NHS Chief Advocate

2022-2023 Staff

Samantha Conti
Editor-in-Chief

Samantha Conti

Samantha Conti is a senior and a four-year journalism student. She is the editor-in-chief for the NHS Chief Advocate. She previously was the senior editor and sports editor. Samantha plays soccer, basketball and tennis for Nonnewaug. She enjoys writing about sports, fashion and entertainment.

Izzy DiNunzio
Community and Multimedia Editor

Izzy DiNunzio

Izzy DiNunzio is the community news and multimedia editor and third-year writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. Izzy lives in Woodbury and is junior at Nonnewaug. When she graduates, she wants to go to Florida State University to become a cold-case detective.

Madelynn Orosz
Ag/FFA Editor

Madelynn Orosz

Madelynn Orosz is the ag/FFA editor of the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Seymour and has a rabbit and turtle at home. At Nonnewaug, she is a captain of the softball, volleyball, and swim teams, a member of the Class of 2023 Class Council, and a player in the NHS band. Orosz is also part of the agriculture program, where she is serving as the Woodbury FFA Chapter reporter and does numerous clubs. She al...

Genieva Pawlowski
Campus News Editor

Genieva Pawlowski

Genieva Pawlowski is the campus news editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is a senior from Naugatuck who enjoys watching movies and hanging out with friends. She joined journalism because she wanted to see what her full potential is when it comes to writing for a newspaper. Pawlowski is excited to experience her last year with the Chief Advocate.

Ben Stewart
Sports Editor

Ben Stewart

Ben Stewart is a senior at Nonnewaug High School and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate as the sports editor. This is his second year as a Chief Advocate writer. Ben has played soccer in his freshman and sophomore year and is also a member of the baseball and basketball teams. Ben is an experienced sports writer, and is excited to take on this role.

Neal Waites
Features Editor

Neal Waites

Neal Waites is a senior and the features editor for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is from Bethlehem and enjoys listening to music, reading, writing, and painting. When he graduates he wants to further his career in writing and journalism, and at some point in his life, hopes to travel to as many different places as he can and truly see what the world has to offer.

Gage Barrow-Kulesza
Reporter

Gage Barrow-Kulesza

Gage Barrow-Kulesza is a campus news reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a sophomore student who transferred from Thomaston High School and now lives in Woodbury. This is his first year in a journalism class, which he joined due to his love for writing. Gage is an honors student who likes to hang out with his family and friends whenever the chance is given. His dream is to get a major in English...

Julianna Bellagamba
Reporter

Julianna Bellagamba

Julianna Bellagamba is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Watertown and is in the ag program. She plays basketball and is captain of the cross country and track teams. As a staff writer, Julianna enjoys writing about campus activities and sports.

Allysa Calabrese
Reporter

Allysa Calabrese

Allysa Calabrese is a senior and a first-year journalism student. She is from Watertown and is part of the agriculture program. Calabrese is part of the girls basketball team at NHS as well as one of the captains of the softball team. She also enjoys hanging out with friends and photography in her free time.

Maia Colavito
Reporter

Maia Colavito

Maia Colavito is a freshman at Nonnewaug High School and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate as a reporter. Last year, one of her journalism stories was published on the NHS Chief Advocate under the Junior Chief Advocate, which is what led her to take journalism this year. Maia plays soccer and track for Nonnewaug. She enjoys writing about sports and new happenings in the community.

Zoie Cole
Reporter

Zoie Cole

Zoie Cole is a Nonnewaug senior and a first-year reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Bethlehem, and she enjoys writing about all things entertainment. If she's not playing with one of her cats, she's probably reading, writing, or waiting in line at the movies. In the future, she would like to pursue professional writing as a career.

Anna Crocker
Reporter

Anna Crocker

Anna Crocker is a freshman at Nonnewaug High School who writes for the NHS Chief Advocate as a sports reporter. She's from Woodbury, and this is her first year as a Chief Advocate writer. Anna plays field hockey for the school team. She enjoys writing about sports and the community.

Emma DeFrancesco
Reporter

Emma DeFrancesco

Emma DeFrancesco is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate as a reporter. She is from Watertown and has a dog and horse as pets. She has been riding her horse for about three years and competes in local fairs. She also plans on joining the Leo Club at NHS. She enjoys writing about events in the community and her general interests. Emma is excited to explore the many...

Rachel Dionne
Reporter

Rachel Dionne

Rachel Dionne is a senior at NHS and this is her first year as a writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. She hopes to improve her interview skills and fully extend her writing potential in the paper. She enjoys watching TikTok and talking to friends and running cross country in her free time. Rachel is excited to show the students and staff what she can do for the Chief Advocate.

Fiona Gengenbach
Reporter

Fiona Gengenbach

Fiona Gengenbach is a reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate and a Nonnewaug senior. This is her first year writing for the NHS Chief Advocate. She enjoys writing about sports, school news and fashion. Fiona played soccer for her freshman and sophomore years, and she is a four-year basketball player for Nonnewaug.

