Stories shape the world, and at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School, student journalists in the Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News program are learning how to tell them. Their hard work and dedication were recently recognized at the Hawaii High School Journalism Awards, where the program placed in the top three in four different categories.
“I was determined to write good stories this year that would beat these private schools and show all those schools what Nanakuli is capable of. So to just place top three in four categories, it was just amazing,” said Senior Reporter Haysten Jesus.
Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News was founded by Robin Kitsu in 1993 when he taught English at NHIS. Since then Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News has won countless awards at the Hawaii High School Journalism Awards, even placing second in the state in 2004 and 2007, and placing third in 2006.
“I was drawn to Ka Leo because I was very quiet, but wanted a safe space to tell real stories from our community as well as express myself. Learning hands-on journalism skills was an added benefit,” said former Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News Staff Member Nikita Munoz.
This year, Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News took home the following awards:
Second Place, Feature Profile
Third Place, News Article
Third Place, Breaking News Article
Third Place, Portrait Profile
The 2025-2026 school year marked the return of Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News after a six year break. Jesus was one of the first students to have an interest in bringing back the publication alongside Junior Promise Jellings-Faletogo.
“It was challenging to find students who were interested and committed to the craft of journalism, especially through the Covid years. When Haysten and Promise showed interest in bringing it back, it was exciting for both myself and Mr. Kitsu,” said Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News Co-Advisor Chloe Kitsu.
Jesus added, “Last year was the first year we attended after a long hiatus, and we won first in state for video, along with that I watched all the private schools sweep the categories. That being said, this year I wanted blood this year.”
One of the major differences in Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News today is that it is no longer a class during the school day. Students meet after school or during lunch to complete stories and meet with the advisors.
“The newsroom (back then) was collaborative, fast-paced, and driven by a strong sense of purpose and pride. While sometimes stressful everyone was supportive and often helped each other with projects and deadlines,” said Munoz
Jesus added, “We were a small group and it was difficult to meet and plan our stories. I believe there are only 6 of us, most of us are involved in other extracurricular activities, which makes it even harder to meet or execute assignments. We had big plans for this year, bigger than the ones that were executed, but we couldn’t execute the original plans because we just weren’t able to.”
For next year, the staff hopes to publish at least one print issue and to continue sharing stories through the online publication.
“I hope they enter every category and place in the best journalism group in the state. I hope they get to achieve that first place win that I fell short of this year,” said Jesus.
Jellings-Faletogo added, “I hope that we bring home a plaque next year and we place first in a writing category. I just want our group to push forth the best we could possibly do and see where it gets us.”
Although Ka Leo ʻO Nānākuli News was able to take home numerous awards over the past two years, the core values of integrity, honesty, and storytelling remain throughout generations of staff members.
“I hope this generation brings fresh perspectives paired with a strong commitment to community-focused reporting grounded in honesty and integrity,” said Munoz.
Jesus added, “Journalism has taught me how to have a voice and also how to give other people a voice. It allows students to speak on important issues in the school and community while making people feel heard and represented. Through journalism, I’ve learned how to advocate for others, ask important questions, and tell stories that can make an impact on people.”