GFP Celebrates Return of the GHS Spring Internship Program with Four Whip-Smart Seniors

In spring 2020 the GHS senior internship program was cancelled due to the pandemic. It was a disappointment for everyone, as the matches had been made and GFP was looking forward to working with a great bunch of students.

Fortunately, this spring the internship program was restored. Greenwich Schools haven’t had a single Covid case in several weeks and four GHS seniors are interning at GFP: Elizabeth Casolo, Stella Santini, Kade Tibberts and Kathryn O’Donnell.

GFP spring 2021 interns, seated: Elizabeth Casolo and Kathryn O’Donnell, Standing: Kate Tibberts and Stella Santini. June 1, 2021. Photo: Leslie Yager

Elizabeth Casolo is the editor in chief of The Beak, Greenwich High School’s student newspaper, and has previously contributed to Greenwich Free Press. At GHS she has also been part of YNET’s executive committee and a member of the orchestra. She achieved her Gold Award from Girl Scouts by teaching journalism to younger girls. (Greenwich Girl Scout Teaches Middle Schoolers About the Importance of Journalism in the Digital Age, February 2020).

In addition to her work at The Beak, Elizabeth has pursued her interest in journalism by participating in summer workshops through the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the New York Times Summer Academy. She has also participated in an online workshop through the Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, IL, where she is a member of the class of 2025.

Stella Santini is known around town for her photography skills. Two summers ago she traveled to France to photograph Paris Fashion Week, and in 2019 photographed Couture Week. As a teen she is already sought after for her family portraits and event photography.

At GHS, Stella participated in the theater arts program. She had parts in musical theater productions and even stage managed both the Shakespeare play and winter plays.

At GHS she also managed the football team for two years, a bigger responsibility than most people realize. “You organize all the events including media day, team dinners, technology, videos, game day, uniforms, buses and all the required forms,” she said. “I enjoyed it.”

Stella also ventured to Paris to study at the Paris College of Art. Of that experience, she said, “It was like college and I was living alone with no supervision, but I made friends and it was awesome.”

In the fall, Stella plans to attend New York University and anticipates studying both photography and media.

Kade Tibberts participated in numerous clubs during her time at GHS including the Model UN Club, advised by Ian Tiedemann. She won “Best” at one of the Model UN Conferences. During freshman year she went to the Harvard Model UN Club where her committee included 300 students from around the world.

“Harvard’s really tough,” she said. “I didn’t do well as a freshmen, but I went on to other conferences.”

She said this year Model UN was held as a virtual conference at William & Mary.

“Model UN was hard, technology-wise,” she said. “When you’re muted all the time, you don’t get that collaboration, but I did like that it was more coordinated. You have to be organized with Zoom and break out groups, and we made it work. It was a historical committee and I got to pretend to be James Madison for a few days.”

Kade was also part of the GHS math team for three years, in addition to founding and participating in The Victorian Serial Novel Book Club.

Members of the club read and discuss Victorian serial novels published in the 19th century – including anything by Dickens. She said the club, which meets weekly, just read the The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

In the fall Kade, will head to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she anticipates taking humanities courses and possibly majoring in history.

Kathryn O’Donnell is the athlete of the group, having played field hockey and lacrosse all of her four years at GHS.

“There was no lacrosse last year because of Covid. But I was very lucky to have our field hockey season in the fall this year, though there were a lot of restrictions,” she said, adding that her team won the Western FCIAC championship this year.

Kathryn is also the president of Students for Refugees Club and founder of a new club, the League of Women Voters Club.

Having worked with the GHS director of student activities, Karen Foster, Kathryn said she was pleased to have brought the club to GHS, and credited Anne-Marie Hesser, who does youth outreach for the LWV, for behind the scenes help.

Though the club was not able to do much in person this year, Kathryn said she was thrilled that Aaron Hull has agreed to be the club advisor, and she recently met with him to establish plans for next year.

Kathryn said the club will organize debates and go into the community to register voters.

Kathryn is headed to North Carolina in the fall to attend Wake Forest University.

Editor’s note: Thank you to Alison Lochridge in the GHS career center for all her hard work arranging the senior internships.