2024-2025 Staff
Ava Prapaniku (12) // Co-Editor in Chief
Ava Prapaniku, senior and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Panther Prowler, wears many hats as she goes about her day. At 7:30 a.m., she begins her morning standing on a desk and assigning articles to young, eager journalists who will find the answers to questions others have been too scared to ask. From 8:30 a.m. to 2:25 p.m., Prapaniku styles her academic thinking cap. While one day she raises her hand to exclaim the answer in A.P. Statistics, the next she listens as her teacher explains the Gibbons v. Ogden court case and its role in altering the nation’s government. After school, Prapaniku hangs up her cap in turn for her apron and spends the next few hours chopping fruit and listening to the sound of smoothies churning in the blender. Late at night, finally in her sleeping cap, Prapaniku questions which hat is her favorite. The answer comes immediately. “I love the Prowler very, very much, and genuinely being in this class, I can 100% say [this] has been the highlight of high school for me,” Prapaniku said. “I’ve learned how to work within a team, and genuinely, everyone on staff has been such a joy to work with, and I have fostered some of my best friendships within this class.” Despite the hefty workload Prapaniku carries daily, she still has ambitious goals for the next year. “This year, I really, really hope to submit The Prowler into competitions and hopefully win. Along with that, I can’t wait to take the staff to the [NSPA] convention in Seattle. I feel like it’ll be such a great learning experience for everyone, and overall, we’ll just create memories that we won’t forget,” Prapaniku said. “As chief, I also want to foster a sense of creativity amongst the staff, [so] we can start trying new page designs and even finding deeper angles and articles.” Prapaniku can apply deep and emotional aspects to every task she tackles, a strategy that she will employ throughout her year as chief, and far beyond. “Throughout the years, the [former] chiefs have always been willing to take a risk on me and allow me to design big pages or write certain stories, not knowing whether I would sink or swim, and without those chances, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today,” Prapaniku said. “I want to be that person now, to take risks on others and give them the chance to find their inner passion within the newspaper.”
Isabella Boggs (12) // Co-Editor in Chief
Behind all the nooks and crevices of bookshelves and libraries, one can find Isabella Boggs, senior, flipping through the endless pages of stories. From her childhood love for the classic Percy Jackson stories to a variety of fantasy, science and historical fiction and mysteries, Boggs has always been fascinated with anything related to words printed on a page, ultimately leading to her passion for journalism. As the co-editor-in-chief this year, Boggs has many visions of where she hopes to lead the Prowler. “I’m just super excited to watch all of our journalists become stronger writers, more determined journalists and just really work to become the type of reporters they want to be,” Boggs said. However, amongst her passions for journalism also lies her love for art history, “A lot of my weekends are spent at the Getty or at some various art museums nearby, and I can sit and look at a painting for hours without getting bored,” Boggs said. “There’s so many intricate details that just go over so many people’s heads, and I love discovering them and finding the deeper meaning between each painting.” Though Boggs’ passion lies strong, not every aspect of journalism always came easy, but her determination and courage pushed her to overcome her fears. “When I first joined the staff, I had a really hard time chasing people down and asking difficult questions, but it’s something you just have to do,” Boggs said. “Now it’s not even a problem for me. But I think that you have to want to be a journalist enough to go for it. You have to be passionate about what you’re writing about, because if you’re passionate about what your articles are about, then your article will be passionate, it will be better. But if you don’t really care, then your article is going to reflect that.”
Cameron Winick (12) // Chief Photographer/Entertainment Editor
Ever since receiving his first digital camera in middle school, Cameron Winick has been interested in all things photography and video production. As the Prowler’s Chief Photographer, he trains new photographers and continues to improve his own photography skills. An aspiring filmmaker, Winick is the president of Conejo Valley Association of Filmmakers at NPHS (CVAF NP), a club that unites filmmakers, actors and scriptwriters to create short films. He is currently working on creating CVAF branches at Westlake and Thousand Oaks high schools as well to spread his love of film production throughout the Conejo Valley. Remarkably, Winick’s filmmaking and photography skills are largely self taught, though he does credit tips from older Prowler alumni. This year, he is taking his first video production class with Derek Grimes, “I’m just very excited to have access to all these cool people and cool equipment, and I’m just really excited to continue making more movies,” Winick said. Theater is also one of Winick’s passions. This past year, he played major roles in NPHS’s productions of “Oklahoma!” and “The Crucible”, and is excited for this year’s fall production of “Newsies”. His character, Reverend Parris, in “The Crucible” was more antagonist than Winick’s previous roles, allowing him to explore his range as an actor. “My work, acting wise in “The Crucible”, was the proudest I’d ever been in a role,” Winick said, “I was able to […] show that I had more range than maybe some people think.” As a senior on the Prowler, Winick hopes to be able to teach and inspire younger members. “I kind of want to be what older Prowler alumni were to me in that [they were] like people who I was able to look up to and see as this, older guiding figure,” Winick said.
