Poojasai Kona is the Managing Editor for Visual Journalism of the Raccoon Rambler, the student newspaper of Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves — and that’s what the passing of a New Voices law in Texas helps ensure. If such censorship of student journalists is present, how will we accurately represent diverse groups of students and ideas?”

What I Do

As the North Texas Regional Organizer of New Voices Texas, I work to ensure support is gained from schools and districts around North Texas — including students, teachers, and administrators involved with their student publication or not — to help spread awareness and make them care about our cause of passing New Voices legislation in Texas.

I am responsible for spreading our message with schools and student publications in districts 9,10, and 11 to help them reach out to legislators and try to get multiple interests to help support our bill. Additionally, I am responsible for communicating with schools and student publications on how to educate their communities of New Voices Texas and the importance of Student Press Freedom.

I will measure my success as the North Texas Regional Organizer by getting reports back from schools and student publications in districts 9,10, and 11 of the efforts they put forth to help communicate our cause to their communities. I will want to have these be monthly reports. Furthermore, I will establish a regional Instagram page specifically for North Texas to feature and keep track of the efforts of different schools and student publications and hopefully have an increasing follower count to know that our message is being spread effectively.

By the end of the school year, as any officer, I want to accomplish the act of passing the New Voices legislation in Texas. However, I’d like to reach as many people as I possibly can to help support our legislation/cause and build a strong North Texas community that supports the fight for Student Press Freedom. Texas is and what we do.