, Grace Sin grew up wanting to be an actress or a lawyer. It was not until a trip to Korea during her freshman year in high school that Grace decided that she wanted to be a journalist. On that trip she spent much time watching talk-shows and news programs and realized that through journalism she could do something meaningful and informative, she could help others understand the world and what was developing around them.
Since she developed her passion for journalism Grace has become involved in a large number of journalistic based organizations both in and outside of school. As a senior at Staten Island Technical High School she is a member of the Young Producers Club and is familiar with the technology responsible for producing television broadcasts. Through her experience at the Young Producers Club she interned at the Staten Island Cable Television Station.
As well as doing much work on the production side of TV journalism Grace is an active member of her school’s newspaper and after her sophomore year of high school became involved with the Baruch’s College Summer Journalism Program, publishing the Here&Now newspaper. Grace is currently a teen correspondent for the Staten Island Advance.
Grace gets some of her biggest thrills from knowing that her articles influence the lives of her readers. She hopes to attend the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in journalism and aspires to one day be a part of a newsroom, piecing together the stories that people want and need to hear.
Benjamin Snyder
Townsend Harris High School senior Benjamin Snyder has considered journalism as one of his foremost passions since he began writing for his high school newspaper during his sophomore year.
Benjamin, who has been recently chosen as his school newspaper’s co-Editor-in-Chief is fiercely dedicated to the development of his passion and has taken part in a vast series of journalism-related activities. Last summer Benjamin attended an international leadership camp called Rising Sun. Over a course of the two months that he was there he became the Senior Editor of the camps weekly newsletter, The Rising Sun, a position that had never been given during the camp’s 75-year long history.
During his junior year of high school Benjamin was made an editor on his school newspaper’s editorial board, later becoming an Editor-in-Training and began work on his high school’s yearbook. Through his school Benjamin has attended a series of journalism based conferences sponsored by Baruch College.
This year Benjamin plans to take a Media Studies course as a part of the Bridge Year program, a program between Townsend Harris and Queens College designed to help prepare high school students for college.
Benjamin feels that his experiences in journalism have taught him not only how to run a publication, but to take initiative and to explore the various cultures and ideas that shape the world. He feels fulfilled when others read his work and start discussions based on his pieces. Benjamin is currently looking at colleges with strong journalism programs and hopes to be part of that school’s student newspaper. He dreams of one day becoming a professional journalist.
Ariel Brodsky
Ariel Brodsky is completely dedicated to her greatest passion, journalism. The Townsend Harris senior, recently named the co editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, The Classic, joined the newspaper in the beginning of her sophomore year so that she could broaden her writing skills. Soon after she came to realize how different journalism is from other forms of writing and quickly began to feel the sense of pride associated with seeing her name in print.
Ariel excelled during her sophomore year as a member of the newspaper and the editor-in-chief and advisor chose her as The Classic’s editor-in-training. Now, not only did she write articles but edited her peers’ work and began to learn the layout process.
In June of 2007 she found out that one of articles she had written for The Classic was a Bronze award winner in a contest sponsored by the Empire State School Press Association. In July of that year Ariel took part in Brown University’s “Putting Ideas into Words” week-long course and later that fall she was named to a position on The Classic’s Editorial Board.
Ariel loves being a part of the excitement that comes with reporting. This July she participated in a three-week-long internship with the Queens Ledger. Ariel hopes to attend Yale University and eventually be the editor-in-chief of Yale’s student newspaper.
Ariel says, “Clearly my journalistic ambitions will not end with my graduation from high school. The boundaries in journalism are endless, and I’m excited to have found a passion that is personally fulfilling as well as beneficial to my community.”
Melissa Chan
Most high school students try to avoid watching the news, Melissa Chan embraces the news. At the end of a busy day Melissa returns home, clamoring to watch the news and often is disappointed when she is to late to watch her usual news programs, even if her lateness is attributed to her staying late at school to put together the school newspaper.
Melissa is currently the Managing Editor of the Stuyvesant High School’s newspaper, The Spectator, an incredible feat considering she had only been on the board of her paper for about 4 months before receiving this position. As the Managing Editor Melissa has to edit between 28-32 articles per issue, two issues a week and oversees a staff of 290 students. By taking on the role of the newspaper’s managing editor she was forced to give up some of her other extracurricular activities, including varsity swimming, , but she is determined to be a journalist and feels that the sacrifice was well worth it.
Melissa believes that journalism has shaped her life. She feels that through journalism she has become more persistent, outgoing and assertive. She sees herself as a leader as she rallies her team to complete their work in a timely manner, creating an efficient work environment and helping solve conflicts in the newsroom. Melissa hopes that by continuing in journalism she will be able to learn more about herself and develop greater skills. Melissa intends to study journalism in college and pursue a career in it afterwards.
Paulina Karpis
Since 2001, when she entered and won her first writing competition, Paulina Karpis has pursued her love of writing and her dream of becoming a broadcast journalist. Paulina started writing for her school newspaper as a freshman and during her sophomore year was appointed the News Editor of her high school paper. As editor she runs meetings, holds workshops and teaches lessons in addition to editing and writing for the paper.
Paulina has won at least one writing competition a year since 2001 and as a part of one of her wins was able to write a column for a magazine based in Australia. A piece that she wrote based on life after 9/11 was published in “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: the Real Deal Challenges”. After her piece was published she was interviewed by NY1 and ARD, a public radio network based in Germany. As a result of her publications she has met with Congressman Vito Fossella, Spike Lee and Reg E. Gaines. She has received letters from Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Clinton, and Governor Paterson. In 2008 she was awarded The 2008 Alexander Hamilton Citizenship Achievement Award, honoring Paulina for her “outstanding achievement and community service.
Paulina whole-heartedly believes in the power of the press. She believes that democracy thrives in America because the media serves as a successful check on the government. She wants to uncover the injustices that take place in American society and expose them. Paulina plans to follow journalism where ever it might take her.