Josie Gardner (12) // DPS Editor
Josie Gardner, senior, is ready to continue her passion for writing and page design as the Prowlers’ Double Page Spread (DPS) editor. Although Gardner has always had a love for it, she really started to develop her writing skills when taking Saremi’s Intro. to Journalism class, where she also found a love for page design. “I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I also found page designing interesting when I did Intro. to Journalism, so I kind of wanted to explore that more,” Gardner said. Prowler has not only helped better her writing, but also herself as a person. “The Prowler is a really great community and outlet for creativity. I have genuinely improved so much due to it,” Gardner said. She has gotten the opportunity to talk to so many people and write so many articles that would not have happened if she did not join the newspaper. In addition to being on the Prowler for three and a half years, Gardner spends her time supporting the school as one of this year’s Panther Pit leaders. In this position, she rallys up the students to show their school spirit during football games. Gardner also has a passion for theater as an extracurricular activity and a soft spot for dogs, describing her favorite animal as a wolf because her dog is “50 percent wolf”. When thinking ahead and planning for college, Gardner has decided to move out of state. “I want to go somewhere where we experience seasons and I want green and rain, somewhere like Washington or Oregon. I just am excited to have the college experience like living in a dorm,” Gardner said. Before college, however, Gardner is already preparing for next summer break with a big trip accompanied by a couple friends. “I really want to go to Spain, which I think my friends and I are going to try and do next summer because one of my friends lives there over summer,” Gardner said. Gardner is a very well rounded, outgoing student who strives to learn new things and meet new people every day.
Taylor Griggs (11) // Co-Managing Editor/Opinion Editor
Taylor Griggs, junior, was inspired by a couple of her friends in Intro. to Journalism class when Griggs was asked when her application was going to be turned in. From that day on it was one of the best decisions she had made. “I wasn’t even planning on joining Prowler in the first place,” Griggs said. In addition to her main job as co-managing editor, Griggs also participates in other roles such as page editor, graphic designer. “What I am most excited for this year is to cover all different types of events and for new opportunities to present themselves,” Griggs said. When asked to describe herself in three words Griggs feels she is ” …dedicated, passionate and creative.” Behind all the Prowler responsibilities, Griggs enjoys dancing, “Dancing is a way to escape everyday life,” Griggs said. Outside of the Prowler, Griggs enjoys training in many different styles of dance at Thrive Dance Center. Having put so much time into her work with Prowler, an attribute Griggs brings to Prowler is her dedication. “Prowler is much more than just getting the work done and passing the class but is how to make your work and articles the best they can be,” Griggs said. Griggs’ most anticipated class is IB dance. She is hoping to raise enough money for the Prowler staff to travel to Seattle for the NSPA journalism convention in April. After high school graduation, Griggs sees herself after high school off at college while simultaneously dancing for a company. “Prowler will help me with my communication skills and my ability to stay calm in a working environment for opportunities later in life” Griggs said.
Hannah Shulman (11) // Co-Managing Editor/Entertainment Editor
Hannah Shulman, junior and self-described tortoise, gets the job done. Shulman is starting her second year on staff as the now managing editor. After being elected for this position in her sophomore year, she now takes on the responsibility of finding funding for the Panther Prowler Newspaper. Alongside this responsibility, she has a full IB class workload and a part time job working at her temple. Looking forward to her future out of high school, Shulman hopes to pursue journalism at a college outside of California. Shulman’s journalistic inspiration comes from her journalism adviser/teacher, Michelle Saremi. “She helped me find my love for journalism. And I think all her experience and stories and everything has impacted me,” Shulman said. One of Shulman’s many strengths as a learner and as a reporter is her ability to take strategic notes. Outside of school, Shulman enjoys traveling and plans to continue doing so throughout her life. “I went to Amsterdam a few years ago, and it was really, really fun. So even though I want to travel to more places, I think I would want to go back to Amsterdam,” Shulman said. While she is looking forward to the future, she wants to stay in the moment and enjoy her last two years of highschool with the Panther Prowler. “Just… enjoy the moment you are in and you never know when things are gonna change, do everything now,” Shulman said.
