Category: Profiles

By Chloe Findlay
Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School

A dribble up the court, a ball flying through the air, fans rising out of their seats, hearts in their throats, SWISH! This is the way Chadwick Roy, a rising senior at Mathematics, Science Research and Technology Magnet High School in Cambria Heights, Queens, got into journalism.

An NBA playoffs game in 2020 with his friends and family led to a realization for Chadwick–or more realistically–his friends. As Chad and his friends were watching the game, Chad got more and more upset by what a sports journalist was saying. Chad recalled that “he was saying that this team wasn’t going to make it, but I’m telling you, this team IS going to make it. They don’t have an all-star, but they are a good team, they have a good core…and that team so happened to go all the way to the finals.”

That’s when his step-dad turned to him and suggested he try journalism. Chad recalled his step-dad telling him, “You know your facts. You should try to learn how to be a journalist, be on TNT as a career”. 

Chad started focusing on his writing more. And with the help from a favorite teacher, Ms.Richardson, he applied for the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. He was slightly reluctant to apply. “Some writing programs are boring, but my English teacher brought it to me, my journalism teacher brought it to me. They.told me it’s a good program…and so far it’s been good”

As for what field of journalism Chadwick wants to go into, it’s always been sports. “I started writing in the sports section of my school paper. It just clicked. I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

When he and his brother, Jeremy, were younger, their dad used to watch them play basketball. His dad’s passing in 2020 was a driving factor that kept Chad playing sports, pursuing journalism and working towards all of his many goals.

His 15-year-old sister Sydney recalls SAT season when “he was studying every single day, and he was like ‘everyone, you need to be quiet right now.’” But when it comes to his sports, he is even more motivated. “I’ll go outside and play with him, and my little brother sometimes…and when he’s really into it, I’m like, you can’t block the 9-year-old, Chadwick..

Chadwick’s family is his greatest support system. Jeremy, Chad’s 9 year-old little brother, said “I’m always there for Chadwick and he’s always there for me.”. Sydney says the two brothers are inseparable. When the two are playing basketball, “they’re always on the same team, they never split”. 

His mom was also a huge part of his success in life and in journalism so far. Chadwick remembers that “my mom would always tell me to write. Write for this, write for that. At that age I thought it was boring.” 

By Ianna Banfield
Park Slope Collegiate

Camila Rojas sees journalism as a path to a successful law career. A stop on that path is the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists.

“Journalism interests me because it’s a great outlet to learn about current world problems and about all different types of people,” the Hempstead High School rising junior said. “As my dream is to become a lawyer, I think that it’s important to know what’s going on in the world in order to know how to fix the problems that our world is currently facing. I am not extremely familiar with the field of journalism yet. I just want to learn more about it.”

Camila, 16, who lives in Hempstead, manages her school’s social media and is active in after-school programs and community service, 

In her free time, she reads, watches videos on Netflix and YouTube, and takes care of her little sister, but it is painting that captures her imagination. 

She sketches out her ideas — an object, a person or beautiful scenery — and lets her imagination go. “I’ve always been into art whether it was drawing or coloring,” Camila said. “My mom tells me that when I was little, I was always coloring and that I hardly ever played with my toys because I was always doing something art related.” 

Her art pieces are a reflection of her imagination, and her words are a reflection of her passion for the arts, “I love painting because it’s the one thing that brings me peace while at the same time creating something beautiful. I find it to be an outlet for my feelings and in ways it helps me express myself.”

In addition to her artistic skills, Camila has a writing skill that can help with word use — poetry. Her sister, Fiorella, 9, said, “The poems that Camila writes are really in-depth. She’s also very bubbly, intelligent, open-minded, and confident.”

For Camila, journalism is a way to project her voice and help solve the world’s issues.  “What I like about journalism is how you are essentially talking and informing others about real life problems. I think it’s very important to know and understand what’s happening in the world around them, which is why journalism is a great way to do so.”

One powerful motivation to study journalism and law is the need for justice, Camila said. “I don’t ever like to see others suffer, and I try my best to do the best I can to help someone, no matter how big or small it is.” 

Camila follows the news regularly, mostly watching Telemundo and Unavision. She admires Spanish language journalists that she sees on those channels for sharing information with native Spanish speakers like her. 

