Bella DeVito, Reporter
Photo Credit: Bella DeVito
@BDeVitoCourant
Every year when seniors graduate and move on to new things, new leadership opportunities open up to passionate journalism students. On Friday May 2, the Courant announced its new Editors in Chief for the 2025-2026 school year; rising seniors Valentina Baldini, Olivia Carofano and Emily Telesco have stepped up to the job to continue what their predecessors passed on.
Journalism teacher Michael McAteer explains what goes into selecting a new EIC. “Part of it is just how well rounded they are in the class and how they are willing to challenge themselves,” Mr. McAteer said. “On top of their technical knowledge of journalism, we’re looking for certain kinds of leadership qualities like organizing and supporting people and exhibiting a sense of leadership.”
Journalism teacher Roman Cebulski added that passion for the subject is very crucial in selecting people. “More than anything, we want to know why they’re interested in the role, because it is a big time commitment.”
Olivia Carofano, a second year journalism student and current Features Editor for the Courant, talks about what inspired her to join the class and how it culminated into her taking on a leadership role. “Having the ability to write about topics that I am actually interested in like current events and the arts really inspired me to take this course,” Olivia said. “Throughout my two years in journalism I have pushed myself to not only become a better writer but a leader that my classmates could rely on for anything, and I wanted to become an EIC so I could learn to take on that exact responsibility for the entire class while also collaborating with others.”
Second year journalism student Valentina Baldini, an editor for the Arts and Tech section of the Courant, talks about how journalism is important to her. “Along with getting to write stories and learning how to use digital tools like social media and Adobe, it was such an amazing experience getting to explore a leadership position where I learned so much from communicating with my peers to editing,” Valentina said. “I can’t wait to become an EIC and continue to grow in my journalism skills and in this class.”
Second year journalism student Emily Telesco, Features Editor for the Courant, talks about what excites her about becoming one of the Courant’s Editors in Chief. “I’m most excited to lead others and help them produce their best work while fostering a friendly, supportive environment,” Emily said. “I’m also eager to implement my visions for the Courant next year. I want to be able to collaborate with my fellow EICs and peers to explore new forms of storytelling and media.”
“Mr. McAteer and I are really excited about this group,” Mr. Cebulski said. “I think each one of them really brings a unique skill set to the class and a different dynamic, and I think the three of them will work well together.”
“I’m really excited about our leaders,” Mr. McAteer said. “They’re hungry to learn more about digital journalism and social media communication and add new skills to the areas where they already excel. They’re going to be such great examples for the other students in the class.”
