As an incoming senior and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper High Tide, 17-year-old Claudia Turner will continue using her platform as a journalist to share people’s stories and give everyone a voice.
“Journalism makes people feel special,” Turner said. “I love making people feel like they matter, and that they are important enough to have an article written about them.”
Turner’s passion for writing sparked when she took a journalism class as an elective in sixth grade, she said. She wrote her first story about an ant infestation at Parass Middle School, and knew she had discovered something special after the story’s publication in the Panther Paw.
Turner previously served as an opinion and entertainment editor at Redondo Union High School. She enjoys writing film critiques, movie reviews, and using her writing to inform the community about issues that she has a personal connection to.
“Journalism makes you think harder about things,” Turner said. “The fact that we’re able to reach some people and connect to the community is just so impactful to me.”
This summer, Turner plans to write about mental health services available to youth in the South Bay. She said she’s incredibly excited to be an intern with L.A. Times High School Insider and hopes to implement all that she learns when she returns to High Tide at Redondo this fall.
“My goal, at least for the High Tide, is to share everyone’s story. I also want to be able to give the kids I work with the best chance of winning awards, producing quality material to put on their resume, that sort of stuff,” Turner said. “Who am I better to learn these techniques from than the L.A. Times?”
Turner designed this page layout in High Tide’s final issue of the year. She honored the 2025 graduating class by featuring them in the senior issue, and handcrafting clay figures of each graduate.
Outside of pursuing her career in journalism, Turner loves watching “Love Island” and listening to podcasts. She also enjoys art and baking, and spends time with her best friend and co-editor-in-chief, Daniella Gross.
“Claudia is so sweet, and we both match each other’s energy,” Gross said. “She’s there with me through all my ups and downs, and she’s always the person I want to hug or talk to.”
Turner and Gross both joined the journalism program at Redondo during their freshman year in 2022, and they made it their mission to become co-EICs as seniors. Gross said it was incredible to watch Turner transform from a staff writer to a confident editor who plans to pursue a career in this field.
“I just love how you can really hear her voice in her writing,” Gross said. “Since freshman year, she has completely come out of her shell and it’s so beautiful to see the person that she has grown into this year. I’m so excited to see what she’s going to do as EIC.”
Turner will graduate from Redondo next year and hopes to attend a UC school as a journalism major. In her professional career, she plans to specialize in political and cultural journalism, covering topics from government policy to pop culture.
“I want to do something that matters,” Turner said. “I want my writing to cause people to change their minds about something. Even if it’s just one person, if someone felt more knowledgeable after reading one of my articles, I would be satisfied.”
