By Evie Henderson, Cypress Woods HS and Hillary Bui, Langham Creek HS (A High School Journalism Network Collaboration)

Only two CFISD high school journalists were selected for the 2025 UIL/ILPC All-State Journalism Staff, with one graduating from Langham Creek High School and the other a senior at Cypress Woods High School. These two have reached this coveted title by achieving 50 points through UIL competitions and work on their school’s press staff.

Cypress Woods senior Vanessa Tolino wasn’t even sure journalism would be the right path for her. She was involved in other activities and found herself ready to try something new.

“I had decided that theatre wasn’t for me, and I didn’t know what to do,” Tolino said. “I talked to my counselor and mentioned that I like writing, and she suggested journalism might be the right place for me and the rest is history.”

Tolino joined the newspaper staff her junior year as copy editor but rose to co-editor-in-chief by her senior year. 

Mobile Sidebar Ad

“I wanted to do as much as possible, because I didn't get all four years to do it,” Tolino said.

Tolino earned well over the 50 required points, reaching 68 for her efforts in many UIL competitions. She loves the competition of UIL, not just in journalism. In fact, her future plans aren’t journalism-centered at all.

“I love STEM,” Tolino said. “I like both things. I hope to incorporate journalism in college, to do research and be able to put that in a scientific journal for other people to see, or to help to simplify information for people.”

Tolino suggests that UIL newswriting and copy editing are not as popular as other UIL events but should be of interest to anyone who likes competition and writing. The second all-state member, Langham Creek graduate Hailey Vo, agrees that the subject is widely overlooked.

Langham Creek High School Class of 2025 graduate Hailey Vo was accepted to the 2025 UIL/ILPC All-State

“It’s crazy being one of only two students in the district to make it,” Vo said. “I definitely think that more students could do this if journalism was maybe a bigger thing in the high schools and more students were encouraged to participate in UIL.”

Vo accomplished great things with her time on the Langham Creek journalism team. She also earned 2024 all-state honors.

“I’m definitely surprised that I was accepted into the all-state team a second time,” Vo said. “I feel like I wasn’t trying as hard as I could’ve in journalism during my senior year, as compared to junior year, but I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish during my last year of high school.”

From eighth grade, Vo liked writing and picked journalism. She didn’t have any previous knowledge of the subject, but she knew it was about writing and picked it. Since then, she has been passionate about it.

Mobile Sidebar Ad

“I think I put in a fair amount of work to make it to the all-state team,” Vo said. “I always tried to take every opportunity that Mr. [James] Ricks offered me and saying yes definitely helped me achieve this.”

Even though she was one of only two students from CFISD accepted onto the all-state team, she never let pride overcome her. Currently, Vo is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Texas A&M University on the pre-pharmacy path.

“Hopefully my associate degree that I earned through College Academy will help me graduate at least a year early,” Vo said.

Although she is on the medical path, she still hopes to be able to do journalism.

“I recently applied to be a writer for an online magazine at Texas A&M called Her Campus,” Vo said, “While it’s not the usual reporting style I did for The Howler, I think it will be a fun way to keep pursuing journalism and practice different types of writing.”

Editor's Note: This article was written by Evie Henderson, a student at Cypress Woods HS, and Hillary Bui, a student at Langham Creek HS, in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, through a partnership between My Neighborhood News and the District as part of an established high school journalism network collaboration. My Neighborhood News is a proud supporter of local youth and warmly welcomes the opportunity to provide a platform for students to share their work.