Roving Teen Reporter: Sneha Interviews Hinano

Hinano Kato’s passion for self-expression and writing stems mostly from her experience in the beginning journalism class during her sophomore year at Torrey Pines High School. Particularly, she recalls creating her first official news story for the class, writing her own article and receiving edits from numerous classmates.

“When we got so many edits from all of the writers (4-5 classmates and our teacher), it made me realize how important it is for multiple people to review my work.” Kato said. “More importantly, they helped me get my story out there in the way that I wanted it to be out there. Having the perspectives of so many people was what made those edits so valuable.”

In the beginning journalism class, students collaborate on writing different articles and creating their first newspaper, as a way to prepare for the advanced journalism class that creates the “Falconer”, the official newspaper of Torrey Pines High School. Kato was the news editor of the “practice paper,” reviewing news stories and leading her section to a successful product. She recalls some of her favorite moments from the experience were interviewing students at her school.

“I hadn’t talked to a lot of the people before I interviewed them, and realized that these people have a lot to share and there were a lot of things out there that I wasn’t aware of,” Kato admitted. “It was a great experience for me to learn and really got me interested in that part of journalism.”

Kato will now advance to being the news editor for the award winning student newspaper at Torrey Pines High School–the Falconer–continuing to advocate for younger voices in politics and social issues. She is delighted to bring her passion and talents in student journalism to the Del Mar Sandpiper, ready to present a student perspective on controversial issues.

“As a teen reporter, we have very unique perspectives. Sometimes it’s hard to share your opinions because there might be some unanticipated consequences, but I’m looking forward to being able to express my perspective on certain events going on in the Del Mar community,” Kato stated. “I feel that with our stories and our interviews, we can create something that is applicable to other communities as well, and writing it from a local perspective can bring a different tone to it.”

As a co-writer on the Falconer and a partner in this internship at the Sandpiper, I am honored to be working alongside Hinano this year.