Ellie Hardman (11) // Backcover Editor
A dragon fruit’s vivid peel is just as bright as its white spotted center. Ellie Hardman, junior, has just as much duality as a lively dragon fruit. “I’m pretty social and ‘colorful’, but on the inside, I can be more reserved and thoughtful, like the white inside,” Hardman said. Writing has been a fundamental part of Hardman’s life ever since she could remember. “Being able to channel that love in a meaningful way alongside people who share that same drive is an environment I was beyond ecstatic to be able to be a part of once I started high school,” Hardman said. After being on staff for two years now, and learning about Prowler through the Pawprint yearbook, she has been able to thrive within the community. “I also share a lot of interests and skills with both the newspaper and yearbook, like writing, designing and photography. Both programs help me to be an avid member of the school community and capture the essence of our student body,” Hardman said. Looking back to her previous year on Prowler, Hardman wants to leave her comfort zone. “After seeing some senior members last year be extremely brave and ambitious with topics that they covered, I want to be able to branch out and cover topics that might scare me,” Hardman said. Looking to the future, she wants to forge her path in a more professional world of journalism. “I’ve known that I wanted to pursue a career involving writing for most of my life, but being on Prowler has opened up the prospect of that writing being channeled into journalism,” Hardman said. Her passion for writing and enthusiasm for this upcoming year will push her forward into the world of opportunity and to the pages of storytelling.
Maddie Neier (11) // Front Page Editor
Maddie Neier, junior, is a multi-talented journalist for the Panther Prowler. While she is a seasoned writer and photographer, Neier has taken on a new role this year: page designer. “I’m really excited to learn how to page design this year. It’s my first time as I hadn’t done it last year,” she said. Experienced in photography, Neier hopes to continue her photo-taking journey this year. She originally became interested in the field through taking the Photography 1 and 2 classes at Newbury Park High School with Mr. Lindroth and later AP Photography. When asked if Neier prefers writing or photojournalism, “I definitely prefer taking photos, just because it is something I enjoy more,” she said. While Neier dedicates much of her time to journalism, she is also a talented soccer player on the girl’s soccer team at NPHS. Neier often blends her interests together because she participates in so many extracurricular activities. If she could photograph any person living or dead, “It would probably be Kevin de Bruyne. He’s a soccer player for Manchester City and Belgium and I think it would be really fun to meet him,” she said. Furthermore, Neier stated her favorite area of photojournalism is sports photography- a combination of two of her passions, “I especially love doing sports photography because of all the action and things I can shoot.” Along with soccer and photography, she is also the vice president of the California Scholarship Foundation chapter at NPHS. Despite her busy schedule at school, Neier keeps herself very busy out of school as well. “In my free time I kind of just like to play soccer, train and do homework. I also like to build legos,” she stated. This year in the Panther Prowler Neier hopes to continue learning, but more importantly, take photos!
Juliet Schohn (11) // News Editor
For Juliet Schohn, junior, her knack for journalism comes as a natural extension of her fascination with all things reading and writing. “I have a huge bookshelf, and I love to go to the library. I also really enjoy writing. I mainly read historical fiction, so I’m learning a bit about writing that too because there’s a lot of research that goes into it,” Schohn said. Joining the Prowler staff in her sophomore year, Schohn was inspired to step on as a result of her experience with her middle school paper and a teacher who encouraged her journey. As News Editor for the Panther Prowler, Schohn is keenly aware of burgeoning events around the globe, a talent which she plans to use for her future career in diplomacy. “I really enjoy history, languages, cultures and interacting with different people. I think that [being a diplomat] would be a cool way to do that while serving my country and collaborating to promote world peace,” Schohn said. She is heavily inspired by figures like Elenor Roosevelt. “I think she’s super cool,” Schohn explained. “She just did so much when she was first lady and she was also an ambassador to the UN, that’s really inspiring to me.” Schohn is able to see her time on the Prowler not just as journalism experience, but as something that can equip her with diplomatic tools. “I think [being on the staff] really helps with collaboration, because a lot of diplomacy is talking to different people and coming to compromises about differing ideas. I know that when I work with someone on an article, our thoughts might not always align the first time, but we can figure it out,” Schohn said. Being that Schohn looks up to Eleanor Roosevelt, she chooses to navigate her life of school, journalism and future diplomacy by one of her quotes: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Jasmine Zhang (11) // Sports Editor
Jasmine Zhang, junior, initially joined the Panther Prowler as a way to express her thoughts and opinions through writing. “As someone who isn’t a natural at public speaking but still opinionated when it comes to ethical debates and topics I’m interested in, writing is a great outlet for sharing my thoughts,” Zhang said. Now that she is starting her second year at the newspaper, she finds that witnessing other’s perspectives on a variety of topics through interviewing them is one of the many things she enjoys about being on staff. “It feels like I’m learning something new everyday about what’s going on in our community and even globally,” Zhang said. She enjoys the collaborative aspect of putting together the paper as well. Although school takes up most of her time, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, and has a variety of other creative hobbies. “I always hand paint birthday cards for my friends and family,” Zhang said. She is also very proud of her sourdough starter that took her two weeks to grow, of whom Belinda, who lives in her fridge. This summer, she visited Washington with her family. “I’ve always wanted to go to Seattle, so it was really fun to get to see what I’ve been looking at on the internet,” Zhang said. She describes herself as an introvert and someone who is considerate, sensitive and respectful. She also began planning for her future and studying for the SAT. When it comes to choosing a field of study, she is interested in all things science. “I want to study neuroscience, because I’ve been into biology for a couple years, and I also just started learning psychology. So I feel like a good mix of them would be nice.” Zhang said.
