Julianna Russ, Staff
Julianna is a senior at Highlands High School, and this is her first year as a member of the Highlands journalism program. From a very young age, she was an avid reader. She began writing early too, serving on the staff of the Moyer Elementary newspaper, The Horse’s Mouth, for two years. She always knew that storytelling would play a part in her future.
In middle and high school, her journey in storytelling took an unexpected turn. For seven years, Julianna dedicated her time and energy to the Highlands film and broadcasting program. In 2019, she was selected to be a Student Voice Journalism Fellow, reviving her drive to produce written pieces too. Now, she’s doing both and she’s loving every second of it. As a staffer of The Hilltopper, she hopes to help bridge the divide between the broadcasting and print journalism programs at Highlands, showing other conflicted students how seamlessly the two fields intersect.
In addition to being a student journalist, Julianna is also a director within the Highlands broadcasting department and an attorney on the Highlands Mock Trial Team. She is deeply involved in advocacy work outside of school, from working on a U.S. Senate campaign to interning with a local voter empowerment organization, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
Journalism is truly the fourth branch of government, a vital check on our democratic system. Julianna will keep that purpose in mind as she produces public-service, multimedia journalism even after she leaves The Hilltopper.
