District Director
Alfredo Pichardo is a 21 year veteran in the television industry in South Florida, and is currently in his 10th year teaching at Cooper City High School. He has earned 2 Emmy nominations and was honored as teacher of the year in 2011 by his peers. Mr. Pichardo’s advanced TV production class, better known as CTV, is nationally recognized as one of the top High School TV programs in the Nation. With Mr. Pichardo’s leadership, they have won several distinguished awards from the Florida Scholastic Press Association, District and National competitions and winning 2 first place and a third place Excellence award among others from the Student Television Network for their weekly news show. Mr. Pichardo is still actively freelancing in the industry working on Lifetime channels shows with O2 Media Production and the Billboard awards and Premios Juventud at Telemundo Networks. He is extremely excited to partake in this new venture as Director and will work extremely hard to continue making our district 7 the best in the state.
Student Representative
Grace King, junior, is entering her third year as part of WAHS News at American Heritage School. She has been involved with journalism since eighth grade at Glades Middle School and has received over fifty district, state, and national titles. During her sophomore year, Grace was one of four finalists for the Emerging Young Journalist Award in the state of Florida; became the vice president of the AHS Chapter of Quill and Scroll (the National Journalism Honor Society); won a high school Emmy through the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; received a national award for video editing at the 2014 Student Television Network Convention; and won a national award for an onthespot package through U.S. Education TV. Additionally, she cofounded American Heritage’s Sports Show, WAHS Sports. You can see some of her work here, http://www.gracekingproductions.com. Last summer, she attended the Peace Sullivan/James Ansin High School Workshop in Journalism and New Media and won the photography award. Outside of broadcasting, she is an officer on her school’s Model United Nations team. She hopes to study broadcast journalism and education in the future.
Broadcast & Print Contest Coordinator
Maria Molina from American Heritage School has stepped up to become the FSPA District 7 Broadcast & Print Contest Coordinator. This is Molina’s 14th year teaching at American Heritage School in Plantation. She has a Masters Degree in Computer Science and Bachelors in Business Management, but never imagined that her life would turn into teaching the future storytellers of America. This is her seventh year teaching broadcast. She started WAHS News from scratch and has led it to where it stands today. “All-Florida with Special Distinction” from the Florida Scholastic Press Association. She hopes for everyone to take something away from the District 7 Workshop this fall, whether it be dedication, compassion, or a love for journalism.