Isabelle Cipriano (11) // Staff Writer
Isabelle Cipriano, junior, staff writer and photographer for the Newbury Park High School Panther Prowler has been into writing since eighth grade when she selected Intro to Journalism as her elective. Cipriano was inspired to join the Prowler because of her love for writing. “I’ve always loved writing, and I keep journals for personal stuff. Also, English has always been one of my favorite subjects,” Cipriano said. This will be Cipriano’s second year on Prowler and she enjoys being able to talk to so many people like local governments, school board members and athletes. Cipriano’s favorite things to write about are our NPHS sports programs. “I love being able to talk to athletes and see what their perspectives are,” Cipriano said. Over the summer, Cipriano went on the school-organized European trip and enjoyed her time falling in love. “It truly was the most magical experience I’ve ever had,” Cipriano said. When Cipriano is not in school, she spends her time working as a camp counselor for Conejo Recreation and Park District. This summer, Cipriano worked a lot with kids and enjoyed her time. “I was working a lot, and I got to work with kids, and it’s really fun,” Cipriano said. In Cipriano’s free time, she loves reading, hanging out with friends and hanging out with her rottweiler. “I also do a couple of other extracurriculars. I play lacrosse and I’m also the president and founder of NPHS Students for Environmental Action Awareness club,” Cipriano said. Cipriano is also the secretary for another club on campus called Girl Up as well as being a part of National Honor Society this year. Cipriano also spends her time as an active participant in the NPHS Theater Program. After High School, Cipriano is looking to go to college to get a marketing degree with a minor in sports or digital photography. “My goal is to work in either sports marketing or marketing in general,” Cipriano said.
Brook Bauwens (11) // Staff Writer
“Calm and confident” is the motto Brooke Bauwens is prepared to utilize as the curtains open on her junior year, and Bauwens has added the Panther Prowler to her busy schedule. With her passion for opinion and argumentative pieces combined with her love for picking up a good book, Bauwens is a perfect addition to the Prowler staff. “My goals for the year are to broaden my horizons and to not doubt myself,” Bauwens said. She decided to join the staff after hearing about the class from her friends and thought it would be a great way to get involved with the school and exercise her passion for writing. When she is not listening to Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, Bauwens can be found working hard at Thrive Dance Center, 12 hours a week. Thrive, which has consumed a portion of her life for the past nine years, has also been an important contributor to Bauwens’ creative side. “I think I have learned a lot of professionalism and maturity through dance, and I think it has really added to my personality as a creative person,” Bauwens said. In the future, Bauwens is interested in the compelling world of psychology and hopes to study it in college. “After highschool, I plan to go to college somewhere in Southern California. I want to major in psychology and someday become a child psychologist,” Bauwens said. The upcoming year is going to be an exciting one for the Prowler, and Bauwens already has some goals laid out. “I hope to bring new and interesting topics that will interest students at our school. I also hope to somehow get more students involved and reading Prowler,” Bauwens said. As a compassionate friend and a passionate writer, Bauwens has already found a rhythm with the class. “I am most excited to make lasting friendships and memories with the staff,” Bauwens said. “Everyone seems so nice, and I am really looking forward to collaborating with everyone.”
Kailey Holder (11) // Staff Writer
Kailey Holder, junior, is no stranger to writing and all things literary. Over the summer, Holder enjoyed reading many novels, but her all-time favorite remains Normal People by Sally Rooney. Besides reading texts, Holder enjoys writing in many different formats. “I’ve always really loved writing, ever since I was in elementary school, but I’ve never done journalism before, and it was something that really interested me because I liked writing about my opinions and things that interested me,” Holder said. As she experiences her first year on the Prowler staff, Holder has many other ambitions for her junior year. “I definitely want to focus a lot on my academics…[I] want to write more because I haven’t the first two years of high school,” Holder said. She also plans to continue her involvement with the theatre department, particularly in the fall musical, Newsies. Whenever she is not writing, on the Newbury Park High School stage or studying, Holder enjoys spending time with her friends. A flexible planner, “I really like days where I don’t really have a plan of what I’m doing, and I just kind of go with the flow, and we just end up doing whatever we feel like…and it’s just a lot of fun and spontaneous,” Holder said. In a fictional universe, Holder would hope to be friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione, as she is an avid Harry Potter fan. “I was kind of a Harry Potter geek in elementary and middle school, and I just always loved the books. They felt like a little escape for me,” Holder said. A love of literature and writing has inspired Holder during much of her youth, and throughout her journey down the path of a wordsmith, the Panther Prowler newspaper appeared, so Holder is looking forward to her first year on staff.
