REPORTING & WRITING
Over the course of the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of covering countless happenings both in our school and our small town. I’ve written over 40 stories and won 13 national and state writing awards for our paper, each exploring relevant issues, different perspectives, and the people who make up our community.
From covering debates surrounding DEI my freshman year to speaking with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro a couple months ago, I have grown as a journalist, learning to navigate complex issues, ask the right questions, and connect with diverse populations to effectively inform my community.
I've written for every section of our paper at one point or another — but here are some of my favorite stories.
News & Features
These stories are a mix of spontaneous coverage of breaking news and long-term projects that took weeks of reporting. Both were incredibly rewarding experiences.
2023 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION COVERAGE
School board candidates discuss and debate at a forum held by Emmaus High School on Oct. 18, 2023. Photo by Gabe Meyers.
Covering our local East Penn School Board election last year was a rewarding experience in which I interviewed 10 candidates and wrote multiple stories on the topic. As dueling slates battled for control of our district (in a swing county within a swing state), candidates faced accusations of fraud, lawsuits, and more. To get the bottom of this, I launched an investigation filing multiple FOIA requests with the Department of Justice and amassing over 11 hours of interviews. We won Second Place for Ongoing News Coverage in the Keystone NewsMedia Student Awards (the most competitive and prestigious journalism awards in Pennsylvania) for our work.
Read each story in the four-part package below:
LOCAL
PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISM AND ANTISEMITISM
A protestor holds a sign proclaiming “End the war on Gaza” and a reference to the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, an antiwar umbrella group. Over 1,500 pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the corner of 7th Street and Hamilton Street in Allentown on Nov. 24, 2024 to pray and push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Photo by Gavin Germain.
One of the most engaging stories I've undertaken was chronicling local pro-Palestinian protests as well as rising antisemitism in response to the war in Gaza. One of the most rewarding parts of the project was independently coordinating an interview with our former congresswoman Susan Wild, who was repeatedly targeted in social media and letter-writing campaigns by local Islamic centers and other Muslim social activism organizations. I had the privilege of speaking with Wild for almost an hour, asking her about her votes relating to Israeli aid legislation, her constituents’ concerns of antisemitism and Islamophobia, and her views on a ceasefire for my story and its accompanying sidebar on antisemitism.
In writing this piece, I also wrestled with an even greater challenge: my own biases as a Muslim writing on this issue (I had no connection to any of the individuals or mosques mentioned in the story). Through the process, I constantly re-evaluated the quotes I used, my word choice, and even my own feelings to remain as objective as possible. I also asked other editors — one of whom is Jewish (and one of my best friends) — along with our advisers to examine my work for any subconscious bias.
Read the story below:
Lehigh Valley pro-Palestinian movement echoes national trends
FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN VISITS EMMAUS
Protestors gather during Biden’s visit to Emmaus. Several different groups protested Biden, including anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace as well as pro-Trump individuals. Photo by Ayaan Shah.
In January 2024, I had another opportunity to sharpen my political reporting skills. When then-president Biden visited our small town, I led a small group of student journalists downtown to document the heavily politicized scene before Biden’s arrival. Collecting over three hours worth of interviews in a single day, I worked with my co-writer to craft a story reflective of the diverse voices that make up our community. Despite the seriousness, this was definitely one of the most fun stories to write. We won First Place in General News in the Keystone NewsMedia Student Awards for this piece.
Read the story below:
President Joe Biden visits Emmaus small businesses, encounters protestors
PENNSYLVANIA GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO VISITS EMMAUS
HIGH SCHOOL
Photo: Gov. Josh Shapiro promotes the Pennsylvania Education Budget standing alongside Pennsylvania lawmakers and EHS community members. Photo by Gabe Meyers.
On a crisp fall afternoon shortly into my senior year, I found out Gov. Josh Shapiro — who less than a month prior was floated as former vice president Kamala Harris' 2024 running mate — was coming to our school. With less than 24 hours to go until his visit, I spoke to sources at the state Department of Education to figure out the purpose of his visit — which wasn't disclosed until the event itself. I came with a detailed list of questions I asked at the press conference, ranging from concerns about school district equality to Pennsylvania Supreme Court's findings that our school funding system was unconstitutional, and many more.
