2024-2025 Chief Advocate Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Maia Colavito is a junior at Nonnewaug and is the editor-in-chief for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is an athlete, playing soccer and track for NHS. This is her third year writing for the Chief Advocate, and she enjoys writing about a variety of news.
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Anna Crocker is a junior at Nonnewaug who writes for the Chief Advocate as the deputy editor-in-chief. She is from Woodbury, and this is her third year as a Chief Advocate writer. Anna plays field hockey for the school team. She enjoys writing about sports and the community.
News Editor
Ava Hustek is a senior at Nonnewaug and is in her second year of the Chief Advocate program, now as a senior news editor. She likes to write about the news and events around the campus. Ava plans to go school to become a sonographer. She is from Middlebury and is in the ag program for vet science. In her free time, she likes to be with her friends and work with cows.
News Editor
Brianna Johnson is a senior at Nonnewaug and a news editor for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. Brianna has an interest in reporting on Nonnewaug's agriscience program and FFA news. In the time not spent reporting on news, she works with dairy cattle, socializes with friends, and goes hiking.
News Editor
Katie Savulak is a junior at Nonnewaug and writes as a news editor. She plays tennis and does classical ballet year-round. She loves baking, playing with her dog, and music. Her favorite artists include Sara Kays, Niki Demar, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Sports Editor
Savannah Czerepacha is a senior and a sports editor for the Chief Advocate. She is a part of the ag program and is studying aquaculture. She plays for the NHS soccer, track, and basketball teams. She also has a pet pig named Lightning and two axolotls.
Sports Editor
Arabella Rosa is a senior at Nonnewaug and a second-year journalist for the Chief Advocate, now taking the role of a senior sports editor. She is from Watertown and is studying aquaculture in the agriscience program. She loves to cook and once she graduates from NHS she wants to go to culinary school to become a professional chef. She also wants a black lab and a German shepherd when she is older....
Sports Editor
Hailey Goldman is a junior at Nonnewaug who is an sports editor for NHS Chief Advocate. This is her second year as a writer and first as an editor, and she enjoys writing about Nonnewaug's sports and posting multimedia. She is an athlete who plays for the varsity girls soccer team and runs for the varsity indoor and outdoor track teams.
Features Editor
Addison Bushka is a sophomore at Nonnewaug. She is from Woodbury, and this is her second year in journalism, returning as an editor. When not writing for the Chief Advocate, she plays soccer and runs track for Nonnewaug. She enjoys writing about sports, school events, and the community.
Features Editor
Ava Hirleman is a sophomore at Nonnewaug. Ava is from Bethlehem, and it's her second year being a part of the Chief Advocate -- this year becoming an editor. When she's not writing for the Chief Advocate, she plays both field hockey and tennis, and she enjoys hanging out with friends.
Ag/FFA Editor
Milon Griswold is a senior at Nonnewaug, and he is an editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is from Bethlehem. Growing up around trucks, tractors, and everything agriculture, he enjoys writing about the ag program.
Ag/FFA Editor
Grace Nelson is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. This is her second year of writing for the Chief Advocate and her first year taking on the role of being a senior ag/FFA editor. She is from Woodbury and is also a member of the agriscience program, currently taking ag production. When she is not busy writing for the Chief Advocate, she enjoys hanging out with friends and working. She is looking forward...
Ag/FFA Editor
Lexi Sweeney is a senior along with being a second-year journalism student. She enjoys writing feature stories and articles highlighting events within the FFA. Sweeney shows rabbits and sheep around the state through 4H. She is excited to report on new FFA events and write more features.
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Morgan Willis is a sophomore at Nonnewaug and an editor for the Chief Advocate. Morgan is an officer in the National Art Honor Society and the president of the Sophomore Class Council. She loves writing about the art departments at Nonnewaug as well as important events.
Multimedia Editor
Juliana Bailey is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and is a multimedia editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Watertown and is a part of the ag program. She plays lacrosse and swims. She writes about sports and school events.
Multimedia Editor
Deme Jones is a junior at Nonnewaug High School who writes and edits for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is now a multimedia editor. This is her second year as a writer for Chief Advocate, and she hopes for a great year filled with many well-written pieces. Demetra enjoys her sports -- lacrosse, field hockey, and swim -- and hopes to play in the future.
Social Media Editor
Audrey Doran is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School and is a social media editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Bethlehem and plays soccer for the school. She enjoys writing about sports and news in the community.
Social Media Editor
Aubrie Salisbury is a sophomore at Nonnewaug and is a social media editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. She plays soccer, basketball and tennis, and she lives in Woodbury. Aubrie loves to write about sports.