Zoha Konkader (11) // Staff Writer
Zoha Konkader is going into her junior year and is no stranger to how enjoyable her first year on the Prowler will be. Along with having a passion for writing, having friends on the staff was alluring to Konkader. “My friends inspired me to join [the Panther] Prowler because they always talked about how fun it is, and encouraged me to join this year. I also really like writing and that definitely inclined me to want to participate,” Konkader said. Konkader has an attentiveness about the approaching elections, and the presidential vote coming up this November specifically sparked an interest in joining. “I’m most excited to write about the upcoming election on the Prowler because I feel like it will be very eventful with many topics to cover from a journalistic standpoint,” Konkader said. Konkader also takes part in other extracurricular activities at Newbury Park High School as well as outside of school. “I participate in cross country and track at the high school and work a summer job. I have previously been on the youth city council and volunteer at Conejo Recreation and Park District,” Konkader said. Konkader, being a junior, is planning for the future in college in addition to law school. In the next five years, Konkader sees herself, “… in my final stages of college preparing for potentially law school, so taking the Law School Admission Test,” Konkader said. During the time that Konkader is not running cross country or volunteering, she is preparing to be successful in school. “I use my free time mainly to get ahead on homework or hang out with my friends. I was big on procrastination last year so my biggest goal for this year is to be on top of my school work and create good study habits. So far I’ve been successful, so fingers crossed I can keep it up,” Konkader said.
Caroline Nese (11) // Staff Writer
Caroline Nese, junior, can trace her love of writing back as far as third grade fill-in-the-blank stories. “Writing is a really cool way to express yourself and I’ve always been a big reader, so I think I just really enjoy the medium of writing, and I like to do it whenever possible,” Nese said. This will be Nese’s second year on the Prowler staff, being inspired to join after taking Intro to Journalism as a freshman. “I enjoyed getting to learn about the journalistic method of writing, and the Prowler is also one of the top newspapers in our area, so I thought it would be an honor to be involved,” Nese said. Nese pushes through the stress of Prowler late nights and enjoys the process of working with the whole staff to create something “…basically entirely student run,” Nese said. The newspaper issues are not the only thing Nese loves about Prowler. In fact, one of her favorite Prowler experiences was from the 2024 end-of-year magazine, the cover story of which followed protests at universities over the Israel-Palestine conflict. “It seemed a bit challenging at first […] but I got to interview students going into university and how they felt about the conflict and how their universities were handling it…It was really cool to see that all come together,” Nese said. Summer brought even more opportunities for Nese, not only traveling to Costa Rica but also to Indiana University to attend a journalism program with fellow staff member Hannah Shulman. When she is not writing, reading or baking, Nese spends most of her free time running track and cross country for the NPHS team. This year Nese hopes to continue to discuss local topics, bring variety to Prowler through new articles, “…and of course winning as many competitions as possible!” Nese said.
Marli Saner (11) // Staff Writer
Creative, passionate and reliable. These are three words photographer and staff writer, Marli Saner, junior, would use to describe herself. This is Saner’s first year on the Prowler staff, however she previously took Intro to Journalism her freshman year. “My mom told me that I would do very good in the class and that I could use my photography skills for more than just school,” Saner said. With this being her first year on staff, Saner has a lot to look forward to. She is inspired and hopeful to attend a journalism convention this year and is ready to experience new opportunities. “I’m excited to grow and learn as a journalist and meet students who are also young journalists for their school,” Saner said. This summer she spent her time traveling around Europe and New Orleans. “I love how Europe has a whole different type of culture depending on what country you were in,” Saner said. Saner is thrilled to be able to attend prom this year as a junior and also getting to experience all that her marine science class has to offer, including taking a trip to UCSB. After high school, Saner hopes to earn her bachelor’s degree in science and continue on to become a marine biologist. Reflecting back to her youth, a piece of advice she would give her younger self is to embrace being vulnerable. “I was a very shy kid and did not like talking to people, so I would tell younger me to put myself out there more,” Saner said.