We got this story out on a tight deadline, earning 4th place in the NSPA "Best of Show" competition in News Writing & Reporting for our work. I even ended up on the front page of our regional paper, The Morning Call, as well as the governor's Instagram page on a post dedicated to our staff afterward!
Read the story and see the Instagram post below:
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro visits Emmaus High School to promote new education budget
Governor Shapiro's Instagram post
EHS ALUM BECOMES #1 NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Photo: Hannah Maehrer (EHS Class of 2015) recently reached #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Photo courtesy of Hannah Maehrer.
Two years ago, I got exciting news from one of my teachers: an Emmaus High School alum and former Stinger staffer had just topped the New York Times bestseller list for her novel "Assistant to the Villain." I had the honor of interviewing Maehrer and finding out more about her journey as a talented writer and how journalism impacted her career.
Read the story below:
EHS alum Hannah Maehrer boasts book success, topping NYT Bestseller List
GUNS IN AMERICA
53
In 2022 alone, there were 53 school shootings. Just let that sink in: 53. As my in-depth project sophomore year, I worked with two other editors to explore the affects of gun violence on students in our community. We investigated this topic densely, interviewing survivors of gun violence, police officers, and more. We won an award from the Pennsylvania Press Club for our work.
Read the story below:
Guns in America: how firearm culture defines the American landscape
Editorial & Opinion
In 10th-11th grade, I wrote all of our staff editorials, winning multiple awards from the Keystone NewsMedia Association, the Pennsylvania Press Club, and the Pennsylvania School Press Association.
STAFF EDITORIAL: CLIMATE CHANGE
Editorial art by Clara Isom.
Motivated by the extreme heat and natural disasters over the summer, last year's back-to-school editorial focused on the very real threat of climate change, and why — especially when it is denied by so many — we must work to stop it. Specifically, this editorial also addressed how climate change should not be a red issue or a blue issue, but a problem we as a country must unite on at such a critical time.
This piece won first place in the Pennsylvania Press Club Student Awards Competition and moved on to the National Federation of Press Women National Communications Contest last year.
Read the article below:
Depoliticizing climate change: making the fight for our future bipartisan
OPINION: REFLECTING ON RAMADAN
Art by Rae Murphy.
Writing this article, my goal was twofold: to reflect on my personal experiences with Ramadan and to provide a window into the month’s significance for those unfamiliar with it. Growing up in a Muslim household, Ramadan has always been a central part of my year—a time of spiritual renewal, community, and self-discipline. I also knew that many of my peers might not fully understand what Ramadan entails — and in a time of rising Islamophobia and misinformation, I saw this piece as an opportunity to demystify the month and answer questions people might have been too hesitant to ask.
By explaining traditions like suhoor, iftar, and the deeper purpose behind fasting, I hoped to foster understanding and encourage open conversations. This piece, in many ways, became a tribute to my experiences — a way to capture the warmth, reflection, and gratitude that define Ramadan for me, and to share that with others before stepping into a new chapter of my life.
Read the article below:
Reflecting on Ramadan
Sports
Other Writings
The Stinger isn't the only place I've had the opportunity to write for communities I'm part of. I've served as a regular columnist for my local newspaper, the East Penn Press, as well as a newsletter writer for the nationally-recognized South Asian news and culture website The Juggernaut.
East Penn Press
Through my time in high school, I've had many opportunities to serve not only my own school, but my local community as well. In addition to writing my biweekly column on school district news, I also regularly write features on community members and their unique stories. This experience gave me a chance to test my journalistic abilities with a professional outlet for the very first time.
This feature on the play is just one of the stories I have written that highlights prominent community members.
Read the story below:
EHS presents fall play 'Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express'
The Juggernaut
This fall, I completed a 3-month paid internship with The Juggernaut — a startup news and culture website focused on the South Asian experience. I wrote a full length newsletter every week concerning news from the subcontinent and the diaspora.
Read more about my work with The Juggernaut in the "Web & Social Media" section of my portfolio.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Over the summer, I also published an op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday edition, regarding the importance of the diversity in holidays we acknowledge. I worked with two editors at the paper to refine my article and cut it down to about 880 words.
It received widespread community engagement, with over 250 comments discussing the op-ed. It also led to Letters to the Editor from local groups and individuals regarding my op-ed.
Read the article here or see the PDF here:
And, if you're so inclined, read the comments here.
