By Tahra Gribbin
Review Intern
Senior Kathryn Havrilla is this year’s representative for “all MIPA” through Lake Orion High School’s Television Production Workshop. MIPA stands for Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. They host a conference in April each year to determine the best program in the state.
“I received an email from MIPA telling me I had made the Student Journalism Staff,” Havrilla said. “Which means I am in the group of top journalists in the state and that I am nominated for all MIPA.”
Being one of the state’s top student journalists is something that the high schools who compete in the MIPA competition take very seriously and there’s a lot of work involved.
“Before I was nominated for all MIPA, I had to put together a portfolio with my best work and several essays explaining my best work,” said Havrilla. “I also had to collect many letters of recommendation”
Before the MIPA conference isn’t the only time of year that Havrilla focuses on journalism, though. She is in Lake Orion High School’s highly praised Television Production (TPW) workshop.
“Mr. Smith and all of my classmates have been so supportive of me,” Havrilla said. “TPW is an amazing class because we all support each other in everything we do. Mr. Smith is very encouraging and willing to help any of his students, and we appreciate him so much.”
After she graduates from Lake Orion High School this year, Kathryn plans to continue studying journalism at Central Michigan University.
“I toured their campus/broadcasting building this summer and loved it,” said Havrilla. “Not sure what I’d like to be yet, but I’m considering English, Broadcasting, and Secondary Education. Maybe I’ll end up in a newsroom.”
Kathryn has been very involved throughout her time in the TPW class and says she doesn’t take one moment of it for granted.
“My advice for my fellow TPW students is to enjoy every moment, don’t rush through high school because it’s over before you know it,” Havrilla said. “I still have term left, and I already miss the class. Cherish every moment.”
As for her current triumph of being nominated to represent Lake Orion High School at the MIPA conference in Lansing on April 17, Kathryn says she couldn’t be happier.
“I am truly honored to be nominated, and truly honored that my teachers and classmates felt that I was qualified for the award,” Havrilla said. “When I found out I was nominated, I was ecstatic. I’m thrilled to have even made the Student Journalism Staff, and it can only go up from this point.”
Television Production Workshop is a 4 term class that runs each year at Lake Orion High School. To get into the class, students must be either juniors or seniors, have completed the Broadcasting class offered at LOHS and submit an application before the due date during the prior school year. TPW puts on the show LO-AM each afternoon, providing Lake Orion High School with a professional team which presents, live, the news stories affecting the school that day.
‘My favorite memory about TPW is almost every day,? Havrilla said. ‘We’re all so close, and we all get along very well. Mr. Smith has done such a great job of providing us with a journalist’s experience. Putting on a live show every day has made me learn so much about deadlines and working with other people. I’ve grown so much as a journalist, and TPW has really prepared me to move on to the college level next year.?
Havrilla and the TPW team will find out if they are voted one of the best news teams in the state of Michigan for the year on April 17. Many students involved with the video production program at Lake Orion High School will also find out if their individual videos impressed the judges enough to win on April 17 also.