Alexis Behrens has been an enthusiastic member of the Spotlight since the very beginning of her time at Southern Lehigh High School. As a freshman, she was eager to take on extra articles to help out the publication and was affectionately known as “the overachiever” of the group. When she eventually joined the editorial team, she was excited to leave her mark on the publication, creating a new...

Spotlight co-editor-in-chief Gianna Cusumano will graduate this May, leaving behind four years of dedicated involvement to the high school’s student newspaper. Throughout that time, she filled the roles of entertainment and features editor, and this year served as head of the website and social media. In each position, she embraced opportunities to express her passion for advocacy. “Writing i...

After spending four years writing for the Spotlight, with three of those years as Opinion editor and one as Features editor, senior Morgan Downing will graduate in May. Morgan originally joined journalism during her freshman year in hopes of finding a community of students who share an equal interest in writing. Since then, she firmly believes she found that community, and so much more.  “I’v...

Since enrolling in journalism as a freshman, senior Kelcie Wagner has taken on several different roles as a member of the Spotlight staff, proving to be a prominent leader and integral part of the editorial team. She is currently a fourth-year staff reporter, second-year Entertainment editor, and first-year Sports editor. Wagner initially decided to take journalism because of her strong interest...

Senior Tessa Di Cesare is a second-year staff reporter and first-year Our World editor for “The Spotlight.” Throughout her time on the newspaper staff, she has dedicated much of her time and energy to ensuring the success of the publication. Tessa decided to take Newspaper Journalism her junior year because she has always enjoyed writing. Before joining “The Spotlight,” she explored her...

For the past two years, senior Axel Sorber has been a staff reporter for The Spotlight newspaper. She has dabbled in several different sections of the newspaper, refining her writing skills and exploring the journalistic style. Her favorite article that she wrote was “Microtrends threaten Earth’s Environment.” She enjoyed writing the article because she was passionate about and interested in ...

Southern Lehigh senior Charlie Petri is a first-year staff reporter for “The Spotlight.” Seeking a fun elective to fill up his schedule, Charlie stumbled upon Journalism to make use of his creative writing skills. Since joining, Charlie has embraced his role as a staff reporter, and even found himself competing at the state level for editorial cartoon drawing.  Charlie is not only a student journalist, bu...

Junior Dylan Smith is a first-year staff reporter. He is also a member of Fashion Club, FBLA, Angel 34, MiniTHON, and Student Council. He is active in Southern Lehigh’s sports teams, serving as captain of the swim team, a member of the baseball team, and manager of the girls' soccer team. Outside of school, Dylan likes to play pickleball with his friends and watch the movie La La Land. After hig...

Junior Ryan Stehlik is a first-year staff reporter for The Spotlight. Ryan is also a member of the varsity lacrosse team, cross country team, FBLA, and Mini-THON. Outside of school, Ryan enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hiking and fishing. In the future, Ryan would like to pursue a career in physical therapy or sports training.

Freshman Rebecca Grum is a first-year staff reporter for The Spotlight. This year, Rebecca is a member of the Southern Lehigh girls tennis team and Student Council. Outside of school, she is a member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth ice hockey team. Her hobbies consist of being an avid reader of James Dashner's books and listening to music. After Rebecca graduates, she would like to study English...

Freshman Lily Ingraham is a first-year staff reporter. After finding a passion for creative writing, Lily joined the paper to explore other writing styles and improve her skills. Lily is not only a writer but also an avid reader. She loves to read thriller novels, especially We Were Liars. In addition to the Spotlight, Lily is involved with other clubs such as Habitat for Humanity and Varsity Club...

Freshman Katya Mikhalik is a first-year staff reporter for the Spotlight. Beyond the newspaper, she keeps busy as a member of Student Council, Future Medical Professionals, and the high school volleyball team. She spends her remaining time baking, crocheting adorable stuffed animals, writing short stories, and deciding whether The Weeknd or Bruno Mars is her favorite musician. After graduation, she...