• Abigail Eckert, Delaware Valley Regional High School, The Delphi
• Gianna Roberts, Delaware Valley Regional High School, The Delphi
• Elena McCrossin, Northern Highlands Regional High School, The Fling
• Chloe Ren, Cherry Hill High School East, Eastside
• Claire Ding, Cherry Hill High School East, Eastside
• Landon Schuster, Cherry Hill High School East, Eastside
• Zahara Chowdhury, Lyndhurst High School, The Lighthouse
• Livia Kam, Moorestown Friends School, WordsWorth
• Ali Sabir, Moorestown Friends, WordsWorth
• Ishani Bakshi, Edison High School, The Eagle’s Eye

These ten students exemplify the work that thousands of students are doing to inform, entertain, and challenge their school and local communities. The Garden State Scholastic Press Association serves to support these students and their advisers through conferences, contests, and recognitions like this one.

Quotes that appear in the article below were taken from the All-Star applications.

What makes these students All-Stars?

An All-Star student journalist goes beyond leading a successful publication. They work to make improvements and create content that better serves their audience. A number of the All-Stars mentioned increasing the quality and seriousness of their coverage.

For Edison High’s Ishani Bakshi, that meant creating a more news-centered publication that focused less on sensational content. “Journalism is how communities learn who they are,” she said. “So just being loud isn’t enough, you have to matter.”

Clair Ding, from Cherry Hill East High, referenced a school evacuation that illustrates the critical role student media can play informing the community. “Amid panic, confusion, and countless rumors about a bomb or terrorist within the building, I — along with two of my co-editors — investigated the situation, interviewed administrators scrambling to organize the students, and released a breaking news report explaining the situation within an hour of its onset,” she said. “The piece became our most widely reposted story and effectively explained the circumstances surrounding the evacuation for the entire community. Though mainstream news sources attempted to cover it, we were the only ones to receive private information from administrators as they received it, and we were able to share what we knew with the community.”

New Voices protections lead to meaningful content

New Jersey is one of 18 states that have passed student press freedom legislation. The New Voices Law of New Jersey, passed in 2021, enables students at public high schools and colleges to choose the content of their publications without interference from school administrators or staff. Students can challenge school policies, cover controversial topics, pursue their passions, and create content that best serves their audience.

Chloe Ren from Cherry Hill East wrote an opinion piece about take-home tests undermining student learning. “It sparked conversation amongst teachers and students, some agreeing with my perspective and some not, but it finally forced discussion about the widespread use of take-home tests in classes at my high school,” she said.

Ali Sabir wrote about an antisemitic incident at Moorestown Friends Middle School. According to Sabir, “‘Community Reels as Swastika is Found Etched in Girls’ Bathroom’ sparked critical conversations around antisemitism, hate symbols, and the need for a more inclusive environment … We not only informed the school but helped create space for accountability, healing, and change, with the school devoting two assembly periods for reflection, as well as an advisory period (our version of homeroom).”

Landon Schuster used the protection to challenge “institutional norms and [compel] … readership to think critically.” He analyzed grading policies and online course loopholes at Cherry Hill East.

A couple of this year’s All-Stars work to ensure the press rights for students who are not currently protected. Zahara Chowdhury, from Lyndhurst High School, was trained as a New Voices Student Leader through the Student Press Law Center. “Through this program, I outlined plans to promote student press freedom for private high schools in New Jersey by contacting senators and interfacing with sponsors.”

Moorestown Friends’ Livia Kam is also passionate about student press rights but works with Pennsylvania’s team. “Since NJ already has passed New Voices legislation, I wanted to be involved with the state I was closest to emotionally and physically and help those who experience frequently unfortunate cases of censorship,” she said.

Many of these students bring their passions into their work, both in the classroom and beyond.

Moorestown Friends’ Ali Sabir uses journalism to explore his passion for social impact, writing about affordable housing, education equity, and youth activism for WordsWorth and The Progressive Teen – a publication of the High School Democrats of America.

The impact of journalism programs

Like their counterparts in sports, journalism All-Stars don’t just focus on individual accomplishments; they share their knowledge and skills with others. GSSPA provides an opportunity for students to do this through its Student Chapter and through sessions at the Fall Press Day Conference at Rutgers University.

Ishani Bakshi presented a workshop at the Fall Conference entitled “Amplifying the Community Voice: Civics and Community-Focused Journalism.”

“In that moment, I wasn’t just reporting anymore — I was giving other student journalists the tools to connect local stories to national conversations,” she said.

Delaware Valley High’s Abigail Eckert and Gianna Roberts presented a session on podcasting at the Fall Conference. Abigail produced a series of podcast episodes about topics in the STEM field. They both worked on a Central Jersey Regional Journalism Conference that was held at their high school in February.

The All-Stars also wrote about the impact that their journalism program had on their own personal growth especially when it comes to confidence, communication skills and finding their voice. Some also mentioned how journalism made them more aware of the world around them and broadened their perspective.

Elena McCrossen from Northern Highlands High School put it best: “Journalism has encouraged me to seek ultimate truths, both in my personal life and the greater world.”