At 7:15 a.m. on February 13, the students of the East Islip Broadcaster boarded the bus to Press Day at Adelphi University expecting the usual: a campus tour, maybe a workshop or two about the future of journalism, maybe even a good lunch. We joked about being allowed to miss school and the crankiness of our bus driver. It felt like just another simple field trip. 

Before arriving at Adelphi, the Broadcaster advisor Mr. Augello reminded the staff why we were attending: for our future, our school, and our community. However, one message stood out above the rest.

Augello told us that we did not need to win an award to be considered good writers. His words stayed with us and gave us energy for our visit.

The day featured expert speaker Joye Brown, Cory Poccia, Lee J. Stemkoski, and Liza Burby, we caught glimpses into the many possibilities that lie ahead of us as journalism students.

Joye Brown, a Pulitzer nominated journalist,  spoke about the influence of community and the power of an audience. She shared, “What gets you through the day? For me, it’s the community, because they kept telling me that what I did was important. You just have to work your way through.”

Her words stuck, reminding us that journalism comes with hardships. We are depended on to tell stories and representing our communities. City, suburb, or hometown.

Brown also talked about AI in the industry, saying “Develop your skills. Develop confidence in yourself. AI isn’t gonna do that for you.” AI was described as a brainstorming tool—it is designed to expand the creative pool but not replace it.

Listening to the discussion between an experienced panel and high school students, it created a feeling of unity. Our unity expanded as the award ceremony began and the anticipation grew. As the day unfolded, wishes turned into reality and we learned more that we could ever have expected.

Senior Angelina Codispoti began the streak by winning third place for Best Opinion Piece (Column or Editorial) for her article, “Senior Year: The Beginning of Our Futures,” reflecting on her journey through senior year and her plans for the future.

“Winning the third-place award for the Best Opinion/ Editorial/Column was an amazing way to go out with a bang my senior year,” Codispoti said. “I was so proud of myself and my peers for all we have accomplished.”

Shortly after, Andrew DeMaria was over the moon when he won first place for Best Feature Article for his piece,“Stephen Foray: East Islip’s Weatherman.” His article highlighted the senior’s journey to becoming the school’s weatherman and his dedication to pursuing it as a career.

“Winning that award is one of the most prestigious accomplishments of my life and justified all of the hard work that I’ve been putting in,” DeMaria said.

Last but not least, Alison Coppinger scored third place for Best Overall Journalist, reflecting by saying “Winning an award feels so surreal, and it shows how much I have personally improved in both my confidence and my writing since joining The Broadcaster.”

“Writing is something that I love doing, and getting recognized and being named the third best journalist is something I’d never thought I would be able to do,” Coppinger said.

Those awards were not all: The Broadcaster was recognized with third place for Best Online Newspaper, competing against nearly 20 schools from Nassau, Suffolk, and New York City. The awards highlighted the dedication and journalistic excellence of East Islip’s student writers and editors.

When the words “East Islip” were announced, our hearts dropped. Gratitude filled our faces as we walked across the stage to the applause, representing our school.

As we looked out into the audience, we were met with the eyes of our future—journalists coming together to celebrate one another’s achievements and build confidence within our communities.

“This was an incredible day for our newspaper and our students,” adviser Michael Augello said. “I swelled with pride hearing our individual winners called to the stage, and I was especially fulfilled to win an award that the whole staff can share and celebrate together.”

Our day began with many questions. We were questioned, and we questioned others. Some answers satisfied us, while others left us searching for more. But isn’t that our job as journalists? To keep asking why?