The Chronicle Staff Attends, Presents at NSPA

In November 2025, student journalists from Shorecrest’s online and in-print newspaper, The Chronicle, traveled to Nashville for the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Fall Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center. The event drew more than 5,000 scholastic journalists, advisers, and journalism teachers from around the country—“the nation’s largest gathering of high school journalists,” according to NSPA.

Twenty-seven Shorecrest students used the opportunity to receive important training from experts in the field, which included — this year — their own editors. Editors-in-chief Braden Stone ’26, Bijoy Alam ’26, and Sally Keane ’26 were honored by being selected to present their session, How to Run an Award-winning Newspaper in 30 Minutes or Less Per Week.

“It was nerve-wracking at first because there were so many people there—and because most presenters were professional journalists or teachers,” Braden said. “But we were so comfortable with what we were presenting.”

Students also participated in Meeting with a Pro, a small-group session that pairs student journalists with professionals in their specialty. “It really helped me come up with ideas to improve The Chronicle and our social media,” Social Media Director Nithya Nayegandhi ’26 said.

The Chronicle staff also celebrated its first national NSPA design award, earned by a spread created last year by Anastasia Davis ’26 and Olivia Martin ’25 highlighting a story by Phoebe Pritchard '26, "Shorecrest Moves Mountains" (below).

Beyond the sessions, the trip offered time for the staff to connect and explore Nashville. Students toured Vanderbilt University, line danced downtown, visited the Parthenon replica in Centennial Park, and enjoyed the Grand Ole Opry. “The trip to Tennessee truly exceeded my expectations,” Sports Editor Luke Lavoie ’26 said. “Most of all, we were able to bond with our peers and our teachers. That is what makes The Chronicle so great. We are a family with a common goal of improving in any way we can.” Developing a staff that collaborates well is an important aspect of a successful school newspaper.

Upper School Art Teacher Casey McDonough, who helped chaperone, added, “Shorecrest students produce an incredible paper with absolute professionalism while holding each other accountable for the entire production. As far as I could tell, this isn’t the norm in school journalism. Our students ROCK at journalism.”