Junior Kayla Vaughn found herself among the big winners Wednesday evening during the Kern High School District’s Promoting Excellence in Athletics and Activities in Kern (PEAAK) awards at Mechanics Bank Arena.
Vaughn, The Sunburst’s editor-in-chief, captured the award for Best News Story at the annual awards ceremony for her profile on Del Oro’s assistant principal of instruction, Chris Dutton.
“The moment I heard ‘Del Oro High School’ my heart dropped, to be honest,” she said. “I was so shocked and was at a loss for words, and even now I’m still taken aback. I truly thank Mr. Dutton for letting me tell his story, and The Sunburst staff for all their hard work and for making this honor possible.”
Vaughn wasn’t the only Sun in attendance. Sophomore Estefany Cano was a finalist in the Best in Photography (Individual and/or Group) category for her work as The Sunburst‘s photo editor. The Suns cheer team was up for the Best Community Service Project (Individual, Group, or Team) award. The boys cross-country team was a finalist for the Most Memorable Moment category for capturing the school’s first Valley title in any sport while Del Oro’s Tier 1 PBIS team was nominated for Best Public Event or Competition (Team, Group, or School).
This year’s PEAAK awards were a measure of redemption for Vaughn, who won the PEAAK for Excellence in Writing during her freshman year at Mira Monte High and was a finalist in the Best News Story category during last year’s PEAAK awards. In March, Vaughn took second place in the Best Feature Story category during the District’s sixth annual Journalism Day event.