Awards
2023-24 School Year
Garden State Scholastic Press Association
Media awards:
- 1st place: Overall Social Media Presence
- Broadcast News Show – 1st place – Ethan Kaufman, “Bronco’s Breakdown: Episode 7”
- Honorable Mention: Overall Online Excellence
Individual awards:
- In-Depth Reporting – 3rd Place, Division A – Paige Geanopulos, “Mahsa Amini’s death: The state of Iran and its online discussion”
- Review Writing – 5th Place, Division B – Ethan Kaufman, “Every Lana Del Rey album ranked”
- Newswriting – 8th Place, Division B – Thomas Samouhous, “Turkey-Syria earthquake brings forth global response”
2021-22 School Year
Garden State Scholastic Press Association
Editor’s note: There were no division separations for online awards, but the print awards were divided into 3 divisions based on school population. The article and editorial cartoon not linked are from the Trailblazer’s winter and spring print editions.
- Editorial Cartooning — 1st place, Division B — Samantha Mansueto, “One debate: Two clowns”
- Breaking News — 2nd place, Jared Mitovich, “Superintendent to leave district for new job”
- Broadcast Features — 3rd place, Riley Solomon, Scianna Scott, Ben Hoffman, Sabrina Moe, and Justine Marinkovic, “Pascack Recap Episode 2”
- Sports Writing — Honorable Mention, Division B — Shaan Dalal, “The Last Cowboy”
2020-21 School Year
Garden State Scholastic Press Association
- Multimedia News – 1st Place – Jared Mitovich, “Police reform, mascot removal underscored at racial equity rally in Woodcliff Lake“
- Broadcast News – 1st Place – Jared Mitovich and Mackenzie Blowers, “‘It’s not just George Floyd’: Hills-Valley equity team plans protest”
- Breaking News – 1st Place – Jared Mitovich, “Board of Education votes to remove Cowboy and Indian mascots at Hills and Valley“
- Pandemic Features – 1st Place – Jared Mitovich, “‘They did not have any tests’: how Covid-19 tore through the tri-state area“
- News Writing – 2nd Place, Division B – Maeve Rossig, “Alec Boyajian becomes Pascack Hills’ first-ever NJ DECA President“
- Pandemic Opinion – 3rd Place – Claudia Kim, “How virtual learning is obfuscating self-image“
- News Writing – Honorable Mention, Division B – Briana Keenan, “Amid vocal praise and criticism, Board says Cowboy and Indian mascot removal is final“
- Feature Writing – Honorable Mention, Division B – Briana Keenan, “From ‘Hills Pride’ to ‘Wagon Wheel’: deMarrais’ impact on Hills“
- Pandemic News – Honorable Mention – Jared Mitovich, “AP students at Hills encounter errors submitting virtual exams“
- Pandemic News – Honorable Mention – Jared Mitovich, “National Honor Society hosting contactless food drives outside members’ homes“
- Pandemic Arts & Lifestyle – Honorable Mention – “Privilege during a pandemic: how cancel culture continues in quarantine“
- Pandemic Personal Narrative – Honorable Mention – Sofia Papadopoulos, “From a senior during the coronavirus pandemic“