As a sophomore, Luca DiGregorio could hardly be described as a devoted student. Journalism advisor Brandon Winn described him as a “turd.” He was late to class, didn’t do his work, and refused help from teachers.
But, everything clicked when he found his passion for writing thanks to a passion for journalism. And now, he is the Highland Sterling Scholar for English. It has been quite a turnaround.
“He became a different person,” Winn said. “And now, he is as devoted as any student I have had.”
This devotion led DiGregorio being named as a finalist, and runner-up, for the Utah English Sterling Scholar.
DiGregorio, Highland Rambler Editor-in-Chief, has won journalism awards for second-best feature writing (A War at Home), second place breaking news photo (Teacher’s Rally To “Let Teachers Teach”), an Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Media Scholar where he was able to represent Utah at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, and, most recently, a Wasatch Front Region Finalist for the English Sterling Scholar.
But the ultimate prize came when he won journalist of the year on May 13 at the Utah High School Future of Journalism Awards.
As a decorated high school journalist, DiGregorio has received many opportunities to expand his network and prepare for his feature as a journalist.
“As he learns more about what it takes to be a journalist,” said Tiffani DiGregorio, DiGregorio’s mom, “his writing gets stronger, his interview skills get stronger, he can distinguish the difference between say feature writing and reporting and opinion. I think that he’s really learning this skill and, thus, he’s gaining confidence in his ability.”
As the Editor-in-Chief for the Rambler, DiGregorio directs class discussions, paginates newspapers, assists staff writers and section editors in their writing, and writes articles himself to publish online or in the next printed newspaper. DiGregorio is an all-around writer, having published news articles, features, editorials, sports writing and even an award-winning photo.
By earning a spot at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, DiGregorio was chosen to represent Utah after competing against other high school journalists in Utah. The program is aimed to raise the next generation of journalists by allowing them to build their network and gain experience. During his experience in Washington DC, he was able to hear from professional journalists to better understand the field and create lifelong friends with other scholars.
“I’m still in regular contact with a handful of people in that trip,” DiGregorio said. “I learned who I liked being; that I wanted to be a journalist; and that I wanted to truly make a difference in life.”
As if Editor-in-Chief was not impressive enough, DiGregorio is also a member of Highland’s Film Club and holds a part-time job at the Old Spaghetti Factory as a host and waiter.
“I only ever do things I enjoy doing,” DiGregorio said, “It’s not worth it doing something I don”t like doing. And so, because I enjoy what I do, I am more motivated to do it.”
No matter the category, Sterling Scholar portfolios take months to perfect. For the English category, contestants were required to write responses to several prompts including describing something related to the category and how it was important to the contestant, leadership experiences, community service experiences, and how English will enrich the contestant’s life.
Even though DiGregorio has a full schedule and multiple extracurriculars, he still spends hours a week in the class where it all started: the classroom of Winn.
“I credit his influence for Luca’s now possible career in journalism,” Tiffani said. “We are very very fortunate that he came into Luca’s life.”
As DiGregorio’s language arts teacher in ninth grade, Winn had a difficult time getting young DiGregorio to meet deadlines. But, once he got deeper into the program, he began to take pride in the pages that were designed and published and started to take his role on the Rambler more seriously. So much so that he was entrusted with the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Rambler as a senior.
“He sees himself in the newspaper, and so, when it’s put out, he feels like he’s putting part of himself out there,” Winn said.
The true dedication and commitment to his writing has earned him many opportunities, but they did not come easy. Being awarded English Sterling Scholar was the cherry on top of the cake before his journey towards becoming a journalist.
