Eastport-South Manor Jr.-Sr. High School students are earning national recognition for their writing, and some may one day see their bylines in publications like the South Shore Press.
The school’s literary magazine, “Unlocked Underworld,” published in June 2025, received a “Superior” rating in the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English.
The prestigious contest drew submissions from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Canada and American schools abroad, placing the Eastport-South Manor students among the top young writers and editors in an international field.
For the past decade, the Literary Magazine Club has produced “Unlocked Underworld” under the guidance of adviser Alissa Murphy.
The June 2025 edition was led by Editor-in-Chief Josie Shuman, who has since graduated, alongside then-junior editor Julia Cestone. Together with a dedicated editorial staff and contributors, they curated a publication that judges deemed exemplary for its creativity, organization and overall excellence.
Students whose work contributed to the superior rating include Keira Albanese, Rebecca Benson, Ashlyn Burst, Antonio Castro, Lilyana Cupolo-Bangle, Terrance Davis, Cassie DeGorter, Madyson DesLauriers, Allison Dippel, Julia Faulkner, Destiny Fehner, Serenity Flaherty, Greg Gonzalez, Brittany Hayton, Aidan Lee, Cat Nicholson, Verdi Pedian, Charlotte Perrone, Jackson Roux, Brianna Silliman, Danika Silliman, Brooke Stimpson, Juliana Terry, Anna Villeda, Camryn Warsaw and Allie Zadow, among others.
Through reporting, editing, design and creative writing, these students are developing the very skills that shape strong journalists and storytellers.
Their achievement not only highlights the strength of Eastport-South Manor’s English and arts programs, but also underscores the promise of a new generation of writers, future reporters, editors and publishers who may one day cover the stories of the South Shore community themselves.