Athena Xilas (11) // Staff Writer
Athena Xilas, junior, has always loved writing and especially grew her interest after taking a class with her sophomore English teacher, Lauren Denchfield. “[Denchfield] transformed how I viewed writing. In her class, I learned how thoughtful and complex writing could be,” Xilas said. She is looking forward to exploring her passion for journalism in her first year on the Panther Prowler staff. “I decided to join the Prowler because I have an interest in writing and being a part of the staff teaches you how to become a stronger writer,” Xilas said. Outside of school, Xilas also has many activities she is fond of. “My favorite hobby is creating art. I also really enjoy water coloring and visiting museums,” Xilas said. From the music to planned-out outfits, Xilas loves every aspect of concerts. Some artists she’s heard live include Harry Styles, Zach Bryan and her favorite, Taylor Swift. “My favorite concert I have ever been to was Taylor Swift. She has been my favorite artist since I was a little girl,” Xilas said. Her favorite food has been rocky road ice cream for as long as she can remember. “I would always pick rocky road because it was my dad’s favorite, now I associate it with him so I love it even more,” Xilas said. She is excited for new opportunities and her journey on the Panther Prowler. “I am looking forward to growing as a writer this year and so excited to improve my quality of writing,” Xilas said.
Elizabeth Barnes (10) // News Editor
If it weren’t for her bad luck, she wouldn’t be on the staff today. Elizabeth Barnes, sophomore, had put Intro. to Journalism as her third choice for her elective class, and now she is gaining even more experiences as she goes into her second year on the Prowler staff. From writing about teacher’s coffee farms to the construction of a new oncology wing at a local hospital, Barnes was encouraged to apply and ultimately decided to join once she heard about the collaborative working inside and outside of the class. “[It is a] community through writing. A journalistic family,” Barnes said. Along with journalism, she is part of the cross country and long-distance track team, where she is hoping to make improvements over the year. “I’m looking forward to just making more strides in that area. So I want to run faster, run more and run with my team more,” Barnes said. Unlike many people, Barnes wants to stay close to home for college, and attend Pepperdine School of Law to become a lawyer, specifically a malpractice attorney. Not only does she want to stay near home for college, but she truly enjoys living in Newbury Park and plans to live here for as long as she can. “I’ve never lived anywhere else to compare it to, but my dad has also never moved out of Newbury Park,” Barnes said. Although she is not planning to leave her hometown, Barnes hopes to visit Italy, which is her grandmother’s home country. But taking a step back, Barnes’ overarching goal is to be content with her life, now and in the future. “I don’t need to be over the moon happy when I’m older, but I don’t want to be regretful. I just want to be content in my life, and I’ll be set,” Barnes said. “[I don’t want] to rush. Looking back, I was very eager to get into high school, and to get into life. And I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to be content where I am at.”
Zoe Blumfield (10) // Sports Editor
Zoe Blumfield, sophomore, photographer and sports page designer, is a new addition to the Prowler and is excited to share her love of writing with others. “Writing has helped me in my life because it’s allowed me to be creative and express my opinions. I find it really interesting getting other people’s perspectives,” Blumfield said. Last year Blumfield took an Intro to Journalism class that inspired her and some of her friends to join the Prowler. She also heard of the amazing opportunities the Prowler provides. “ Some of my friends were joining too so I thought it would be a fun way to continue writing,” Blumfield said. She is excited to focus on sports writing and coverage throughout the year as it is her favorite topic. Alongside writing, Blumfield enjoys other extracurriculars, sports and hobbies in her free time. “I like soccer and I also really like to bake,” Blumfield said. Blumfield has been playing soccer since she was 7-years-old and continues her athletic journey on our very own Newbury Park High School girls’ soccer team. She enjoys the many opportunities playing soccer has given her. “We do a lot of fundraising and stuff like that. We do a bunch of stuff outside of soccer within the program,” Blumfield said. She carries her enthusiasm about soccer into her writing and is looking forward to starting the process of making our newspaper. “I am excited to start writing [about] different issues and starting to put things together. I want to see how we can work together to create something that is interesting and fun for people to read,” Blumfield said.
Mika Inouye (10) // Features Editor
In Mika Inouye’s freshman year, she jumped at the opportunity to join the Panther Prowler during her Intro to Journalism class. This year Inouye is a sophomore and she is ready to share her love for writing with the Panther Prowler. “I hope to take away a very special experience through this class,and [become] a strong and independent writer,” Inouye said. “I also hope to be able to tell stories through my writing and talk to many different people.” This year, Inouye has a lot to look forward to. “I am looking forward to late nights because of the energy that is only found in the newsroom. I am also looking forward to reading our issues,” Inouye said. Inouye is ambitious and has many goals for this year. “I hope to write stories that interest me, while also pushing me out of my comfort zone. I would like to cover things that I am unfamiliar with, so I can learn from others,” Inouye said. Besides writing on the Panther Prowler, Inouye has lots of different hobbies. “My favorite hobby is going on long car drives with my sister and blasting music,…I also enjoy reading, watching shows like Gilmore Girls and hanging out with my family and friends,” Inouye said. After highschool, Inouye would love to continue her writing journey. “I would love to pursue some sort of career in either journalism or English,” Inouye said. Last year, the Panther Prowler was filled with fun and exciting memories. “My favorite part about being a part of Prowler is the feeling that I am a part of something important. I also love the newsroom atmosphere because it is so exciting and feels so professional with editors and writers collaborating and piecing together stories,” Inouye said.