Attending the Greene boot camp, she said, was part of her plan to learn more about journalism. “I want to get pushed out of my comfort zone and learn more about it.” 

By Aarya Patel
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School

Demi Cabness really wants to get into reporting, not only with words but also with cameras and sound equipment. 

“I’m interested in film and editing,” Demi said.

Her mother, Michelle, said that Demi, who has her own YouTube channel, has the right chops as a video and content editor.

However, Demi knows that it all starts with a story and she has long known that she loves to read and write. A rising junior, Demi attends Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy High School 1, where she had a writing class that led her to the Robert W. Greene Institute for High School Journalists. She said she is looking for a college where she could make journalism her major. 

“I’m interested in psychology as well,” Demi, adding that she believes a psychology major could enhance her reporting.

She found the Greene Team through a search for college-like experiences. The course has been helpful, but said she would enjoy it more if it was in-person, something impossible during the Pandemic. Her mother is of another mind on this. “I was very reluctant to send my daughter to this program at first before realizing that it was virtual,” she said. “After hearing that I was excited for my daughter to be in this program.”

One of Demi’s plans is to get a job and save money for a DSLR camera, better laptop, a microphone and editing software. Right now she feels she is limited without the equipment.

“I need some new equipment to motivate me to make these videos,” Demi said.

She would like to become a vlogging content creator for fashion, and the skills she is learning at the Greene Institute will give her vlogs strength.

At the same time, she is learning by watching YouTube channels of others, including Josh and Izzy, Deshae Frost and Princess Jay. 

Although she understands that social causes and politics are important, she prefers to follow her own path but said she knows that she will eventually get involved in them.

“When I have to vote, I will try my best to understand politics,” Demi said.

By Noel Gonzalez
Bard High School Early College Queens

Alex Chen, a 15-year-old rising senior at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn with “a passion for writing” who is also interested in video production, found his way to journalism with the encouragement of his ninth-grade English teacher.

Alex, who has some experience in anime music video editing, said he would like to focus on broadcasting “probably because I like to shoot video. That’s mostly what I like to do.”

Vivian Wanjing, Alex’s 16-year-old sister, who describes her sibling as “intelligent, hardworking and persistent,” said he has been searching for ways to improve his writing and “started to read more books about it so he could get more ideas and to expand his creativity.” 

Vivian is confident in Alex’s interest and skills in journalism. “I think that he will be liking professional journalism. And I think he will be more sure about his career in the future, like college and such.” 

Alex said he wanted to attend the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists to improve his writing skills and soak up knowledge about different areas of interest. 

“I hope to improve my editing skills in general. I do the AMV videos, but I am a beginner, I am also interested in a multimedia environment, I have never been exposed to it, and I found that it was very interesting.”

By Shian James-Harden
Gotham Professional Arts Academy

“Ain’t no time to hate, barely time to wait.” A quote from Jerry Garcia that Dan Stark of East Quogue lives by. To him, it means that “there’s too much anger in this world. There’s not enough time we have on this planet to be mad at one another.”

Dan, described by his friends as an outgoing and comfortable person to be around, has many passions that shaped who he is. 

His love and appreciation for music that began when he was 9 has helped him become a talented musician. As a rising senior at Westhampton Beach High School, he is an active member of his high school’s pit orchestra and jazz ensemble while also participating in a band called En Fuego. One of the best parts of being on stage, as Dan puts it, is getting to share his passion with the world. “I feel like my best self when I am performing on stage.” 

“I enjoyed the time when he was creating flyers for the Battle of the Bands,” Dan’s journalism teacher, Kristen Metts, said while discussing one of her favorite memories of him. “He designed flyers in Canva and had me print about 20 flyers. He and a classmate, Jake, went out to hang them in the school. He was back in a very short time asking for at least 20 more. His enthusiasm and excitement were memorable because it was the first big event for him post-COVID.” 

Dan’s passion for journalism stems mainly from his investment in unbiased views on real-world issues. He noted that he values “being able to look at both sides of an argument and debate and respect it. I’m inspired to write to do my part on giving the world unbiased, fact-based news.” 

This drove Dan to become his school paper’s editor, an experience that has helped him achieve his goals. “He quickly became my editor this year because he’s a fantastic writer and responsible,” Metts said. “He’s quirky in a good way — marches to his own beat and is respected by peers and school faculty.” 

