By Tyler Wong
Millennium Brooklyn High School
Journalism has been a long-time interest of Liliana Stella.
“Journalism allows me to build a platform for myself and share my opinion freely,”
said the 16-year-old Greenvale resident who attends North Shore High School. “I love journalism’s impact on communities. Journalism allows people’s stories to be heard and motivates people to do better, and that’s something I want to be a part of.”
Liliana is involved in many school activities. “I am a member of my school’s dance team, I write for my school’s newspaper, and I am president of the Italian club,” she said.
Liliana has had an interest in journalism since middle school. “There was this extra-credit assignment, and I really wanted to do it, and once I did it I developed a deep love for it,” she said. “Journalism has been a contributing factor in building my confidence.”
She is interested in both print and broadcast journalism and has big plans regarding who she wants to become in the news business. She envisions herself as a writer and television news reporter because she loves meeting and talking to people and being on camera.
“I perceive the field of journalism as a field that is diverse, and it can reach out into almost anything,” she said. “And journalists have the biggest responsibility, which is to share the truth.”
Liliana applied to the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists because “I like to learn new writing skills that are not so formal.”
Most of the people in Stella’s life also think highly of her as a person and as an aspiring writer. Her friend Keira Jensen, who is also very involved in what she does both inside and outside of school, said “We are involved in a program together called Buddy Club. It is a club where we work with kids from North Shore Middle School who have different disabilities and help them become more comfortable socializing with their peers,” Keira said. “We do different things with them to get them engaged like games, making cards, etc.”
Keira described Liliana as “an amazing writer. She has a great vocabulary and imagination.”
Stella’s family, specifically Rosa Stella, her mother, believe that the Greene program could help her expand on her passion.
“Her passion for journalism started since she was in middle school and her writing continues to evolve and improve,” Stella said. “Her articles are intriguing to all audiences and very well developed.” Stella also perceives her daughter to be a great learner. “Liliana is very inquisitive, likes to think outside of the box, and is an extremely motivated student as well as a writer.”