Lauren Malen (10) // Editorial Editor
Lauren Malen is going into her sophomore year and is ready to start her first year on the Prowler as a staff writer. Malen has a passion for English and sees the newspaper as a way to progress this love. “I really like English, and so I like writing and stuff, and I thought it would probably be a good way to continue to write,” Malen said. Outside of the Prowler, she enjoys spending her time playing soccer and running on the cross country and track teams. “Cross country and track, I just run for the high school, and then for soccer…I also play for a club team,” Malen said. Her love for each sport comes from separate roots. “I like the team aspect of soccer…for cross country, I originally just started to stay in shape for soccer, that’s why I started running…but because it’s an individual sport you get to focus on you,” Malen said. Some of her favorites include sunflowers, the color blue and pizza. While she may not be sure about her future yet, she is certain that she would like to follow her love of soccer. “I’m not sure what I want to be yet, but I want to go to college to play soccer, for sure,” Malen said. On top of a love for sports and writing, Malen also enjoys traveling. “This summer, my family and I went to Cabo to celebrate my grandparents’ 50th anniversary,” Malen said. She also would love to visit Paris and learn about the culture. “My mom and my grandparents speak French and that was their second language before they spoke English.” A few of her other hobbies include reading, going to the beach and hanging out with friends. She is excited to go through her sophomore year of highschool, and is ready to start her electives. “I’m looking forward to my food nutrition class because I heard that class was really fun,” Malen said.
Sophia Zhang (10) // Features Editor
Through her love of fiction and fantasy novels to her passion for writing, Sophia Zhang, sophomore, was recruited to join Prowler the middle of her freshman year. “I took Intro. to Journalism last year because I wanted to explore my passion for writing,” Zhang said. While being a part of the Prowler, Zhang has learned many important skills and become a stronger writer. “Being on Prowler has given me the opportunity to experience what working with a staff is like and the importance of communication. Prowler has opened me up to so many talented writers and makes me strive to grow not only as a writer, but also as a person,” Zhang said. Zhang has had many memorable experiences while on the Prowler staff, but her favorites come from late nights. “We stay on campus all day and eat dinner together,” Zhang said. Zhang’s talent does not end with writing, she also enjoys dancing and painting. “I started dance around four and have been dancing for 11 years. Dance allows me to express my emotions without the use of words and that’s something I really appreciate about it. However this year I decided to take a break from dance in order to focus more on school,” Zhang said. Zhang’s position as a staff writer on the Prowler and dance career are her creative outlets. In addition to expressing herself creatively, both through writing and dance, she also enjoys traveling to new places. “My dream places to travel to are Greece and Japan,” Zhang said.
Camille Chase (10) // Staff Writer
From her humble beginnings as a script writer for her middle school’s news channel to her rise to the Panther Prowler Newspaper, Camille Chase, sophomore, has patterned her journey after her love of storytelling and the world of journalism. “Writing in any form is storytelling, and being able to do that through a platform that tackles so many different subjects and reaches wide audiences is a beautiful experience to be a part of,” Chase said. During her first year on the Prowler, Chase hopes her writing will invoke the same emotions in her readers that beckoned her to join in the first place. “Shedding light on untold stories is an element in journalism I find myself connecting to a lot. I’m most passionate about topics that call out unjust situations or focus on communities that get overlooked. Everyone should find a place within a story, especially people who don’t get to see themselves represented enough,” Chase said. Outside of her journalism career, Chase can most likely be found in the company of good food. “I love to hang out with my friends and explore new restaurants with them. I’m a huge foodie and bake whenever I can,” Chase said. She also displays her gift on the stage at our very own NP theater, another community where she can use her gift of expression to the fullest. “I feel comfortable with my public speaking abilities,which has really helped with journalism, and love being able to be myself on stage,” Chase said. The same passion that allows Chase to profess herself on stage will set her up to be an extremely powerful and eloquent journalist. “I’m most excited to write about stories that highlight human connection in unique forms. Community is one of the most important things to have, and I would like to write about how people find it during hard times,” Chase said. For some final words of wisdom, if Chase could convince her readers of anything, it would be to, “…make their pumpkin bread with orange juice, read ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King if they like dark fantasy novels, and to do something that scares them everyday,” Chase said.
