Prizewinning Hawai’i Headlines

Victoria Budiono (Class of 2020) is living out her childhood dream as an intrepid journalist based in Honolulu, Hawai’i — a journey that started with a serendipitous wrong turn on her first day at JIS.

“I got completely lost and accidentally wandered into the journalism classroom, thinking it was my class. That ended up being the first room I sat in! I guess it was meant to be!” she recalls with fondness. 

The “kind of funny” faux pas was doubly fortuitous — almost like kismet at work. Victoria had long fostered a love of writing, crafting short stories and poetry in her spare time, and contributing to a student-led newsletter at her previous school. In preparing her move to JIS, she had quietly been eyeing the elective High School journalism class, inspired by the prospect of writing “real stories and sharing them with the school community”. That fortuitous mistake on her first day gave her that extra nudge to sign up for the course.

“Being in journalism class definitely deepened my interest. I already liked writing, but I’d never done anything like interviewing or reporting,” she says about her decision. “Talking to students, teachers, and staff about real issues, then turning that into a story people could read — it was so exciting. And when friends would read my articles and say nice things, it gave me a lot of confidence.”

Under the guidance of Ed Goodell (JIS Teacher and Feedback magazine adviser for more than 20 years), Victoria began to sharpen her writing while mastering the foundations of good journalism. In no time, what started as a hobby and curiosity turned into a genuine passion she could see herself pursuing as a career calling.

“Writing stories that could actually improve student life — whether that meant pushing for facility repairs or highlighting something cool someone was doing — made me feel like I could really make a difference. I learned that good journalism can shine a light on things that matter — whether it’s calling out problems [in a respectful way, of course!] or telling heartfelt stories. That’s what I’m still doing here in Hawaiʻi. Slowly but surely, I know I can make a change.”

She continued to channel this commitment as editor-in-chief of Feedback magazine, a role she held for two years. After graduation, she transformed it into a dual degree in journalism and psychology from the University of Hawai’i, a Carol Burnett Award for Responsible Journalism, and first place in the Student Feature Reporting in Any Media category from Hawai’i’s Society of Professional Journalists.

What followed was a whirlwind of reporting experience as an intern at Hawaii Business Magazine, Honolulu Civil Beat, and Honolulu Magazine, and now, a general assignment reporter for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Her new career, while still in its early, nascent stages, has already challenged her to cover a range of nuanced topics — from crime and natural disasters to education and economic policy — and interact with influential figures.

As part of her internship at Honolulu Civil Beat, for example, she was part of a team that explored the impacts of the devastating 2024 Maui wildfires on education. Their coverage would help clinch the news site a finalist spot for a Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting. 

“After the Maui wildfires — which were among the deadliest in US history — my company flew me out to cover the education side. It was heartbreaking, but it felt important.”

As a general assignments reporter, Victoria says she writes about “pretty much everything”. It’s a Jack-of-all-trades role that sometimes requires her to quickly learn about unfamiliar issues, such as tariffs and politics. 

“But I’ve gotten to do some really cool stuff, too. I covered a high-profile shooting on Oahu where four people were killed, which was intense and very real,” she recalls. “I got to meet then-US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg when I shadowed my mentor covering the rail project here. I also shadowed a senior military reporter and met members of the Indonesian Military, which was so cool because I got to speak to them in Bahasa Indonesia!”

The work can be demanding and fast-paced, but Victoria is happy to be in the midst of it all, learning everything she can every step of the way. It’s especially rewarding, she says, when she gets to cover stories that “feel really personal and highlight the heart of the community”.

“The stories that mean the most to me are the ones that help people understand what’s going on around them — whether it’s legislation, a school policy, or community struggles. I hope my reporting empowers readers to speak up and take action. That’s what makes it meaningful.” 

And it didn’t hurt that she was living her dream in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Better yet, Hawai’i rather reminds her of JIS. Rooted in diversity and inclusion, both are home to a cultural kaleidoscope of ethnicities and backgrounds.

“JIS helped a lot with the transition to the US [...] It helped me feel more comfortable stepping outside my bubble and becoming friends with people who didn’t look like me or share my background,” Victoria explains. “Hawaiʻi is kind of similar in that way — it’s such a beautiful mix of cultures.”

She adds that JIS also taught her to be adaptable, so while the major, daunting move to another country was “tough at first”, she was able to lean into her Dragon resilience and create a new home for herself. She’s found that Hawai’i has helped her, as a journalist, become more in tune with the nuances of culture and identity. 

“I’ve found my place here. Hawaiʻi is a place where history, land, and people are deeply interconnected, and being an outsider made me realize how important it is to listen first and report with care,” she explains. “It’s made me think more deeply about the stories I tell, who I’m telling them for, and how to uplift voices that aren’t always heard. It’s definitely made me a better journalist.”