The Pioneer

Mountaineer views on today's news.

The Pioneer

The Pioneer

2023-2024 Staff

Nyah McKinney
Co-Editor-in-Chief

Nyah McKinney

Nyah McKinney (she/her), Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer, embodies the essence of a personable and diligent student-athlete journalist. She is a member of the Junior class as the Class of 2025 president. Nyah actively particip...

Isabella Ford-Valiente
Co-Editor-in-Cheif

Isabella Ford-Valiente

Isabella “Izzy” Ford-Valiente (she/her) is a junior at West Orange High School and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer. This is her second year writing for The Pioneer. She has had a passion for writing ever since she was little and hop...

Violet Kohlenstein
Managing Editor

Violet Kohlenstein

Violet Kohlenstein is the 2023-24 Managing Editor of The Pioneer. A Sophomore at West Orange High School, this is her second year as a student journalist. Kohlenstein values her education, embracing her participation in the ...

Ruby Page
Copy Editor & Marketing Coordiantor

Ruby Page

Ruby Page (she/her), started with writing short stories as a kid and continues her passion as a writer for The Pioneer. Although she is in the Humanities program at West Orange High School, where she continues to work on her w...

Parker Park Hawley
Editorials Editor & Marketing Coordinator

Parker “Park” Hawley

Parker “Park” Hawley (they/them), sophomore, is the Co-Editorials section editor at West Orange High School. Park has been an avid writer since they can remember, taking after their father who is also a writer and journalist. Park...

Alicia Brown
In Our School/Town Editor

Alicia Brown

Involved in journalism, broadcasting, and creative writing, Alicia Brown (she/her), junior at West Orange High School, is a new and optimistic In Our School/Town section editor of The Pioneer. She has prior experience with jour...

Taylor Shimek
Entertainment Editor & Fun Pages Editor

Taylor Shimek

Taylor Shimek (She/Her) is a student journalist for The Pioneer. She has written for the student newsite for almost two years and especially loves editorials. Her passion for writing began when she was young with made-up s...

Aanya Ortiz
Lifestyle Editor

Aanya Ortiz

Aanya Ortiz (she/her) is a newly appointed staff member of the Pioneer. She is currently a sophomore at West Orange High School. Aanya was born and raised in Manhattan, New York, for her first six years and thereafter moved to W...

Azari Howard
Editorials Editor, Fun Pages Editor & Marketing Team

Azari Howard

Azari Howard (she/her) is a junior at West Orange High School and a student journalist for The Pioneer. This is her third year writing for The Pioneer. Azari has been interested in writing since Pampers and loves sharing her ...

Steven Mulvihill
Sports Editor & Marketing Team

Steven Mulvihill

Steven Mulvihill (He/Him) is the Sports Editor and apart of the Marketing team for the 2023-2024 staff of The Pioneer. During his first year, he was the section editor for the entertainment section and a co-editor for the sport...

Nathaniel Thomas
News Editor & Marketing Team

Nathaniel Thomas

Nathaniel Thomas (he/him) is a junior and the News Editor on the Marketing Team for The Pioneer. The Pioneer. He joined last year due to his previous experience with newspaper clubs and his interest in writing. Since then, he...

Nysa Vedwan
Student Journalist & Marketing Team

Nysa Vedwan

Nysa Vedwan (she/her) is a student journalist and a marketing team member of The Pioneer. She is a West Orange High School sophomore with a strong passion for journalism and writing. Nysa’s love for literature began in her ch...

Emily Rintzler
Student Jounalist

Emily Rintzler

Emily Rintzler is a sophomore at West Orange High School. She participates in the soccer, bowling, and lacrosse programs at school. She loves watching movies, her favorites being “Good Will Hunting” and “American Beauty”. Rece...

Evan Kerr
Student Jounalist

Evan Kerr

Evan Kerr (he/him) is a sophomore at West Orange High School and a journalist for The Pioneer and is preparing to make his WOHS writing debut. However, this isn’t Evan’s first rodeo in terms of writing. He first started his...

Hanna Amoyaw
Student Journalist

Hanna Amoyaw

Hanna Amoyaw (she/her) is a student journalist for The Pioneer and is a junior at WOHS. Hanna is the varsity soccer goalie for WOHS, and she also plays club soccer for Stallions Academy. Some of her hobbies outside of writi...

Alexa Dias
Student Journalist

Alexa Dias

Alexa Dias (she/her) is a student journalist for The Pioneer. As a junior, Alexa is involved in several extracurriculars. Along with The Pioneer, she is a member of Royal Strings, Tri-M Music Honor Society, WOHS Softball, WOHS...

Nidhi Patel
Student Journalist

Nidhi Patel

Nidhi Patel is a sophomore and a student journalist for The Pioneer. She is passionate about a variety of interests and activities. In her free time, you'll often find her shopping, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, ...

Freia Schwander
Student Journalist

Freia Schwander

Freia Schwander (she/her) is a student journalist for The Pioneer. She is a junior and briefly wrote for the newspaper and is now excited to get involved again. Freia’s enthusiasm for writing began when she was a child and ...

Lea Deleta
Student Journalist

Lea Deleta

Lea Deleta (She/Her) is a sophomore at West Orange High School who joined The Pioneer this school year. While Lea had not fully explored writing before, she chose to join the newspaper, which sparked her newfound interest in w...

Derek Sinlao
Student Journalist

Derek Sinlao

Derek Sinlao (He/Him) was born and raised in West Orange, New Jersey, is currently a senior at West Orange High School, and is a new journalist for The Pioneer.  In his free time, Derek likes to spend his time catching up...

Ms. Jen Dahl
Faculty Adviser

Ms. Jen Dahl

Ms. Jennifer Dahl began teaching at West Orange High School in 2006. Since her teaching debut 23 years ago in the Bronx, she has taught English at four different schools in The New York-New Jersey area. At each, her support for ...