Kaylee Jackson
Reporter

Kaylee Jackson

Kaylee Jackson is a junior writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is from Oxford and studies aquaculture in the agriculture program. Kaylee enjoys writing about sports and special events happening in the community. She has been playing volleyball for six years now and has been playing for Nonnewaug for three years. She has nearly two years of volunteering experience in the Oxford Fire Department and...

Emma Jones
Reporter

Emma Jones

Emma Jones is a sophomore at Nonnewaug High School and writes for the NHS Chief Advocate. This is her first year as a Chief Advocate writer. She likes playing guitar, listening to music and reading. Emma likes writing about entertainment and the community.

Cheyanne Milam
Reporter

Cheyanne Milam

Cheyanne Milam, a junior at Nonnewaug High School, likes painting and spending time with her friends. She decided to pursue journalism so she could use her writing talents and learn new information regarding Nonnewaug. When she graduates, she wants to work as a school counselor, so she joined journalism to learn more about high school life.

Justice Mulder
Reporter

Justice Mulder

Justice Mulder is a Nonnewaug junior and writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is here to write and speak on behalf of all students. She has helped impaired and challenged students at Nonnewaug and worked as a summer intern for several of the teachers and educators at Woodbury Middle School. She likes socializing with her peers and enjoys spending time outside.

Nick Penrosa
Reporter

Nick Penrosa

Nick Penrosa is a reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate.

Brian Root
Reporter

Brian Root

Brian Root is a reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate.

Madison Stewart
Reporter

Madison Stewart

Madison Stewart is a junior at Nonnewaug High School and is a reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is a first-year journalism student and enjoys writing about all kinds of topics. Madison is very interested in journalism and has always liked to write and learn about a range of different topics. She is considering a career in writing and thought taking a journalism class is a step in the right direction...

Andrew Greene
Sports Reporter

Andrew Greene

Andrew Greene is a sports reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a senior from Woodbury and a captain of the soccer team.

Juliette Nichols
Sports Reporter

Juliette Nichols

Juliette Nichols is a junior and a sports reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. She is an athlete and a part of the volleyball and basketball teams, as well being a captain for the track team in the spring. She also runs the social media for the Class of 2024 Class Council. As a first-year reporter, she is looking forward to new stories.

Richie Paolino
Sports Reporter

Richie Paolino

Richie Paolino is a sports reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a senior from Woodbury.

Christian Swanson
Sports Reporter

Christian Swanson

Christian Swanson is a sports reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a senior from Woodbury who enjoys playing and writing about sports, specifically soccer. He also enjoys playing basketball in his free time. This is Christian's second year as a writer for the Chief Advocate, and he's looking forward to writing about Nonnewaug sports.

Devon Zapatka
Ag/FFA Reporter

Devon Zapatka

Devon Zapatka is a junior writer at the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a varsity soccer player, a member of the Woodbury FFA, and a founding member of the Woodbury FFA Timber Team at Nonnewaug. Devon is from Oakville and is currently enrolled in aquaculture. He enjoys writing about timbersports, FFA events, and school events.

Jason Suess
Ag/FFA Reporter

Jason Suess

Jason Suess is junior writer for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is a police cadet with the Naugatuck Police Department, an active Woodbury FFA member, and a supporting member of the Woodbury FFA Timber Team. Jason is from Naugatuck, and he is currently enrolled in natural resources, aspiring to become a game warden. He enjoys writing about the local police force and the FFA.

Jacob Gorlewski
Ag/FFA Reporter

Jacob Gorlewski

Jacob Gorlewski is a junior writer for NHS Chief Advocate. Jacob is from Oxford and is currently enrolled in aquaculture as his primary agriscience class. He is a lineman for Northwestern United football and enjoys the competition. He reports on the FFA, sports, and all-around interesting stories.

Emma Cummings
Ag/FFA Reporter

Emma Cummings

Emma Cummings is an ag/FFA reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate program. She is a junior from Watertown and cares for three dogs, a cat, two guinea pigs, a lizard, and five fish at home. In the Woodbury FFA, she plans to major in veterinary science. She is a captain of the Woodbury FFA Timber Team and is also part of the NHS band as a euphonium player while working for three farms after school. Cummings...

Kevin Comerford
Ag/FFA Reporter

Kevin Comerford

Kevin Comerford is an ag/FFA reporter for the NHS Chief Advocate. He is from Watertown and is part of the agriscience program at NHS. Kevin is focusing on ag mechanics in school and plans to be a full-time mechanic once out of high school. For work, he does landscaping and works at a mechanics shop.

Megi Gorka
Reporter

Megi Gorka

Megi Gorka is a senior at Nonnewaug High School. She was a staff reporter as a junior and is an occasional contributor to the Chief Advocate as a senior, even though she is no longer in the journalism class. Gorka is from Woodbury and loves to bake, paint and read Vogue magazine. She enjoys writing about the latest fashion trends and celebrities.

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