Meet the 2019 High School
Eight young journalists spent six weeks at the L.A. Times
On the path to discovering his passion, Carson High School alumnus Elijah Alavazo immersed himself in different forms of media — from video games to YouTube videos to just browsing the web. Alavazo’s taste for media earned him the technology editor position for his school newspaper in his senior year of high school.
Another motivating factor for Alavazo’s involvement in journalism is the diversity in his hometown of Carson.
“There’s a lot of stories you can find on any street corner, any person, any event — there’s always a story to tell,” Alavazo said. “That inclusiveness just … it just gets me excited. I’m an outgoing person; I want to know things about other people.”
The rising Cal State Long Beach freshman described himself as friendly and charismatic, always laughing and joking with anyone he meets. Alavazo said he is social and likes to know what everyone likes and dislikes, making sure to be mindful of everyone’s limits.
Alberto Diaz, Alavazo’s close friend from school, praises Alavazo for his fearless personality.
“He’s not afraid to meet new people. He’s very outspoken,” Diaz said. “He likes to speak his mind, and I look up to him in that regard.”
Alavazo said he knows he can turn to his friends during difficult times in his life. He credits them with helping him become confident.
“They kind of helped me move up in life and grow as a person … they made me who I am today,” he said.
Alavazo is still unsure about his plans for the future.
“I’m still experimenting. I’m still learning about myself,” Alavazo said. “I really believe that journalism is really cool and interesting.”
Aimée Bonar is a poet who discovered her love for writing in an English class.
She is a rising senior at Francis H. Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley where she’s editor-in-chief for the student newspaper The Poly Optimist.
“I volunteered [to be editorin-chief] because I like being in charge,” Aimée Bonar said.
Her mother, Lilian Bonar, has been amazed by Bonar’s ambition but not surprised that writing has something to do with it.
“When she wants something, she sets up a goal. It doesn’t matter what obstacles she might face, she works through until she accomplishes what she wants,” Lilian Bonar said.
She said she’s always known her daughter had a talent for writing.
“When Aimée was 3 years old, she got a napkin at a restaurant and told me she was writing a book. I knew she was going to be a writer,” Lilian Bonar said.
Because Aimée Bonar’s mother is Mexican and her father is white, she has developed strong emotions surrounding her dual identity.
“Even when I tell people about my ethnic background, they still treat me differently,” Aimée Bonar said. “They’ll make fun of me a lot. They would call me cracker. It was supposed to be funny, but over time it got hurtful. I didn’t think I was white enough to be a white girl or Hispanic enough to be Hispanic.”
Aimée Bonar’s mother believes her daughter will come to embrace both of her cultures.
“I understand that she has difficulties finding herself, but I think eventually she is going to find herself and be 100% sure about who she is,” Lilian Bonar said.
Brian Macias, a close friend of Aimée Bonar, is very much aware of her passion for writing.
“Whenever she’s in a mood, she writes poems and puts all her emotions on paper,” Macias said.
As she continues her journey as a journalist, Aimée Bonar said she hopes to spread awareness of the most pressing issues facing her school, community and city, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to share his or her story and inspire others to do the same.
Whether dancing with a drill team or a hip-hop crew, Jaleyah Collier has always been interested in entertainment. But now, the Augustus F. Hawkins High School graduate hopes to get involved with entertainment in a new way: through reporting. She wants to find out if journalism is the career path she should pursue at Cal State Northridge.
Collier has begun exploring entertainment journalism through her summer internship with L.A. Times High School Insider, where she wrote about a clown group that helps mentor youths through dance. The group is run by Tommy the Clown, who invented clown dancing, a form of freestyle hip-hop dancing where performers dress like clowns.
“It came from a thing called krumping,” Collier said. “So what they do is paint their faces like a clown.”
Collier’s interest in entertainment journalism was sparked when she came across Homegrown Radio entertainment journalist Lupe Llerenas on Instagram. The idea of being able to talk to and meet celebrities, like the hip-hop celebrities that Llerena interviews, is what made Collier want to explore entertainment.
“I was like, ‘Oh, wow. Her job looks cool,” Collier said, calling it dope.
Even though she developed an interest in entertainment journalism, her introduction to High School Insider was through a different type of journalism. Collier was featured in an L.A. Times article on students’ experiences with violence in their communities.
“I believe that’s when it sparked an interest in her to kind of be more interested and participate more in journalism,” said Renee Aresti, one of Collier’s mentors.
Collier’s mentor Jasmine Casa, whom she met through the welcome center at Hawkins High School, said her outgoing personality is what would make her a perfect journalist.
“Everyone who knows Jaleyah knows that’s a perfect job for her because she’s outgoing, she’s witty, she’s out there,” Casas said.
Claire Jones has loved live music since attending her first concert at just 7 years old. Jones, 18, discovered her passion for storytelling by writing concert reviews for High School Insider.
At the start of middle school, her sister introduced her to the band Paradise Fears and went to its concert in L.A. Jones then received a journal from her favorite lead singer and in that journal, started writing poetry and short stories.
What sparked her love for writing was the novel “Paper Towns” by John Green.
“As embarrassing as it is, John Green has a special place in my heart,” Jones said. “And I fell in love with writing and wanted to write something like this.”
Among her friends, Jones is known for having a “crazy” side, said Julia Wright, Jones’ friend of seven years.
“She took me to my first concert, and that was crazy,” Wright said. “We got lost in L.A. so many times before we could drive, and I asked her, ‘Where are we going?’ and Claire said, ‘I don’t know but we’ll figure it out.’ ”
Jones said that she’s known for having a stash of 12 premium-quality pink cowboy hats in her car at all times and anyone who enters her vehicle must wear one of them.
Jones’ adventurous nature is seen through her friendships, as well as through her determination to seek out opportunities to review concerts.
Jones has also had several experiences meeting celebrities such as singers Shawn Mendes, Zayn Malik and Selena Gomez. Using social media posts and Google maps, Jones was able to find celebrities and the hotels they would stay in.
“She’s also very, very quick with her comedy and humor and how she responds to things is all very quick,” said Ellie Williams, a close friend of Jones. “I have yet to meet anyone to process things that quickly and have the perfect response.”
She hopes to someday become an editor of a newspaper or a publisher for Penguin Books.
Through all of her interactions with celebrities and friends, she has made an impact by being “the go-to person,” Wright said.
“The world needs more Claires,” she said.