Gabriella Castro (well known as Gaby), follows up her junior year with the Wildcat Chronicle as she chases deadlines like no tomorrow. A Best of SNO winner and part of the 2024 Pacemaker team, she loves writing, reading, and coloring… pretty much anything to pass the time, she is up for. She loves getting her hands full with all sorts of hobbies ranging from boxing and running to music and books. Always trying to be positive and directive as she learns through high school. At first glance she may seem tired, crusty, and lazy – but perhaps a second look can help.

Jonathan is a senior who joined the Wildcat Chronicle in his sophomore year: through the newspaper, he has learned many important lessons – not only about journalism, but about life in general. Jonathan was able to successfully get his Opinions Editor role in his junior year due to his hard efforts, and has been it ever since. He is grateful for this position and his ability to be a leader for the Chronicle. He received his first Best of SNO on one of the editorials he worked on earlier this year, and is a Blue Ribbon Award recipient through the Northern Illinois Student Press Association for his ongoing column “Jonathan Says.” Besides Journalism, Jonathan loves the draw/sketch – yeah, well… he dropped the fascade and admits he is not as good at drawing as he claims to be. He still very much doodles when classes get a little boring, though. He also has a very sociable personality and can talk to people very easily, he even got better at talking to the whole class (presentations). It is very clear that having a higher role in journalism brought him to a more professional level. His goal was to finish 25 assignments in a whole school year, which is easier said than done. He did not complete 25 pieces. But, he did win several awards last year, so that is great on his end. Jonathan’s junior year goal was to find job, and to everyone’s surprise, he was able to successfully pull a job at McDonald’s, leaving him no longer sad and broke, but rich and happy. He is excited for his final semester of journalism, and cannot wait to be a part of the team all yet another year long. His time is ticking at the Chronicle, and he wants to do something big before he leaves the team.

Damian Ruben Lopez Medina is a senior at WCCHS, and this is his first year in journalism. He enjoys drawing, posing action figures, and has a hobby for anything superheroes. In his spare time, he likes to ride his bike and listen to music. Damian hopes to become more social this year as he wants to make more friends, as he likes to put it this is “his year”.

Leo is a junior at West Chicago Community High School who joined Journalism during his sophomore year, and is actively completing his second semester as a journalist.

Leo has solidified himself as a reporter after gaining significant recognition for his article on Celsius, which not only captured global attention, but also became the second most-viewed piece in the history of the Chronicle. Outside of Journalism, Leo is an avid Varsity football player and a skilled strategist on the WEGO Chess Team. After high school, he aims to pursue a career as an actuary or enter the world of economics in a white-collar profession.