The start of something big

Brandon Corado, sports photographer

December 12, 2025

Interior photo of Hawkins HS in 2023

High school is totally different from middle school, but in a good way. I was super nervous at first, but now I’m getting used to it. The school is huge, and I got lost a bunch of times in the beginning, but now I kind of know my way around. The classes are harder, but they’re also even more interesting. Like science, we’re doing experiments that actually explode, and that’s way cooler than anything I ever did in middle school. I am thinking about doing sports, but I’m not sure yet.

The teachers are pretty cool, too. They expect a lot from us, but they are also so helpful when we are stuck. My favorite class is probably science because I have lots of people I know there, and we do lots of cool things, and I am also meeting tons of new people, which is awesome.

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One of the best parts about high school is making new friends. I have met some really cool people in many of my classes, and during lunch, we talk about everything. It’s nice to have people who understand the things you are going through, especially about the new things that we are learning and experiencing. We help each other out with our homework and hang out after school. I did not think it was going to be this easy to make friends in high school. All the people I have met have been really nice to me.

I’m really looking forward to the next four years I want to try out for football, not this year, but maybe next year. I also want to keep getting good grades so I can go to a good college someday. High school seems like a big adventure, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I think high school is awesome so far.

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Our Goal

Your generous donation will support the student journalists at Augustus F. Hawkins High School. It will allow us to print the newspaper and mental health magazine, purchase or repair equipment, cover our annual awards banquet and other expenses.

Su generosa donación apoyará a los estudiantes periodistas de la Escuela Secundaria Augustus F. Hawkins. Nos permitirá imprimir el periódico y la revista de salud mental, comprar o reparar equipos, cubrir nuestro banquete anual de premios y otros gastos.

About the Contributors

Brandon Corado, sports photographer

Brandon Corado, is in his first year of high school, getting to know people at this new school. He is thinking about doing sports but not sure, which kind. He likes American football and soccer. He will probably try out for them both. In journalism class he plans to become a sports photographer. Other hobbies? He loves listening to music by ATM Danny, playing Call of Duty video games, and sleeping at home is his comfortable bed. Brandon said, “My first year is going well. I made friends and like to get good grades or at least try to get good grades.” Brandon loves listening to music when drawing, hoping to open his own tattoo shop after graduating from Augustus F. Hawkins High School. He’s not sure if he is going to college after high school, however he is willing to try his best for the rest of his high school career.

Alyssa S. Moore, Adviser

Alyssa Shepherd Moore (pronounced ah-LEE-SUH) was hired at Hawkins High School in 2014, two years after the school opened. She has been in room 228 ever since. As a graduate of her dream school, USC, she was delighted to work at the school where she had served as a volunteer giving SAT Prep classes to rising seniors through the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center on Western. What qualifies Ms. Moore to teach journalism? Well, Ms. Moore is a published freelance writer who has written for the R&B Report Magazine, the BRE Report, and several other entertainment magazines. She is also a member of JEA, NABJ, and ACES: The Society for Editing. And, in June 2025 she graduated from UCLA with a certificate in Journalism. In 2024, after working tirelessly over spring break and several sleepless nights during the week and weekends, she along with Ms. Rivera, yearbook teacher, chaperoned 20+ Hawkins students to their first-ever JEA NSPA National High School Journalism Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. While in Kansas, she lobbied to have Hawkins HS join the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society for High School Journalists. On May 7, 2024, Hawkins became a member and inducted 25 initial members into the honor society. [caption id="attachment_2307" align="alignleft" width="600"] Hawkins Journalism class, September 2017 with Kyle Finck of the LA Times High School Insider[/caption] With assistance from ETA, which included funding, mentorships, professional learning communities and, networking opportunities, the journalism program has grown from 17 students in 2017 to over 100 students in 2025-2026.