Cal State Monterey Bay student Acucar “Sookie” Ramos writes about her experience at the 2026 Youth & Adult Partnership Summit at Cabrillo College, where youth leaders, educators and community partners explored what it means to build authentic youth-adult partnerships. Reflecting on conversations with fellow participants, Ramos argues that young people should be treated as true collaborators in shaping their communities and that meaningful change happens when adults are willing to listen, adapt and create spaces where youth voices can lead.
Student Stories
Posted inStudent Stories
Learning beyond the classroom; reflections on the school year
UC Santa Cruz student, Ava Salinas, writes about her experience as an intern at Lookout Santa Cruz
Posted inStudent Stories
Building connections through community journalism
UC Santa Cruz student, Galicia Stack Lozano, writes about her experience as an intern at Lookout Santa Cruz
Posted inStudent Stories
Covering Santa Cruz: An intern’s introduction to local journalism
UC Santa Cruz student, Ashley Palma-Jimenez, writes about her experience as an intern at Lookout Santa Cruz
Posted inStudent Stories
What a newsroom taught me about storytelling – and community: A look back at my internship with Lookout Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz student, Cassidy Beach, writes about her experience as an intern at Lookout Santa Cruz
Posted inStudent Stories
Bridging the classroom with service: An educator’s quiet dedication to students and stewardship
This article was in the top three winners of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. For placing in the top three, students were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here. On any given weekday, Mrs. Ciandro’s classroom […]
Posted inStudent Stories
Making waves in the mountains: Kurt Edwards’ story
This article was in the top three winners of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. For placing in the top three, students were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here. We’ve all heard the saying “water is […]
Posted inStudent Stories
A “hope-ologist” at heart: Daisy Nuñez lifts Watsonville through service
This article was in the top three winners of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. For placing in the top three, students were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here. Daisy Nuñez is a woman of many […]
Posted inStudent Stories
A Santa Cruz mom making a difference
This article was a winner of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship Challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. Learn more and find all of the winners here. Finding out your child has a rare disease is something no parent can ever prepare for. You are faced with challenges you […]
Posted inStudent Stories
Mark Mendoza Luengas is tearing up the script, and now Watsonville’s youth are no longer reading from the same page
This article was a winner of Lookout’s 2026 Journalism Scholarship Challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their lives. Learn more and find all of the winners here. We are often told that power belongs to those with suits behind mahogany desks. We are given a script to follow, regardless […]
