ABOUT ME

Peter Philpott

Editor-in-Chief, Union Street Journal

Greenwood Village, Colorado

Cherry Creek High School Class of 2026

Williams College Class of 2030

I am a reporter and Editor-in-Chief at the Union Street Journal (USJ), the student newsmagazine of Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado. I am a senior, and I've been an aspiring journalist since middle school. I love pursuing the stories that mean the most to my fellow students: the birth of new campus clubs, the sometimes surprising talents of students and teachers, controversies over school policies, the triumphs and defeats of our athletic teams. But I also find the bigger stories thrilling: the ones that connect us as students to our community, state, and nation. I've reported on the Trump administration, the Israel-Hamas war, gun violence, women's rights, racism, and other pivotal issues. I’m proud that much of this work has been recognized with awards from the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the Colorado Student Media Association. After high school, I will attend Williams College in Massachusetts, where I hope to continue my work in student journalism. Go Ephs!

In the leadership positions I've held on the USJ over the last four years, my most important role has been to teach, coach, and learn alongside rising journalists and storytellers. That means I'm always working with my staff, including new writers, to refine our craft and find joy in our work. Through writing stories, designing our newsmagazine, and practicing the uniquely challenging art of photojournalism, my staff and I have collaborated to find creative angles and intriguing perspectives. Our job as student journalists is to solve problems, hone our skills, develop mature voices, and through it all, educate and enlighten our readers. That growth is what I try to promote daily, through leadership as Editor-in-Chief and through example as a fellow reporter.

It is a privilege to be a student journalist. I work daily amid a swirl of different opinions, perspectives, and backgrounds. I've had a chance to meet and interview many people who have inspired me. They include a freshman TED talker, who taught me about ambition and commitment; student gun violence protesters, who taught me about resistance and courage; a local rabbi, who taught me about peace and forgiveness; my congressional representative, Jason Crow (pictured, right), who, no matter your politics, has made his mark as a model of integrity; and others. As a student press, we help students see their school and community in new ways, and I’m grateful that I've had so many opportunities to forge these connections.

Like my peers, I also use my media platform to explore and share my interests. I've had opportunities to write about school music performances, my favorite TV shows, and baseball (the subject of my award-winning column, Peanuts and Cracker Jack). When I'm not working on journalism, you can find me prepping for an econ exam, practicing trumpet, taking artistic photographs, or volunteering at Wings over the Rockies, Denver's local air and space museum.

AWARDS

I am grateful to have earned recognition for my work, in part because it helps bring attention to my school’s newsmagazine and website. I couldn't be more proud to receive the honors listed below because they aim the spotlight on the Union Street Journal and our amazing writers.

Most awards and honors listed here and highlighted throughout the portfolio are from the Colorado Student News Association (CSMA), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), and the Best of School Newspapers Online (SNO).

CSMA Colorado Journalist of the Year 2025-26

Dorothy Greer Scholarship Winner - Read about it here

CSMA Colorado Reporter of the Year 2024-25

Read about it here

CSMA Best of Colorado Awards

1st Place Column by Peter Philpott - "Peanuts and Cracker Jack" (2023)

1st Place Breaking Sports Coverage by Katya Roudakov and Peter Philpott - "Creek Climbing Performs at State Championships, Girls’ Varsity Takes First Place" (2023)

1st Place Breaking News Coverage by Peter Philpott and Serenity Hurtado - "Racist Videos From CCSD Middle Schools Spark NAACP Involvement, Responsive Education" (2024)

1st Place Lifestyle News Coverage by Peter Philpott - "Pop Culture Invites Surge of Antisemitism" (2024)

1st Place Breaking News Coverage by Peter Philpott - "Religious Club Host Israel-Palestine Peace Discussion, Promote Diversity, Security (2025)

1st Place In-Depth News Coverage by Peter Philpott and Quinn Rudnick - "Campus of the Future" (2025)

2nd Place Photo Essay by Quinn Rudnick and Peter Philpott - "Varsity Hockey Grinds to Stalemate Against Regis, JV Brings Home the Win: See Moments Here" (2023)

