Six Newton high school seniors are among the 17 seniors honored by the New England Scholastic Press Association (NESPA) to be its first ever NESPA All New England High School Journalism staff. No other New England school district had more than two students so recognized.

To be considered, students submitted portfolios of their work, a resume, and an essay reflecting on their work (see links below). Newton’s members of the All New England High School Journalism staff are:

• Marty Basaria, editor in chief of Newton South’s online newspaper, Denebola
• Savannah Bond, co-editor in chief of Newton North’s The Newtonite and an anchor, reporter, editor, and producer on Newton North TV
• Aoba Fujita, co-editor in chief of Newton South’s yearbook, Regulus
• Mia Lahav, co-editor in chief of Newton South’s yearbook, Regulus
• Dea Pance, co-editor in chief of Newton North’s The Newtonite
• Risha Sinha, co-editor in chief of Newton South’s The Lion’s Roar

Sinha was also named a runner-up for the Massachusetts High School Journalist of the Year award. 

Faculty advisors for these publications are:

• NSHS Denebola: Sam Lee
• NNHS Newtonite: Tom Fabian and Derek Knapp
• Newton North TV: Amanda Mazzola and Scott Dunlop
• NSHS Regulus: Brian Baron
• NSHS The Lion’s Roar: Ashley Chapman

Some of the students honored shared reflections with Fig City News.

Marty Basaria

Basaria said that he appreciated that the application process for NESPA served as an opportunity for reflection upon his time working on Denebola. 

“I was very happy to hear about the news from NESPA, and I also greatly enjoyed the process for applying – making an online portfolio,” he said. “It enabled me to reflect on my time as a high school journalist and how learning more about others at Newton South and in the aviation industry evolved my worldview and leadership skills.”

Basaria said that his favorite part of working on Denebola was being able to work with a group of people who brought unique abilities and backgrounds to the table.

“Every member [of Denebola] is different and brings a new perspective to each of their articles. Some members are talented athletes, others are musicians. I loved reading members’ articles and hearing their experiences,” he said. “Being part of a publication is very important because of this reason. So many people of different interests are united and serve as the voice of our community. Many clubs draw people together through a common interest, yet the newspaper enables many people of different backgrounds to interact and form friendships.”

Savannah Bond

Bond said that being named to the NESPA All New England High School Journalism staff was an honor.

“This award means a lot to me because it feels like the hard work I have put into The Newtonite, NNTV, and my other journalism endeavors are being recognized,” she said.

Bond said that working on The Newtonite has been both an enriching and memorable experience.

“The Newtonite has given me some of my best high school memories. I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people, learn skills, and find my passion for journalism,” she said. “My favorite part of working on The Newtonite is the community. From field trips to late-night press nights, I have had so much fun working with and learning from my peers and teachers.”

Aoba Fujita

Fujita said that at times, she felt that the work she put into Regulus went unappreciated by her fellow students. She said that being named to the All New England High School Journalism staff was significant to her because it represented an acknowledgment of her effort.

“Despite dedicating countless hours working on the yearbook, I often feel that the effort and commitment I put into it go unrecognized by many students and even those around me at South. Over the past few years, this has left me feeling overlooked and undervalued,” she said. “In this sense, being named to the NESPA journalism staff means a lot to me because I finally feel seen and acknowledged for what I’ve done.”

Fujita said her favorite part of her time on Regulus was seeing the yearbook’s page designs come together into a finished product.

“Given the long and demanding process, which starts in mid-August and extends into early April, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the spreads being proofed and the number of submitted spreads growing,” she said. “This progress brings me a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment and makes me more eager to have the printed, physical book in hand.”

Mia Lahav

For Lahav, being named to the All New England High School Journalism staff represented the perfect end to an amazing time spent working on Regulus.

“If you told sophomore me that I would receive this title, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she said. “As I signed my name on the Yearbook Club Fair Sign-Up Sheet, I had no idea where it would take me, but it brought me into an incredible and connected community. Taking that initial risk and stepping toward something new and unfamiliar to me opened doors that I never anticipated, and for that, I am forever grateful.”

Lahav said that she loved working on Regulus because it allowed her to channel her passion for film production into the yearbook. She created short videos to post on the publication’s social media accounts, an approach to journalism that she said was inspired by a memorable moment from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) journalism convention.

“I attended a conference about social media, and during the conference, the speaker said, “For something to be iconic, it needs to be repeated,” she said. “This stuck with me ever since and has become a constant reminder through my work on Regulus social media, as well as shaping my overall creative process in journalism.”

Theo Younkin is a Fig City News student reporter, a junior at Newton South High School, and Co-Managing Editor of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.

Ed. Note: We updated this article to include comments by Savannah Bond and Mia Lahav.