Kate Slack (10) // Staff Writer
Sophomore year is a year of firsts for Kate Slack as she jumps into her first year on the Panther Prowler and the girls’ junior varsity volleyball team. Slack has been playing volleyball for four years and currently plays right side on the team. “[Volleyball has] helped me build so many fundamental skills like working with other people in a team and it has helped me [develop] mental toughness by staying positive in bad situations. It’s also helped me to accept criticism way more and I feel like in the past, I haven’t always been [as good with that],” Slack said. She is constantly looking to grow both academically and in her sport as a student-athlete. “I am always open to feedback and ways to get better in every aspect of my life,” Slack said. When she is not at school or on the court, Slack enjoys following storylines: both written on paper and captured on a screen. “I usually like to read or watch movies. My favorite book is probably ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney [and] I’m starting the show right now too,” Slack said. Her partiality to storytelling ties into her love for journalism, which led to her applying for the Panther Prowler: “I was in the Intro to Journalism class, so I was already pretty interested in journalism, and honestly I was kind of scared at first. But as I went through the class, I got more comfortable with it,” Slack said. Slack’s future aspirations are bright; they include making good, lifelong friends, as well as a career as a lawyer inspired by her father. “I want the truth to be present in everything,” Slack said. As for her goals for the near future, Slack is anticipating the upcoming year as a new member of the Panther Prowler staff and continuing to refine her reporting as a journalist. “I want to get better at writing and I want to see all of the perspectives [of] the paper,” Slack said.
Michelle Saremi // Adviser
Since 2007, Michelle Saremi has been the staff adviser to the Panther Prowler as well as an eleventh grade English teacher at Newbury Park High School. Beginning in 2002, she taught at La Cumbre Junior High in Santa Barbara and California High School in south Whittier before coming to NP. During this time, Saremi determined that she was more interested in teaching high schoolers. “I worked with little kids for several summers, and I knew that while they’re fun to hang out with in the camp situation, I did not have any interest in working with them in a classroom environment,” Saremi said. At first, Saremi was nervous to take over the journalism program, and was grateful for the support from the administrative staff. “[The previous principal] provided a lot of trainings for me to go to, she used to be an English teacher, and she had connections to journalism advisers who she helped me get in contact with, and they became my mentors,” Saremi said. Prior to her involvement, the Prowler was a quarterly newspaper with a small staff. She built it into an eight issue per year production and taught students how to use Indesign for newspaper pages. This year, the staff is planning on attending the National Scholastic Press Association high school journalism convention in Seattle, the first time they have traveled since 2019. Outside of school, Saremi enjoys spending quality time with her children and volunteering at the animal shelter in Camarillo. This summer, she and her daughters collected driftwood from different beaches they visited and are making art with it. “We’re making bead strings,” Saremi said, “And then I drill holes in them and string them up and they’re outside and catch the light.” Her love for literature drew Saremi to teach English to high schoolers. “I like talking about how literature affects our lives,” Saremi said. Her eleventh grade English C.P. students read “The Crucible”, “The Catcher in the Rye”, “Underground Railroad”, “The Great Gatsby” and “Into The Wild”, a curriculum she enjoys discussing and analyzing with her students. Her favorite part of working with high school students are the meaningful interactions she has with them. “Working with the kids [and] having just conversations [is the most rewarding part of my job],” Saremi said.
Former Editors-in-Chief:
2023-2024: Kira Ivarsdottir & Hayden Meixner
2022-2023: Allison Nguyen & Dhruv Patel
2021-2022: Abby Gorman & Carter Castillo
2020-2021: Jessica Zhou & Manas Khatore
2019-2020: Emily Nagamoto & Aditya Vunnum
2018-2019: Clare Wang & Connor Keep
2017-2018: Lindsay Filgas & Caitlin Henderson
2016-2017: Victoria Juan & Nina Chiuchiarelli
2015-2016: Adrianna Robakowski & Shreya Chattopadhyay
2014-2015: Grace O’Toole & Courtney Brousseau
2013-2014: Cassie Stephenson & Patrick Rewers
2012-2013: Rachel Cross & John Dichirico
2011-2012: Sophie Li & Maia Laabs
2010-2011: Shannon Alavi & Melissa Han
2009-2010: Kylie Foo & Larisa Owechko
2008-2009: Katherine Light & Naveen Balan
2007-2008: Mark Alphonso & Katherine Light
Former Chief Photographers:
2023-2024: Cameron Winick
2022-2023: Parker Bohl
2021-2022: Reese Kelem
2020-2021: Reese Kelem
2019-2020: Rahul D’Souza
2018-2019: Emily Nagamoto
2017-2018: Megan Vlietstra
2016-2017: Caitlin Henderson
2015-2016: Samantha Meyers
2014-2015: Samantha Meyers