2nd Place Breaking Sports Coverage by Peter Philpott - "Regis Thrashes Varsity Hockey in 7-1 Loss: See Moments Here" (2024)

3rd Place News-Feature by Peter Philpott - "Gen-Z Shares Fervent Advocacy in Israel-Hamas War" (2024)

Honorable Mention Staff Editorial by Alex Gribb and Peter Philpott - "Ivy Leagues Need to Go/Community Colleges Are In" (2023)

Honorable Mention News-Feature Photo and Caption by Peter Philpott - "Gen-Z for Gaza" (2024)

NSPA Individual Awards

Honorable Mention for the Fred Ross Systemic Change Award by Carly Philpott and Peter Philpott - "Jeff Boyce is No Longer Remaining Apolitical" (2023)

Honorable Mention Blog by Peter Philpott - "Peanuts and Cracker Jack" (2024)

Honorable Mention Newsmagazine Spread Design by Quinn Rudnick and Peter Philpott - "In Our Backyard" (2025)

CSPA Individual Awards

2nd Place Alternative Story Form by Peter Philpott and Mae Murphey - “Creek Looks to 2024 Presidential Election” (2024)

3rd place Single Spot News Photo by Peter Philpott - “Gen Z For Gaza" (2024)

Honorable Mention Personality Profile by Carly Philpott and Peter Philpott - "Jeff Boyce is No Longer Remaining Apolitical" (2023)

Honorable Mention Single Spot News Photo by Peter Philpott - "No More Silence" (2023)

Honorable Mention Photo Slideshow by Carly Philpott and Peter Philpott (with additional contributions by Quinn Rudnick) - "Metro-Area Students Demand Action Groups March Through Denver" (2023)

Other

Winner of The New York Times Student Open Letter Contest - "Trump: Don't Delete the History that Makes Us American" (2025)

Publication Awards:

NSPA All-American Critique Rating for 2022-23

NSPA Pacemaker Finalist for 2023-24

NSPA Pacemaker 100 for 2022-23

NSPA Pacemaker 100 for 2023-24

Best of SNO Awards:

"Jeff Boyce is No Longer Remaining Apolitical" by Carly Philpott and Peter Philpott (2022)

"Shoppers Pay for Plastic Under New Bag Law" by Peter Philpott and Natalia Perusquia (2023)

"Metro-Area Students Demand Action Groups March Through Denver: See Moments Here" by Carly Philpott and Peter Philpott (with additional contributions by Quinn Rudnick (2023)

"Nick Rui Loves Math so Much, He Wrote an Entire Book About it" by Peter Philpott (2023)

"Pop Culture Invites Surge of Antisemitism" by Peter Philpott (2023)

"Racist Videos From CCSD Middle Schools Spark NAACP Involvement, Responsive Education" by Peter Philpott and Serenity Hurtado (2024)

"Creek Struggles to Tackle Trash Crisis" by Peter Philpott (2024)

"TEDx CherryCreekHS Aims to Engage, Include Bruins" by Peter Philpott (2024)

"Religious Clubs Host Israel-Palestine Peace Discussion, Promote Diversity, Security" by Peter Philpott (2025)

"Pro Women's Hockey Visits Denver, Met With Record-Breaking Crowd" by Peter Philpott (2025)

"Senate’s Power Week Shatters Fundraising Record by $13,000 With Almost $70,000 Raised" by Peter Philpott and Keagan Hong (2026)

Words of Recommendation

"Peter serves as Editor in Chief of Cherry Creek’s Union Street Journal student newspaper with a quiet confidence and a reporter’s instinct for asking the questions that matter. Thoughtful, fair-minded, and deeply inquisitive, he approaches every story with a commitment to balance and accuracy. Peter believes good journalism begins with listening carefully and representing every perspective honestly—but he is equally determined to uncover the full story. I respect Peter and I have enjoyed working with him throughout his high school career. He has represented Cherry Creek High School perfectly in all he does." — Ryan Silva, Cherry Creek High School Principal

CONTACT

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