Dan applied to the Stony Brook University journalism program and the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. He hopes the experiences during “Greene Week” will help him on his desired path toward becoming a political journalist.

 He hopes to learn editing and broadcasting skills so he can create dynamic content focusing on political analysis. His prior work showcases his recognition of how important distributing unbiased news is, something he hopes to provide through a successful career as a political journalist.

 “Being in this program represents an incredible opportunity to sharpen my skills and increase my understanding of journalism,” Dan said.

By Emely Ou Feng
John Dewey High School

“Disciplined, smart and an overachiever” is how Daniel Polonia’s mother, Milena Carrizo-Polonia, describes him. But those words barely describe Daniel’s aspirations.

Danie, of Manhasset, is a rising senior at Baldwin High School. His parents encouraged his education. “Aside from the fact that my father (also Daniel) is not educated, he taught me to cherish every opportunity, which was mostly from school,” Daniel recalled.

 As a result, he has participated in various academic and artistic programs to expand his learning. “I have a lot of interests,” he said, but “journalism is my new hobby.”

Daniel also pursues musical theater with a passion to express himself. Recently he worked behind the scenes directing and managing the equipment for his high school’s production of “Once on This Island.”  “I’m passionate about musicals,” he said. “I like the theater culture and like to be part of this amazing community.” 

Daniel has friends from different ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQ+ groups. “My friends educated me on LGBTQ+ topics, and more. I really appreciate it, that I’m not ignorant of what was around me.”

  Working with the local community, he has been involved with the Key Club, designing posters and projects. “Daniel strives to be a better person, he is always out there.” his mother said.

   In addition, Daniel works at his friend’s Rockville Centre restaurant, Color of Spices, waiting on customers, and sometimes delivering. 

“I see myself working as a lawyer, journalist, theater worker, and even other positions in the future,” Daniel said. He is eager to put his interests into operation, perhaps doing family, intellectual property, environmental or entertainment law.

Daniel has joined a college program to study law at Columbia University. In the classroom, he said, he enjoys seeing an opponent’s views that challenge him to rethink or even reshape his perspective. “I want to see where they are coming from, instead of criticizing that they are wrong,” Daniel said.

Journalism comes in handy when he wants to use his voice for awareness in his writing. Daniel said he is interested in social causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement and Stop Asian Hate, as well as immigrant advocation. “I’m Hispanic, and I see what’s going on around me,” Daniel said.

 He said he hopes that attending the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists will improve his news writing. “It’s for everyone, anything can be related to journalism, and I know the Greene Institute could help me gain experience in editing, shooting photos, and working with my laptop.”

By Daniel Polonia
Baldwin Senior High School

Emely Ou Feng wants to use her experiences as an outsider to help others.

As a Chinese girl born in the Dominican Republic, Emely knew what it was like to be different. Nothing changed when her parents sent her to China at the age of four to be with her grandmother. Although her first language was Spanish, she had to learn Mandarin. She was in an Asian world but once again was seen as different due to the way she spoke. “It is not okay to be seen as different in China.” Emely said. 

“My grandmother is my biggest motivator. She makes me want to be a better person,” Emely said. She stayed with her grandmother until she turned eight, when she returned to the Dominican Republic to be with her parents. With time, she said her knowledge of Spanish had been reduced to almost nothing, so she remained quiet and introverted. “I remember one day, I bumped into a boy at school. I apologized to him in Spanish and he turned around and said, ‘Oh, you can actually speak?’” 

After researching online, Emely wanted to seek a better education in America. She was able to persuade her parents to move to Brooklyn when she was 11. 

“It was easy,” Emely said of the adjustment. She was no stranger to new experiences, but this time she would not let others see her as the quiet and shy girl that she had been. 

As a freshman in John Dewey High School, in Gravesend, Brooklyn, Emely, now 15, became a goalie on the soccer team and made friends. One of them is Alex Chen, who said that “Emely’s biggest priority is school. She is passionate about her success and what she can do for herself and others in the future.” 

Emely is also passionate about consuming and creating horror and suspense stories. 

This love of writing led to an interest in journalism, where she aspires to create a name for herself covering politics, investigations, recovery from warfare, and social equality. In these areas of journalism, Emely believes she can make an impact. “When I write, I will discuss my first-hand experiences and use my voice to help others who have been in my shoes,” she said.

