2019-2020 Staff

Pilar Sims

Editor in Chief

Pilar Sims is one of the two Editors in Chiefs The Mirror at Van Nuys High School. She is currently a senior this year. Other than writing articles for the program, she likes to read, listen to music and skateboard with her friends. She also enjoys writing many creative, short stories. In college, she plans on double majoring in Journalism and English. She is deciding on whether to become a freelance wr...

Pilar Sims

Editor in Chief

Kayla Lee

Editor in Chief

Kayla Lee is one of the Editor in Chiefs for the The Mirror. In addition to being in journalism, she participates in Science Olympiad and TASSEL. As a senior at Van Nuys, she plans to go to a four-year university and pursue a career in law. She enjoys learning new languages, snapping photos, and dancing.

Mhar Tenorio

Online Design Editor

Mhar Tenorio is the Online Design Editor for the Mirror. Joining the program since his freshman year, Mhar started as a writer for the Features and News department. Now his third year in journalism, he is in charge of the Mirror website. Besides writing, Mhar enjoys drawing and graphic design. His future plans include pursuing a degree and a career in the field of art. ...

Seungyoun Kim

Print Layout Editor

Seungyoun Kim is the Layout Editor for the 2019-2020 school year. She has participated in editorial and features writing in her two years of experience in journalism. Aside from journalism, she is involved in a prevention program called Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Program (YDAPP). She is very passionate about teenagers’ early exposure to drug use and plans to involve herself in the public health field...

Kasey Kim

Entertainment Editor

Kasey Kim is an Entertainment Editor for The Mirror at Van Nuys High School. She is currently a junior in her second year in the journalism program. Outside of journalism, she enjoys listening to Indie music and hiking. She has an interest in nature and gardening. She is currently involved in JROTC and volunteers at the Veterans Adm. Sepulveda hospital. She looks forward to graduating high school and ...

Gwen Langi

Opinion Editor

Gwen Langi is the Opinion section Editor for The Mirror. She is currently a junior in her third year publication for the journalism program. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling and listening to music. Gwen plans to continue writing for The Mirror for the rest of high school.

Ani Tutunjyan

News Editor

Ani Tutunjyan is a sophomore and the News Editor for The Mirror and vnhsmirror.com. She covers current events occurring on campus and globally. Ani returns to the program for her second consecutive year. Outside of journalism, she is involved in Speech and Debate and dance. Ani intends to pursue a career in law.

Andre Rodas

Sports Editor

Andre Rodas is the Sports Editor for the Mirror. Joining the program since his Sophomore year of High School, Andre started as a staff writer for the Sports department. Now in his junior year, he is in charge of the Sports section. Besides writing, Andre enjoys drawing, playing volleyball, reading and music.

Kaitlyn Jung

Features Editor

Kaitlyn Jung is the Features Editor for the Mirror. She has been part of the Journalism program ever since her freshman year. Currently, she is in her junior year and is not really looking forward to the coming year. She enjoys traveling, camping and hanging out with friends. Outside of journalism, Kaitlyn studies for her classes, volunteers at the Pet Orphans in Van Nuys and does taekwondo. She a...

Ivan Delgado

Photo Editor

Ivan Delgado is a Filmmaker, Musician, Photographer and Photo Editor for The Mirror. He joined The Mirror in the beginning of his sophomore year and is currently a Junior. He loves Radiohead and cooking Italian food with all his heart. He hopes to major in Computer Science after he graduates from high school. ...

Aaron Mejia

Finance Manager

Currently, the Finance Manager and Podcast Director for The Mirror, Aaron Mejia is a junior who joined the journalism program two years ago. Before his current position in the publication, Aaron was the Social Media Editor and a staff writer for the entertainment section. Besides journalism, Aaron enjoys participating in speech and debate clubs such as JSA and Model UN. He also likes to serve the...

Plapol Rattapitak

Photographer

Plapol is a Photographer and Assistant Photo editor. For him, photography has been fun and there is a lot of learning curves that he had to go through. He says “photography is basically an art form” every time people asks him what is Photography for him. He also likes traveling and loves arcades.

Andre Davancens

Photographer, Sports Analyst

Andre Davancens is a Photographer and Sports Analyst for The Mirror. He has been juggling his many interests —photography, athletics and fitness, and music, among others— as high schoolers tend to do. Upon entering high school in the 2017-2018 school year he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and do as he did in high school. Andre joined both the Van Nuys aquatics programs and the ...