Reporter
Joseph Abaire is a senior at Nonnewaug and a first-year journalism student. He enjoys writing about topics that have to do with the ag program and the outdoors, and he hopes one day to become a veterinarian.
Reporter
Olivia Bernardi is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. She is from Middlebury and is a part of the ag program. She swims for Nonnewaug. She hopes to pursue a career working with kids. When she is not busy, you'll always see her out with friends and never sitting at home. She often works and has different varieties of jobs.
Reporter
Emma Bigman is a senior at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is an active member of the Woodbury FFA and is studying vet science. She leases a buckskin horse and enjoys riding in her free time. Emma is passionate on writing about the FFA and agriculture programs, especially new improvements to the program.
Reporter
Ashley Blood is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and is going into her first year as a reporter for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. Ashley is from Seymour, so she spends her time within the agriculture program. Ashley is excited to write about real problems within Nonnewaug and how she believes that the student body and she can make a difference.
Reporter
Brianna Brainard is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is an athlete who loves and plays for Nonnewaug's volleyball, basketball and timber teams. Outside of school, she is a dancer as well as a horseback rider who likes to spend time with her favorite horse, Bougie. She loves listening to music, being social, caring for animals, spending time...
Reporter
Jackson Brent is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and a first-year writer for the Chief Advocate. He is an involved athlete and hopes to play college tennis. He is also heavily involved in music and art. He looks forward to writing about sports and becoming a better writer.
Reporter
Sophia Caldarella is a senior at Nonnewaug. She is from Woodbury, and this is her first year as a writer for the Chief Advocate. Sophia plays volleyball for the school. She is looking forward to writing about sports throughout the year. When she graduates, she wants to become a ICU nurse.
Reporter
Daniel Coyle is a senior at Nonnewaug, and he is a resident in Middlebury. He is very passionate about working with horses and polo. Daniel plans on continuing his passion for the sport of polo through college. Daniel works for polo farms as well as playing the sport.
Reporter
Drew is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. He is a first-year reporter and a part of the agriscience program.
Reporter
Mathew Dutton is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. He lives in Woodbury and plays baseball for the school. He enjoys playing competitive ice hockey down in Danbury.
Reporter
Maria Eggers is a senior at Nonnewaug. She is a first-year reporter for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. She is a member of the Woodbury FFA and works at the Bent of the River Audubon Center. She is studying vet science and is the secretary of the FFA Community Outreach Committee. She loves writing and looks forward to interviewing students and community members.
Reporter
Cameron Frazier is a senior at Nonnewaug and is a reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is part of the ag program and enjoys working on anything mechanics-related. He works as much as possible outside of school.
Reporter
Ashlynn Graziano is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and is a first-year writer for the Chief Advocate. She is part of the agriscience program and is currently studying ag production. In her free time, she loves to be at her barn with the horses and her friends. This year, she is helping run the Blue Paw Initiative and is continuing as the chair for the Woodbury FFA Events Planning Committee, along...
Reporter
Nathan Hayes is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and lives in Watertown. He is a first-time writer, and in his free time, he enjoys competing in timbersports and drag racing. He is in the agriscience program and is in the mechanics class.
Reporter
Chase Heidorn is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. He plays football for the school. He's also in the ag program, taking vet science classes. In his spare time, he likes to head to the gym and go fishing.
Reporter
Maya Hines is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. She is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is part of the agriculture program at the school and is studying ag production. In her free time, she works with animals and is at the farm. She enjoys writing about sports, school events, and FFA activities.
Reporter
J.J. Lingley is a senior at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate.
Reporter
Sophia Lingley is a senior at Nonnewaug from Woodbury. She is a first-year reporter for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate, and is hoping to create impactful pieces, as well as being able to cover aspects of the school culture among many other things. When she graduates, she hopes to major in social work and work as a counselor in the future.
Reporter
Trevor Santopietro is a Nonnewaug senior who enjoys baseball and working out. He is from Woodbury and is interested in writing about sports.
Reporter
Kristi Sundstrom is a first-year writer for NHS Chief Advocate. She is a senior at Nonnewaug, and she swims and plays lacrosse for the school teams. She enjoys researching the underdog opinions at Nonnewaug and enjoys writing about sports, school issues, and more.
Reporter
Adrian Astudillo is a junior at Nonnewaug and a first -year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is new to Woodbury and hopes to become part of the community. Outside of school, he likes to skate around town, train boxing, play instruments, and listen to music. He enjoys writing about music, arts, schools events, and the community.
Reporter
Noah Blood is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. He is from Seymour and is in the agriscience program. He is currently interested in mechanics and landscaping. Outside of school, he enjoys working and hanging out with his friends. He is a first-year writer and is interested in writing about upcoming events at Nonnewaug.
