Local students in grades 4 through 12 were asked to write a biography/personal profile of a living person, after interviewing them, and provide a photo of that person.

The contest was open to public and private schools in Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Keene and AuSable Valley and is part of the newspapers’ Next Generation Newsroom program, which creates educational pathways for students in the Tri-Lakes region to become professional journalists.

“We’re extremely proud of the young writers who entered this contest,” said Andy Flynn, editor and publisher of the Enterprise and News and coordinator of the Next Generation Newsroom. “Students chose interesting people, interviewed them and told their stories. They all did a great job.”

Separate prize levels were created for elementary school, middle school and high school.

The elementary school winner of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News Biography Writing Contest, fourth-grader Taika Mzese, poses with her teacher Amy Kramer at Lake Placid Elementary School on June 12. The first-place prize was $100. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

Lake Placid Elementary School fourth-grader Taika Mzese was the only elementary school writer to enter the contest, and she earned $100 for her effort. Her teacher was Amy Kramer. Flynn delivered the prize money on June 12.

“I enjoyed Taika’s story about North Country School DEI educator Yunga Webb very much,” Flynn said. “She really captured the essence of Yunga’s work and showed how deeply Yunga has inspired her in life. Well done, Taika.”

Lake Placid High School 10th grade English teacher Brenden Gotham made the contest an assignment, and 12 of his students submitted stories. They were the only high school writers to enter the contest. The winners were Brooke Meyer, first place, $300; Lilyan Powers, second place, $225; and Ava White, third place, $150. Flynn delivered the prize money to the winners on June 13.

READ Brooke’s story HERE.

READ Lilyan’s story HERE.

READ Ava’s story HERE.

READ Taika’s story HERE.

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Sponsors

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This year’s Biography Writing Contest sponsors are Curtis Lumber, Duff’s Dumpsters, Down and Dirty Excavating Services LLC, Eye Peek, Hyde Fuel, Phinney Design Group, The Bookstore Plus and Tri-Lakes Federal Credit Union.

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Next Generation Newsroom

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The Next Generation Newsroom is a program of outreach, recruitment and training for local students — in public and private schools and homeschooled — to gain valuable experience that will launch their journalism careers — either in entry-level positions at the Enterprise and News or in bigger newsrooms.

“We want to make sure local students understand that journalism is a viable career option — whether it is writing, photography or production — and they have a resource right here in the heart of the Adirondack Park that can help launch their careers,” Flynn said. “Many media professionals in radio, television or online newsrooms have earned their chops and built a solid journalism foundation working in their hometown newspapers.”

The Enterprise and News, founded in 1895 and 1905, respectively, continue to be a proven training ground — a stepping stone — for young journalists’ careers. It’s part of the legacy of these hyper-local newspapers. Many who have worked in the Saranac Lake newsroom have eventually moved on to bigger media outlets, such as The New York Times.

Through the Next Generation Newsroom, the Enterprise and News connect the newsroom in Saranac Lake to elementary, middle and high school classrooms in the greater Tri-Lakes region and to colleges throughout New York state.

“We plan on having three interns this summer: two college students and one local high schooler,” Flynn said. “Our interns gain hands-on experience working side-by-side with professional editors and writers and walk away with a portfolio of published work so they can show prospective employers and continue to build their careers in journalism.”

Interns help the Enterprise and News staff cover a wide variety of community news and sports in a region that is unique in America, such as environmental issues and outdoor recreation in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park and Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy, as host of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games and its continuing role in training Olympic hopefuls and hosting local, state, national and international sporting events.

In addition to internships and the writing contest, the Next Generation Newsroom offers tours of the newspaper office and printing press for classes, sponsors meet-the-journalist programs in schools and supports school newspapers and photography clubs.

“In schools that don’t have active news clubs, newspapers or photography clubs, we also advocate for the formation of those clubs and newspapers,” Flynn said. “We know it costs time and money, but the investment is worth it for the development of these students.”

The newspapers’ editors are also available to give a News Writing Workshop to students, participate in Career Days or Career Shadow Days or speak at local schools about community journalism, our newspapers, our unique coverage area in the Adirondack Park and future internship and employment opportunities.

Learn more about the Next Generation Newsroom at https://tinyurl.com/ycd8n5pb.