The 85th annual ESSPA conference was held on Oct. 15 at the Newhouse School. Two hundred students came to connect with publications, engage in workshops and learn from industry professionals and professors who are passionate about communications. The following students and schools were honored for their excellence:
Gold
Lynbrook High School
Writer: Kerry Cullen
Silver
Irondequoit High School
Writer: Aliyah Bozkurt
Lynbrook High School
“Addressing the Dress Code”
Writer: Gianna Longo
Bronze
Irondequoit High School
Writer: Marin Penner
Fredonia High School
“Time to wake up students’ needs”
Writer: Spectator editorial board
Fredonia High School
“Is Education really about grades, rankings?”
Writer: Spectator editorial board
Honorable Mention
Lynbrook High School
“Cell Phones’ Dilemma in School”
Writer: Stacey Krivitsky
Gold
Fayetteville Manlius High School – Buzz(tie)
Irondequoit High School – Rodequoit
Silver
Fredonia High School – Spectator
Lynbrook High School- Horizon
Bronze
Liverpool High School- The Lifeguard
Honorable Mention
Weedsport High School- The Johnny Green
Gold
Paradox from Oswego High School
Silver
FM Sports News Network from Fayetteville Manlius High School
Chelsea Orr from Fredonia High School
Ella Azria and Lynn Dong from Jamesville Dewitt High School
Bronze
Reagan Bartolls from Irondequoit High School
Sean Strohofer from Lynbrook High School
Honorable Mention
Cali Brancato from Liverpool High School
Gold
Olivia Quinn from Weedsport High School
Silver
Fredonia High School- “Stats do not tell story of basketball season” by Aubrey Huber
Fredonia High School- “Team wins league title” by Alana Holt
Bronze
Lynbrook High School- “Owls show no rust for win over Bethpage in season opener” by Sean Strohofer
Lynbrook High School – “Three soccer players recognized on Newsday’s Top-100 list” by Alexis Raynor
Honorable Mention
Lynbrook High School- “Lynbrook Soccer Day: New Spin on an Old Tradition” by Ella Carroll
Fredonia High School- “Basketball team prepares for playoffs” by Michael Hahn
Gold
Baker News
Spartan News – ESM
Silver
T’burg News – Charles O. Dickerson High School
Bronze
FMTV from Fayetteville Manlius High School
Honorable Mention
WTV from Weedsport High School
Ray News from Ray Middle School
Gold
Fredonia High School- “Troubled Waters” by Ray Dai
Silver
Weedsport High School- “History Comes to Life at Brutus Historical Society” by Adrihanna Collins
Irondequoit High School- “Midterm week is back” by Aliyah Bozkurt
Bronze
Lynbrook High School- “Señor Luzzi’s Spanish Classes Honor Dr. Santo Barbarino on Dia de los Muertos” by Madeleine Malinka
Honorable Mention
Lynbrook High School- “Reconciling with the Effects of the Maui Fires” by Cassandra Levinson
Gold
Jasmine Ostroff-Lynbrook High School
Silver
Delainey Piano – Irondequoit High School – Chickenscratch
Weiona Mikaela Notario
Bronze
Leah Hinds Morrison – Spectator – Fredonia High School
Sedona Bell – Rodequoit- Irondequoit High School
Gold
Holy Trinity High School
Silver
Crossroads – Brighton High School
Tru-Ce Yearbook
Bronze
Paradox- Oswego High School
Morgan Rd Middle School – Centralis
Joseph Kunz – Irondequoit High School
Rodequoit and Chickenscratch
Gold
Baker News for Special Champions
Silver
Sawyer News Networks – Saugerties High School
ITC Media- “Armani Overcomes Adversity”
FMTV- “New Teacher Profile: Ms. Danaher” by Jeremy Alpert
Bronze
Johnny Green from Weedsport High School – Hat Coverage