Reporter
Macey Chmiel is a junior and is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is from Oxford and came to Nonnewaug for the ag program, specifically for equine science. Along with ag, Macey has also been a part of the volleyball team. Outside of school, she enjoys baking, working, playing volleyball and being with her horse. As a first-year writer, she looks forward to writing about sports and the...
Reporter
Matthew Clifford is a junior at Nonnewaug and a first-time writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. He hails from Woodbury after moving from New York at the start of high school. He is a hockey player and coach, and he enjoys sports, hosting interviews and podcasts, as well as delving into topics outside of Woodbury's culture.
Reporter
Elsie Crocco is a junior at Nonnewaug. She is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is from Naugatuck and is involved in the agriscience program. She is involved in the Woodbury FFA timber team. She is interested in writing about the ag program and FFA.
Reporter
Valeria Ferrer is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and a first year reporter. She is from Southbury and is a part of the Nonnewaug agriscience program, studying horse management. Outside of school, she loves working with her dad doing electrical and working at her SAE--a horse barn in Southbury.
Reporter
Rylee Gallicchio is a junior at Nonnewaug and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. This is her first year writing for the Chief Advocate. Rylee lives in Woodbury and is hoping to accomplish many published and well-written pieces this school year.
Reporter
Merije Iljazi is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. She is in the agriscience program and is serving as the 2024-25 Woodbury FFA secretary. She is currently taking the ag production class but enjoys aquaculture as well. She devotes a lot of her time to the ag program and would like to write about it.
Reporter
Nesim Iljazi is a junior at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate.
Reporter
Henry Keil is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. This is his first year as a writer for Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. He plays hockey and baseball for the school. As a writer, he likes writing about sports and interesting things that go on at this school.
Reporter
Dylan Loring is a junior at Nonnewaug. He is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. He is from Southbury and is part of the agriscience program. He is currently in the ag production course. Outside of school, he enjoys working on a dairy farm and on a landscaping crew.
Reporter
Aryanna Lucas is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. She's from Oxford and part of the agriscience program. She is a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate, and she participates in the field events in track and field. She enjoys holidays and plans to be a vet tech after high school.
Reporter
Matthew Molleur is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. It's his first year taking journalism at Nonnewaug and he likes to write about sports and the agriculture program. Matthew plays hockey for the co-op team with the Shepaug/Nonnewaug Spartans. He is also on the track team. Matthew is associated with the FFA program and is a hard worker.
Reporter
Arin Morales is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. She is a first-year reporter for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. She is from Watertown and is an agriscience student. She is a cheerleader for the school. She loves writing about recent news in the community.
Reporter
Caila Palaia is a junior at Nonnewaug High School who writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Woodbury and is in the ag program, studying agricultural production. She enjoys animals and the outdoors.
Reporter
Anthony Perez is a junior at Nonnewaug. He is a first-year journalist for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. He is from Naugatuck and a part of the growing aquaculture program in the school's agriscience program. He is most interested in writing about sports at Nonnewaug because of his relationship with track and field, being a Berkshire League All-Star in his sophomore year.
Reporter
Nic Sniffin is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and a first-year writer for NHS Chief Advocate. He is from Bethlehem and plays football.
Reporter
Olivia Thompson is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and is a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Naugatuck and is enrolled in the ag program. She plans to go to college for culinary and will be some type of pastry chef. She enjoys writing about the FFA program and events both inside and outside of school.
Reporter
Trevor Timko is a junior at Nonnewaug High School. This is his first year writing for Chief Advocate. He lives in Bethlehem and enjoys running, music, video games, and the medieval period of history. He's looking forward to writing stories about things happening in town, at the school, and other interesting, relevant topics.
Reporter
Grant Wilmot is a junior at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate.
Reporter
James Wolf is a junior at Nonnewaug. He is from Woodbury and plays basketball for the school. He likes to spend his free time with his family and friends.
Reporter
Charlotte Yakavonis is a junior at Nonnewaug. She is from Bethlehem and this is her first year as a writer for NHS Chief Advocate. She takes and enjoys photography.
Reporter
Keira Zupan is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and is a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. Keira is a active member of the FFA and she is part of the equine science class. She has a love and passion for animals she will carry throughout her writing.
Reporter
Julia Gwiazdoski is a sophomore at Nonnewaug who writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Woodbury and plays soccer for the school. She enjoys writing about sports, school events and activities going on in the community.
Reporter
Kevin Haven is a sophomore at Nonnewaug. This is his first year writing for NHS Chief Advocate. He also plays football and likes to write about the sports.