Ciena Carlos

Staff Writer

Ciena Carlos is currently a senior who writes for Entertainment. Ciena is a seventeen-year-old Chicana who loves to listen to music and watch movies. She especially enjoys reading books in her free time. She is always up to date with everything on social media and takes pleasure in helping others.

Layla Williams

Staff Writer

Layla Williams is an Opinion Staff Writer for the Van Nuys High School Mirror. She is a senior in her second year in journalism. Outside of journalism, she tends to hangs out with her friends and help around the house. She loves to rap and spend her weekend at the studio. She enjoys writing music, short stories and diary entries about herself and things going on in her life. She feels writing is he...

Pamela Serrano

Staff Writer

Pamela Serrano is a senior writing for the News section for The Mirror. In her free time, Pamela likes to play basketball and watch anime. Her favorite team is the Golden State Warriors while her favorite anime is Naruto. She also loves to listen to Korean pop group GOT7. She likes to walk her dog Lilo in dog parks. This is her first year in journalism.

Oscar Jimenez

Staff Writer

Oscar Jimenez is a senior writing for the News Section. He is the youngest out of 5 siblings. His parents are from El Salvador. In his free time, he likes to watch movies, listen to music and paint. He works at Pizza Hut as a part time job, where he has learned communication skills. He looks forward in his first year in journalism and the future in general.

Angelica Valenzuela

Staff Writer

Angelica Valenzuela is a senior writing for the features section in The Mirror. She is the eldest of four siblings. Her favorite color is pink. In her free time, Angelica likes to paint and hang out with her friend. In her first year in journalism, she is excited to learn new things.

Sandra Sanchez

Staff Writer

Sandra Sánchez is a features article journalist. She enjoys writing and making films in her spare time. She “knows” how to make brownies. Being the president of Women’s Empowerment Club, she is a huge advocate for women’s equality. She is a proud Chicana. She is an asirping humanitarian & entrepreneur. She hopes to open up an Internet cafe in New York City one day. She aspires to li...

Stephanie Caceres

Staff Writer

Stephanie Caceres is a writer for the news section of The Mirror.She is currently 14 and a freshman at Van Nuys High School. She likes horror movies, writing, listening to music, watching Netflix and protecting the environment. She also loves dogs and being with her friends. She would like to become a pediatric nurse.

Arsh Dole

Staff Writer

Arsh Dole is a sports writer for the award-winning paper The Mirror at Van Nuys High School. Arsh joined the program in his freshman year of high school. Arsh mainly writes for the sports section. Besides writing for Van Nuys, Arsh enjoys playing basketball and playing volleyball. Arsh is on the Frosh Basketball team and on the JV Volleyball team. Arsh follows mainly basketball since that is his favor...

Noelle Copeland

Staff Writer

Noelle Copeland is a senior, writing first-time for the features section in the Mirror. She is looking forward to make lasting memories in her last year of high school.

Adriana Contreras

Staff Writer

Adriana Contreras joined Journalism in her junior year. Voicing her opinion captured her interest for journalism and working with other people. In her free time, she enjoys dancing in a Ballet Folklorico group called Ballet Folklorico Huitzilin and doing creative makeup.

Sophia Herrera

Staff Writer

Sophia Herrera is a freshman, opinion writer for The Mirror. She loves to write, play all types of music on the piano, and is a soccer player. She plays on three different soccer teams; club, AYSO, and here on the Van Nuys High School girls varsity soccer team.

Eduardo Camarena

Staff Writer

Eduardo Camarena is a sports writer for the award-winning paper The Mirror at Van Nuys High School. He also likes to watch football in his free time. His favorite is the Los Angeles Rams. His favorite player is Josh Reynolds because Josh plays as a wide receiver and Eduardo wants to play and become a wide receiver.

Julia Pfau

Staff Writer

Julia Pfau is a Features Staff Writer for The Mirror at Van Nuys High School. She is currently a junior in her second year in the Journalism program. She plans on learning more about news-style and improving her writing styles through journalism. Julia’s hobbies include learning about fashion and painting.

Ruben Cocilion

Staff Writer

Ruben Cocilion is a senior at Van Nuys High School. For the first time since starting at VNHS, he has joined The Mirror as a writer for the opinions section. After he graduates, he plans to immediately enter the workforce. He then plans to attend a community college. What he intends to study is yet to be decided.

Milton Najarro

Staff Writer

Milton Najarro is an entertainment writer in The Mirror. As a freshman in high school, this is his first year in the program. He wants to be an animator and start his own comic book series. He plans to pursue this in Otis College of Art and Design in Pasadena after he graduates. He is inspired by Marvel Comics and Dragon Ball Z. He joined journalism, in hopes of becoming a better writer. ...

