Vidal M.

Trevio School

of Communications and Fine Arts

Journalism and online media
A school in the Laredo Independent School District

2102 East Lyon St., Laredo, Texas 78043

Read The Magnet Tribune online at http://magnettribune.org
Facebook: @MagnetTribune; Twitter @ Magnet_Tribune
February 1, 2016
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Susana Ginez is a staff writer and photographer for The Magnet Tribune student newspaper, and is
an award-winning journalist. She is somebody who has a wide range of interests.
Susana, a member of the Class of 2016, has been a student in journalism and online media classes
at the Vidal M. Trevio School of Communications and Fine Arts (magnet school) for four years.
As a staff member of the state- and nationally recognized student newspaper, The Magnet Tribune,
Susana has covered numerous events through news stories and photographs. In the print edition,
she has had three page 1 stories and two page 1 pictures.
She was co-editor of the January 8, 2016, edition of The Magnet Tribune print edition, which
required her to be responsible for all aspects of publication up to sending the paper to the printer.
Susana, like other students in the journalism program, is required to write in print journalism
style. Students are also involved with technology by blogging and creating audio and video stories to
either accompany stories or that stand on their own, all published over the newspapers website.
In addition, Susana has displayed photography at the journalism programs annual exhibition
every spring at the Center for the Arts. She also participates in the yearly state-wide competitions
sponsored by the Texas Association of Journalism Educators, Interscholastic League Press
Conference and Association of Texas Professional Instructors.
Awards she has received include first place in the Advanced Multimedia category at the Association
of Texas Photography Instructors Fall Contest (2012), second place in Multimedia Package in
the ILPC Clip Contest (2013, and first place in Advanced Multimedia in the Texas Photography
Instructors Fall Contest (2013).
Susana was also on the newspaper staffs which have received awards for the online and printed
newspapers from the National Scholastic Press Association, and through her participation this year
could also receive credit for another award.
She has also taken part in a partnership the VMT journalism program has with Texas State
University in San Marcos, having participated in one day of activities in the annual Mass
Communication Week for two years.
In addition to her school newspaper work at VMT, Susana is a member of the Quill and Scroll
International Honor Society for Journalism (2014).
At her home school, Martin High, Susana will finish high school graduating under the
Distinguished Achievement Plan. She is ranked 45th out of 358 in her graduating class, with a GPA

Mark Webber, print journalism/online media instructor

mwebber004@laredoisd.org 956-273-7800

of 95.33.
Susana, who is speaks fluent English and Spanish, has taken a number of Advanced Placement
classes. She is also working on tracks in Career and Technical Education in Business and
Commercial Photography.
In general, Susana is well liked and highly respected by her teachers and peers. She is a wellrounded person, with strong communication and interpersonal skills, and has developed her gifts
as a writer and photography.
Sincerely,
/s/ Mark Webber
Mark Webber
Instructor of journalism/online media
Adviser, The Magnet Tribune student newspaper, print and online editions