Reporter
Jadyn Heron is a sophomore at Nonnewaug. This is her first year at the Chief Advocate. She enjoys reading and lives in Bethlehem. Jadyn plays field hockey in the fall and lacrosse year-round. She is also in the Harbor Program at Nonnewaug.
Reporter
Cam Jones is a sophomore at Nonnewaug from Woodbury and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He enjoys watching sports, playing baseball and football, and working with cars. He is excited to write about sports, big school events, and student life.
Reporter
Roger Nelson is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School. He is a first-year writer for NHS Chief Advocate. He lives in Woodbury, and he likes writing about sports and problems happening in school.
Reporter
Elliana Obolewicz is a sophomore at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. As an athlete at NHS, she plays both soccer and basketball. She lives in Woodbury and is excited to write about sports, school events, and the community.
Reporter
Max Sorcher is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School who is a first-year writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. Max lives in Woodbury, and he plays baseball for the school team. Max enjoys writing about sports and school events.
Reporter
Kailey Townsend-Meeker is a sophomore at Nonnewaug and a first-year writer for the Chief Advocate. She plays for the NHS soccer and tennis teams. Kailey enjoys writing about sports and school-wide events. When she isn’t writing or playing sports, she likes to travel and see different cultures.
Reporter
Aubrey Waldron is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School. She is from Beacon Falls and is a part of the agriscience program at Nonnewaug. She is currently interested in vet science and large animal production. When not in school, she is busy with volleyball, swimming, and softball, along with being with friends andfamily. As a first-year reporter, she is interested in writing about the sports and student...
Reporter
Rowan Boisseau is a freshman at Nonnewaug. She is from Woodbury, and this is her first year writing for the Chief Advocate. She enjoys photography, writing in different styles, and music.
Reporter
Eliza Butkus is a freshman at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate. Eliza plays soccer and basketball for Nonnewaug. She enjoys writing about sports and current events.
Reporter
Hayley Cardoso is a freshman at Nonnewaug. This is her first year as a writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Woodbury and enjoys writing.
Reporter
Dakota DiBiase is a freshman and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is a local Woodbury resident who enjoys writing about community and school events. When not occupied writing for the Chief Advocate, she is infatuated with spending time with her friends and loved ones, who inspire her in numerous ways. Dakota is very passionate about her voice career as well and plans to continue...
Reporter
Matthew Eureka is a freshman at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the Chief Advocate.
Reporter
Lila Farrelly is a freshman at Nonnewaug and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Woodbury. Lila plays softball and field hockey and enjoys writing about sports, school events, and the community.
Reporter
Maddie Garguilo is a freshman at Nonnewaug who writes for the Chief Advocate as a reporter. She runs cross country and indoor and outdoor track for Nonnewaug. She enjoys writing about sports and school events.
Reporter
Bryce Gilbert is a freshman at Nonnewaug High School, and she's a first-year journalist for NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Woodbury and is a part of the agriscience program. Along with her writing, and the ag program, she is also a part of Nonnewaug's sports program. She plays soccer, basketball, and runs track.
Reporter
Greg Neumann is a freshman at Nonnewaug and is from Woodbury. He likes and plays sports. He has friends and family who are nice.
Reporter
Christian Rivera is a freshman at Nonnewaug and a first-year writer for the Chief Advocate. Christian is from Woodbury, and he likes making digital art and music. He also is learning game development.
Reporter
Zach Santopietro is a freshman who writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is from Woodbury, and he plays baseball and basketball. This is his first year in journalism.
Reporter
Fiona Scozzafava is a freshman at Nonnewaug and is a first-year reporter for the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate. She is from Woodbury and is part of the NHS field hockey team along with playing year-round. She also has a dog named Maverick and two cats at home. Fiona enjoys writing about all topics and is excited to publish many pieces from sports to school events.
Reporter
Isaac Spagnola is a freshman at Nonnewaug and he is a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He lives in Woodbury and plays football for the school. He enjoys writing about sports and the community.
Reporter
Catherine Viveros is a freshman at Nonnewaug High School, and is a first-year journalist for Chief Advocate. She is from Woodbury and enjoys being a part of Nonnewaug's sports program. She is on the field hockey, swim, and track teams. She is looking forward to writing about school and sports.
Reporter
Anna Walkup is a freshman at Nonnewaug and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She lives in Woodbury with her parents and sister. Outside of school, Anna dances year-round and is a part of the NHS field hockey team. She hopes to learn a lot from this experience and write about topics of her interest.
Reporter
John Wenzloff is a freshman at Nonnewaug who is just starting his journalism journey. He plans on staying in journalism until senior year, hoping to become an editor. After high school, he plans on moving to North Carolina and attending a college for literature.