Honorable Mention
T’burg News from Charles O. Dickerson High School
Gold
Briars & Ivy – Briarcliff High School
Seascapes – Westhampton Beach High School (tie)
Silver
Shadow & Substance – Sleepy Hollow High School
Perspective – East Meadow High School
Bronze
Chickenscratch – Irondequoit High School
Honorable Mention
Contemporary – Oswego City School District
Gold
Between Realms by Allison Chu– Briars & Ivy
Lifeguard – Liverpool High School (tie)
Silver
Seascapes – Westhampton Beach
Brighton High School- Crossroads
TRU-CE Yearbook – Trumansburg
Bronze
Chickenscratch – Irondequoit High School
Honorable Mention
Centralis – Morgan Road Middle School
Gold
ITC Media for The Steam School
Ray News for Maple Syrup
Silver
The Lifeguard for Unified Bowling – Liverpool High School
FMTV – AAPI
Bronze
Pajamarama at Palmer- Baker News – C.W. Baker High School
Honorable Mention
T’burg News- Trivia Special Segment
Gold
Orion Thompson – Fredonia High School
Silver
Anthony Rizzo- “Karate: more than meets the eye”- Irondequoit High School
Emily Franklin – Lynbrook High School
Bronze
Aliyah Bozkurt- “Artist Profile”- Irondequoit High School
Honorable Mention
Ella Azria, Lillie Fowler, and Olivia Conley – “Mr. Toyama Takes on J-D HS” – Jamesville Dewitt High School
Gold
FMTV from Fayetteville Manlius High School
Silver
ITC Media from Institute of Technology
Bronze
Lifeguard from Liverpool High School
Honorable Mention
WTV from Weedsport High School
Gold
“Mandy and her grief by Angelina Meng” – Briarcliff High School
Silver
Ryan Boudreau – Irondequoit
Kate Pomroy – Seascapes
Bronze
Allison Sinnot – Perspective- East Meadow
Weiona Mikaela Notario – Perspective- East Meadow
Gold
Irondequoit High School- “Montana Sun” by Ellie Miner
Silver
Fredonia High School- Unified Sports – Cassandra Cramer, Miriam LaBarr, and Tyler Priolette
Bronze
ITC Media – ITC Girls Group Photo
Honorable Mention
Abigail Bell – Briarcliff High School
Gold
Crossroads – Brighton High School
Silver
Shadow and Substance – Sleepy Hollow High School
Bronze
Buzz- Fayetteville Manlius High School
Honorable Mention
The Lifeguard Senior Issue – Liverpool High School
Gold
Ryan Boudreau – Irondequoit High School
Silver
Isaac Williams – Fredonia High School
Perspective Literary Magazine – East Meadow High School
Bronze
Rodequoit Newspaper – Irondequoit High School
Honorable Mention
Cooper Stenger – Fredonia High School
Gold
Briars & Ivy – Allison Chu (Briarcliff)
Silver
Rodequoit – Juli Cathy (Irondequoit)
Bronze
Horizon – Sayge Rolnick (Lynbrook)
Honorable Mention
Perspective – Platon Rama – East Meadow High School
Gold
Juli Cathy from Irondequoit High School
Silver
Noemi Rivera from Lynbrook High School
Madeline Chu from Briarcliff High School
Bronze
Kaliyah Paige from Irondequoit High School (literary magazine)
Gold
T’Burg News Desk from Trumansburg High School
Silver
Spectator from Fredonia High School – Importance of grades
Bronze
Chickenscratch from Irondequoit High School
Honorable Mention
ITC Media from Institute of Technology
Gold
Baker News from CW Baker High School
Silver
WTV from Weedsport High School
Bronze
ITC Media “Angelina” from Institute of Technology
Honorable Mention
Lifeguard from Liverpool High School
Tru-ce Yearbook from Charles O. Dickerson High School
The Lifeguard for Soundwave from Liverpool High School
The Centralis from Morgan Road Middle School
Mark your calendars for ESSPA next year on Oct. 14, 2025.