Quaker Valley High School Senior Hanna Carver was recently recognized by the New York Times in their 6th Annual Student Podcast Contest. Students across the country submitted nearly 1,100 podcasts, and Carver’s work, “Am I Next? The Impact of Gun Violence in U.S. High Schools” received an honorable mention.
Carver first learned of the contest in her journalism course with Mr. Marc Duchin and Ms. Kayla Marasia. During this course, students created a podcast episode related to any topic of interest. Carver is a passionate advocate for ending gun violence in schools and decided to create her podcast about this topic.
“Over the years, I have dedicated myself to hours of advocacy work, engaging in movements to raise awareness about this topic,” explains Carver. “Whether I was walking the streets with thousands of people protesting or speaking with policymakers, I felt a responsibility to do everything within my power to generate positive change.”
With the help of her journalism teachers and many others, Carver developed and refined her podcast, eventually submitting it to the New York Times.
“The insight I gained about media and storytelling in my Journalism class helped me craft an inspiring and engaging podcast,” she said. “My experience with my internship and advocacy projects gifted me with the public speaking skills and the confidence to articulate my thoughts and feelings in a concise and impactful way creating a podcast that was both thought-provoking and meaningful.”
Carver is an active member of the student body at Quaker Valley, serving on the Student Council, acting as Key Club President, and serving as a Student Representative to the Quaker Valley School Board. In addition to her in-school activities, Carver interns at the Sewickley Community Center as their Social Media Coordinator and is an active member of the Pittsburgh Girl Gov chapter.
In the future, Carver plans to go to college and pursue a career in advertising.
Listen to the awardees and Carver’s podcast HERE.