AV Journalism students have been recognized for their achievements during this spring’s National Student Media Contests. 

The contests occurred during the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention which is a semiannual gathering of high school journalism students and educators. The convention is organized by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. During the contests, 438 students across the nation entered their publications in contests for photography, broadcasting, graphic design, literary magazine, design, and writing. Out of the 438, only 218 students earned recognition. There were 100 honorable mentions, 80 excellent awards, and 38 superior awards. Each school was only allowed to enter one publication per category. Winning an achievement is not an easy task, so those who did win expressed their gratefulness for their accomplishments. 

“I feel pretty good about what I wrote. Getting an honorable mention was pretty good. I feel like I worked hard on it and I think it was worth it,” said Matt Carter (‘22) on his sports story about Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich. 

Leila Touati (‘22) also received an honorable mention for her story on an organization called “Chemo Bags of Hope”. 

“I feel really ecstatic. I wasn’t really expecting anything, but I was really happy that my work and everyone’s work in AVJ was recognized,” said Touati. 

Jasmine Andrea (‘23) won an excellent ranking in review writing for her piece on stand-up comedian Sam Ellefson. 

“I was happy with the article I wrote but I never thought I would win with it since I’ve never done this before. I didn’t actually see the award ceremony, but a fellow journalism student congratulated me which is how I found out that I won something,” said Andrea. 

Sonali Carumbaya (‘21) received an excellent ranking in commentary writing for her writing on the flawed electoral college system. 

“I was really happy about my results. I actually lucked out with the topic, because I had studied it and done a lot of research prior to the contest,” said Carumbaya.

Jamilla Zuniga (‘23) earned an excellent ranking for her poem on social distancing and reflected on the feedback she received. 

“I ended up not having as much time as I would’ve liked to polish my entry, so the comments and advice provided by the judges were very helpful. In a lot of writing competitions I’ve participated in, criticism and/or comments weren’t given to writers, which rids competitors of the opportunity to reflect on their mistakes and perform better the next time around,” said Zuniga. 

Trisha Khattar (‘21) and Nina Moothedath (‘21) were rewarded with an excellent ranking when they created a podcast discussing the history of race and inclusivity in the Pleasanton community.

“I was actually very proud of what we created- it’s not often you get to delve deep into a topic that’s so relevant and powerful, especially right now. Along the way, we learned a lot about how Pleasanton has evolved (or not evolved) regarding inclusivity and diversity, and what we can do or advocate for right now to keep evolving. We hope that our listeners did too,” said Khattar.

Renna Popli (‘23), Mandy Wong (‘22), and Soumya Sahay’s (‘21) earned the highest ranking, superior, for their online package about anti-Asian sentiments in the Bay Area.

“Our online package highlights those who have worked resiliently to tackle the hatred [against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] – a reporter who has brought AAPI stories into the public eye, an assemblyman who has worked on passing legislation, and students who have used social media to warn of some of the misinformation circulating. They have each worked to bring us together instead of apart. Thanks to the hard work by my team members Renna and Soumya, we were able to put together a fantastic story, complete with a podcast and photo gallery,” said Wong. 

Journalism 1-2 teacher Stephanie Kamali congratulated the students on their achievements. 

“I feel incredibly proud of the students’ hard work and dedication. Our class has such talented journalists. What makes them so special is that they have unique talents and strengths that they get to show off.  When this is combined with motivation, it  is a dynamic pairing for success. It’s absolutely impressive and inspiring,” Kamali.

AV Journalism teacher Wendy Connelly also applauded all journalism students who participated and succeeded in the contest. Connelly has encouraged students to participate in similar journalism competitions since she took charge of the program 10 years ago. 

“I am so proud of all the students since every win is a win for all of our students. This is a program where students train each other, work with each other, and learn from each other. This year is the most awards we have ever won at one time, and I could not be prouder of all the students who competed. I think they are hard-working and amazing, and this just proves what I already knew,” said Connelly.