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The Gator just made history—with just 13 full-time staffers. Imagine what we could accomplish with twice that many.
With a small but mighty team, The Gator captured the two highest honors in high school journalism: the Gold Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, awarded in March, and the Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association, announced this past Saturday.
The Pacemaker and Gold Crown are widely regarded as the top accolades in scholastic journalism—and winning both in the same year marks the most successful chapter in our newsroom’s history.
Only 12 schools nationwide earned the Pacemaker, making it an extraordinary moment to see students recognized among the very best.
“I have seen the newsroom grow and prosper from my freshman year, and I am really proud of all the hard work everyone gives each and every day,” Executive Editor Edward Flint ’26 said.
In addition to collective success, several students earned major regional and national accolades.
Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Amelia Bowman ’25 was recognized as third-place News Writer of the Year by the Private School Journalism Association, while Sports Editor Gabe Cohen ’26 earned third place for Sports Writer of the Year.
At the international level, Guest Writer Andrew Flint ’26 made history by winning first place for Column Writer of the Year from Quill and Scroll. Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Amelia Bowman and former Editor-in-Chief Evan Michaeli ’24 also brought home honors for review and opinion writing, respectively.
These awards are a testament to the talent, creativity, and hard work of our students in and out of the newsroom.
Starting next year, students can join The Gator newsroom by enrolling as a staff member or by applying to the brand-new Journalism Track in the Global Studies Diploma Program.
This exciting new option offers students even more ways to build their skills, grow as leaders, and leave their mark on the School.
And we don’t just need writers. We need photographers, broadcasters, cartoonists, designers, live play-by-play announcers for athletic events, copy editors, and more. Expanding our newsroom will allow us to dive deeper into covering our vibrant School community—and your voice could be part of it.
Winning awards isn’t why we do what we do—but moments like these show what’s possible when students commit to telling important stories, challenging themselves, and supporting one another.
“Despite our small group of staffers this year, everyone comes to the newsroom getting ready to write content,” Editor-in-Chief Mary Wang ’26 said. “It was well-deserved, and I can’t wait to see what the group will achieve next year.”
As we gear up for next month’s regional awards ceremony at Boston University, we invite everyone at the School to celebrate this incredible moment—and to help us make next year even bigger and better.
“I am very excited about receiving these awards,” Andrew Flint said. “I didn’t even know Mr. Cutler nominated me for the awards so it was really unexpected and incredible when I heard I got recognition for my work.”
