The Express newspaper continues to shape future journalists and serve as a platform for student voices since it was first introduced to our school in 2010. However, that begs the question of where these students are now?
While many of our newspaper alumni have branched out of the journalism space to follow their own passions, there’s still plenty that have pursued journalism as a career or hobby. Many of which are continuing to impact the world of media.
Tanza Loudenback was the first ever Co-Editor-in-Chief of the paper, where she helped pave the way for aspiring student journalists, by setting the standard for the newspaper program.
“We were all learning together how to build a newspaper and staff from scratch,” said Loudenback.
With no previous student leaders to guide her, Loudenback had to find the most efficient ways of editing and reporting stories in order to draw attention to the new program. Loudenback faced the unique challenge of creating the blueprint for the future generations of the newspaper.
Despite these challenges, Loudenback ended up majoring in journalism in college, where she continued to grow as a young journalist.
She developed skills including better communication and organization through her time on the newspaper that better set her up for success in the real world. These skills stuck with her and later helped her feel more confident in a professional environment, especially when she landed her first job in a digital newsroom.
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring journalists she empathized the importance of becoming a generalist before you become a specialist.
“Learning early on how to cover different topics can help you discover what you enjoy reporting on and what readers are interested in,” said Tanza Loudenback.
Even though Tanza Loudenback helped build the foundation for the Express, more recent alumni like Elliott Ruvalcaba helped continue the legacy forward.
Ruvalcaba joined the Express as a staff writer his senior year of high school in 2024-2025, where he reported on a vast array of topics and issues.
Ruvalaba produced several popular articles including, “The Decline of Literacy and the Rise of AI” where he developed key skills that helped him succeed in the long run as a student journalist. He learned the importance of time management and the necessity of teamwork throughout his time on the paper.
“Being able to articulate my feelings, both in words and on paper, has become so much easier as a result of being a part of the newspaper,” said Elliott Ruvalcaba.
The newsroom environment pushed Ruvalcaba to put himself out there and challenge himself as a writer. These experiences helped Ruvalcaba feel more prepared for life outside of high school.
After high school, Ruvalaba moved on to attend as a student at Drexel University in Philadelphia where he’s currently working on his school newspaper, The Triangle, recently publishing an article about the Trump Administration using funding as leverage.
The Express and The Triangle both operate on a similar biweekly schedule, which allowed Ruvalaba to transition into the more competitive world of college journalism fairly smoothly.
Ruvalaba encourages those with a love for reporting to write about what they think is important and what topics they think should be up for discussion.
“By sharing your thoughts on something and bringing it to people’s attention, you open up doors for conversations,” said Ruvalcaba.
Anyone who was or is a member of the Express staff has learned vital skills that can be applied to the real world of journalism. Having a platform to express one’s beliefs and report on issues of importance helps students understand that their voices matter.
Our program continues to serve as a lasting tradition for past and present staff members to share their voices, their perspectives, and their love for journalism.
