LA PLATA, Md.—Six Charles County Public high school students were selected to serve as broadcast anchors for original programming featured on the school system’s educational television stations – Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12. These students will rotate anchoring episodes of NewsBreak 96, a show that highlights Charles County Public Schools programs, students and staff, as well as conduct interviews and research for other original programming.
The anchors for the 2013-14 school year are:
-- Taylor Morris-Bates, senior, La Plata High School;
-- Christopher Chaffee, senior, North Point High School;
-- Brelynn Hunt, senior, North Point;
-- Maya Kidane, junior, North Point;
-- Nadia Mourtaj, junior, Maurice J. McDonough High School; and
-- Christina Paras, senior, McDonough.
This is Bates’ first year serving as a student anchor. She plans to study journalism in college and hopes to land a job as a television news reporter or investigative journalist. She is an honor roll student and the theater stage manager at La Plata.
Chaffee is a first-year anchor and is enrolled in the electronics program at North Point. He is a member of the computer/programming team and participates in Skills USA. He is an honor roll student and plans to obtain a career in the graphic design field after graduation.
Hunt is a first-year anchor and is enrolled in the biotechnology program at North Point. She serves as secretary of the class of 2014, and is president of the STARS leadership committee and multimedia club. Hunt is an honor roll student and participates in school plays and events, volleyball and cheerleading. She plans to study biology after graduation and pursue a career as an obstetrician.
Kidane is also serving as an anchor for the first time this school year. She is an honor roll student, a member of the unified bocce and tennis teams and participates in several school clubs. After she graduates in 2015, Kidane plans to study journalism in college.
Mourtaj is an honor roll student at McDonough and is a first-year anchor. She is a member of the varsity soccer team, student government association and drama club. Mourtaj is taking several Advanced Placement (AP) courses this school year and plans to study psychology and criminal justice after she graduates in 2015.
Paras is a returning anchor from last year and is a member of the McDonough marching band, show choir and National Honor Society. She is also a part of the school’s symphonic band and plays the flute. Paras plans to study broadcast journalism and government after she graduates.
During the spring of each school year, Charles County Public Schools communications staff visits each high school to talk to students and principals about the anchor audition process and to solicit student interest. Students audition for the positions, of which up to eight students are selected to serve each year, and those interested in future careers in journalism, broadcasting or communications are encouraged to apply.
For more information on the audition process, Comcast Channel 96 or Verizon FiOS Channel 12, contact the Charles County Public Schools communications department at ccpstv96(at)ccboe.com.
Source: Charles County Public Schools