Whiz Kids: Amna Chaudhry and Rachel Lee, Editors-in-Chief for the Voice

Names: Amna Chaudhry and Rachel Lee

Age: 16

School: Yorktown High School

Accomplishment: Former Arts & Ideas Editors are appointed to lead The Voice, the student newspaper at .

Key to Awesomeness:

Sitting at the island of computers with three windows of Adobe InDesign open, newly appointed Editors-in-Chief Amna Chaudhry and Rachel Lee were in the midst of another day of “layout week,” when the entire newspaper is intensely put together.  

After a year-long application process, Chaudhry and Lee were officially selected Editors-in-Chief (EICs) of The Voice in May by now former Editors-in-Chief Arya Viswanathan and Jenna Chervin. During Chaudhry and Lee’s entire junior year, their dedication and time commitment to The Voice were observed for this hefty responsibility.

Before their promotion, Chaudhry and Lee were already working together as Co-Arts & Ideas Editors. They both joined The Voice during their freshman year, Chaudhry as a staff writer and Lee as an artist. As sophomores, they became layout and copy editing staff members.

“Amna and Rachel are both extremely intelligent, personable, and creative, making them the perfect choices for Editors-in-Chief,” Viswanathan said. “They are hardworking and more than willing to put in the hours required to create a quality newspaper.”

The next paper, scheduled to be distributed on June 9, is a transition issue for a majority of the editors as they take on new sections and some staff are promoted to editor positions.

“Our responsibilities during the transition period are juggling the responsibilities of helping the new A&I editor, as well as handling our new responsibilities as EICs and settling into our new positions,” Chaudhry said.

As Editors-in-Chief, the girls' responsibilities include creating and laying out the cover and center spread of the paper, writing each issue’s editorial, assigning articles to section editors, and managing the newspaper’s finances.

“We also aim to reach a certain level of cohesion throughout the sections, with a common theme and message to accurately represent the student body, whose ‘voice’ we speak for,” Lee said.

Having a consistent newspaper is facilitated through friendship and compatibility, Chaudhry and Lee said.

“We have formed a close bond with the entire staff this year and know that we can rely on each other to bounce ideas, solve problems, and work together with,” Chaudhry said.

The new EICs are well-equipped for this new task and acquired skills from editors over the past three years they have worked on The Voice. They are also guided by their advisor, Leo Sposato, an English teacher at YHS.

“We've really learned a lot from past Editors-in-Chief,” Lee said. “The mentoring we've received this year, not only from our Editors-in-Chief but also from our fellow section editors, has been tremendous.”

Both are exploring career goals and considering continuing journalism.

“I’m really excited,” Chervin said. “They are so competent, really organized, and have everything Editors-in-Chief should have. This year the staff was really a family, and I think they will continue this family. They will be really welcoming to new members.” 

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