Xavier Gonzalez

Staff Writer

Xavier Gonzalez is currently a sports writer for The Mirror. He is in his senior year of high school. He loves to compete in Robotics competitions. He enjoys playing basketball, video games and eating tacos (cabesa and lengua.) His favorite basketball player is James Harden because of his step back. His current favorite video game is Call Of Duty: World War 2.

Kazi Maisha Rahman

Staff Writer

Kazi Maisha Rahman is an entertainment writer for “The Mirror”. Although she intended to go into the diverse universe of art, her father, Kazi Mesbaur Rahman, a retired freelance journalist in Bangladesh, had provoked certain thoughts about joining journalism. She loves thrillers, especially ones that capture her imagination about extraterrestrial life and beyond. One on her list of favourites is �...

Estefania Lopez

Staff Writer

Estefania Lopez is senior at Van Nuys High School and is a feature staff writer for The Mirror. She is a team member of the tech crew. She volunteers at the Valley Presbyterian Hospital. Her favorite sport is basketball and she loves Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson who play for her favorite team, the Golden State Warriors. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career in nursing. ...

Andrea Hernandez

Staff Writer

Andrea Hernandez is a freshman at Van Nuys High School. She is a features staff writer for The Mirror. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys playing volleyball and binge watching tv shows like The Office, Friends and That 70s Show. She also listens to a lot of music genres, such as rap, r&b, rock and indie pop. She enjoys walking her dogs, Juno and Chiquillo.

Dhamara Gomez

Staff Writer

Dhamara Gomez is a sports writer for The Mirror. She joined the program in her freshman year. Besides writing, Dhamara enjoys drawing her own characters and playing basketball. Her favorite NBA basketball star is Lebron James. She enjoys pop and rock music, with her favorite artist being Shawn Mendes. ...

Anahit Sharamatyan

Staff Writer

Anahit Sharamatyan is a freshman and a writer for the Entertainment section for The Mirror. This her first year in journalism and she is very excited to be involved with her school. Other than journalism, Anahit enjoys reading, watching TV shows and movies, as well as dancing.

Beverly Regino

Staff Writer

Beverly Regino is an Entertainment Writer. She joined journalism as the first elective of her high school experience. While she didn’t initially sign up for the elective, fate led her to the class and she decided to give it a chance since she always liked to write. So far, it’s been an experience, and a good one at that. She believes any one can learn a talent such as singing or drawing, as lon...

Josselyn Ramos

Staff Writer

Josselyn Ramos is currently a senior at Van Nuys High School. She writes for the features section in The Mirror. She currently works as a sales associate at Justice. She loves kids and enjoys new adventures. Her hobbies consist of doing makeup, shopping and dancing.

Caroline Ortiz

Staff Writer

Caroline Ortiz is a freshman, completely new to high school. She aspires to be a detective or a crime scene investigator. She is an only child who spends time keeping up with grades and having the most fun she can with family and friends. Caroline used to live in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to California last year. She’s had the most fun and her experience here has been the best. ...

Shanya Neal

Staff Writer

Shanya Neal is a junior who writes for the Sports section. She plans to go to a four-year college to become a nurse. She loves going on hikes, and being outdoors. She hopes one day to be a professional photographer (for a side job). She is also on the hair crew production team for the plays that are performed at the school.

Jimena Martinez

Staff Writer

Jimena Martinez, a freshman, is part of the journalism team at Van Nuys High School. Outside of journalism, she likes to go out and enjoy nature. She also likes dancing to Mexican music. Jimena is more of a reserved person, but once you get to know her she becomes social. She is still trying to decide what to do with her life, but plans on being the first person from her family to go to college. &nb...

Saahil Gaur

Staff Writer

Saahil Gaur is an aspiring actor, director, and a photography enthusiast. He is in film class, has starred in a few student films, and has written a few scripts. In his free time he enjoys , music, watching TV and movies, cooking, and acting. He would like to go to college, travel the world, and be an actor. He would also like to direct a few movies. His directing influences are Jonah Hill, Jordan ...

Rozalynn Casillas

Staff Writer

Rozalynn Casillas is a staff writer for the News section. She joins the journalism program this year for the first time as a sophomore. Outside of journalism, Rozalynn enjoys sketching, painting, and calligraphy. She also takes part in Speech and Debate. She hopes to major in Biology in college.