In order to reach this goal, Emely is participating in the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. 

Emely has learned that she should not be afraid to speak because she was different. She knows that every outsider has thoughts that can change the world, and her goal is to help every one of them – including herself – become an insider. 

“I want to prove everyone wrong.” Emely said.  “I want to use my voice to help as many people as I can.” 

By Oona Montandon
Millennium Brooklyn High School

How does one find success as a high school journalist without a school paper to write for, a school culture to write about, or even a physical high school? 

“It’s a little different,” said 15-year-old Shayaan Tirmizi, who has, along with his two brothers, been homeschooled since 2012.

In lieu of a traditional school paper, Shayaan took the initiative in April 2020 to start his own blog, initially focusing on tech, primarily Apple. His attention has shifted, so “now when I write, it’s whatever comes to mind,” he said. 

Shayaan is pleased to have joined the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. His mom regularly sends him links to programs he might be interested in, and the Greene Institute immediately sparked some interest. 

“So I emailed,” he explained, “asking about the due date and they wrote back saying, ‘Today is the last day to send in an application, send one in today!’”

Shayaan was excited to spend a week exploring journalism, especially using Clipchamp and getting a taste of broadcast work. 

Journalism is not Shayaan’s only area of interest, nor his only prospect. “If journalism doesn’t work out,” he said, “I’d move on to teaching.” Probably English, or something related to writing. 

According to older brother Rayyan, Shayaan “was always a good writer and he always had a great imagination.” 

When he isn’t writing or doing schoolwork, Shayaan enjoys playing basketball at local courts. There he’s been able to meet many new people and made some good friends. “There’s a lot of assumptions” about homeschooling he said, particularly that homeschoolers don’t have a lot of friends. But given Shayaan’s commitment to outside activities, such preconceived notions do not apply. 

Shayaan believes the Greene Institute could be instrumental in his  future. He loosely plans on attending Stony Brook University, as his brother will soon, and hopes to study journalism there, especially if his week on the Greene Team is rewarding. 

When it comes to specific areas of journalism, as well as his broader future, Shayaan is “open for anything.”  

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.”

By Demi Cabness
HCZ Promise Academy 1 Charter School

Aarya Patel wants to be a political newshound. 

It began indirectly with the 17-year-old from Port Jefferson getting interested in YouTubers such as Dig MC and PewDiePie who specialize in gaming videos. They inspired him to want to create his own channel.

“I grew up watching these famous YouTubers and always admired what they did, but never knew how much work it actually took to put the videos together,” Aarya said. He soon realized he needed to learn how to work with and be behind a camera, so he put his dream of becoming a YouTuber on hold. 

In the meantime, the rising senior at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School tuned into numerous news stations and felt inspired. 

“I loved watching the current political events, foriegn affairs and citizens standing up against injustice on channels like CBS and news platforms online like The New York Times,” he said. 

 The Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ movements are news events he enjoys watching unfold. 

“Events like protests from these groups led my interest further into filmography, and I realized I wanted to be more than a YouTuber,” Aarya said. “I want to present to a large platform that can always watch. I want to be the person with the most important job, behind the camera, who captures the essence in events that everyone is eager to see.” He wants to be in a news station covering modern issues in the world and “capture the quick moments no one sees.” 

His interest in journalism doesn’t end there. He found his way into photography as well when he took some of his most memorable photos on a family vacation to Hawaii. “I photographed volcanoes, beaches, sunsets and terrains,” he said. 

He soon realized he was interested in both videography and photography, but he still didn’t know much about these fields as they applied to journalism. Luckily, his parents thought they knew the right program. 

Speaking of the then-Dean of the Stony Brook University School of Journalism, Aarya’s mother, Pinky Patel, said, “I knew the founder, Howard Schneider … from when he would shop at my Hallmark store and remembered hearing of the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. From knowing of my son’s raw talent and of the program, I urged Aarya to sign up.” 

Though her son was a bit skeptical at first, she said, “I had to kind of push him to go in the program because he likes to do his own thing, but I told him that this program could be really useful in his life and future career.” 

Aarya said he doubted himself in the beginning because the program was competitive, but when he was accepted he was thrilled. “I hope to learn the basics of journalism, get a better learning on filming equipment and cameras, make new friends and have a great time, with the help of this program.”