Mailbag - November 2024

SCHOOL BUZZ A group of 2024-2025 School Buzz reporters gathered at The Emery/Weiner School to meet each other and take headshots for the upcoming year. Front row, from left: Megan Wang (Bellaire), Gray Hevle (Memorial), Kate Burke (Emery), Jordan Muscal (Kinder HSPVA), Agnes Tang (Westbury Christian), Ana Sofia Maguchi (Duchesne); second row, from left: Beatrix Gnemi (DeBakey), Alden Farrow (Memorial), Sean Boyle (Strake Jesuit), Runo Mukoro (Saint Thomas’ Episcopal), Eden Williams (Westbury Christian), Keira Donovan (Memorial), Sophie Lighvani (Kinkaid); third row, from left: Jake Rodriguez (Kinder HSPVA), Colin Wu (Emery), Vishakha Medha Rao (Awty), Shaivi Moparthi (Kinkaid), Siddharth Dasari (Carnegie Vanguard), Nina Koshy (Village); back row, from left: Alexandra Wong (St. Agnes), Ailey Takashima (St. John’s), Anya Bhojwani (Awty), Wesley Taaffe (Lamar), Madeleine Skaufel (St. Agnes), Ryan Mantel (Post Oak), Kelsy Donovan (Memorial), and Lucy Walker (St. John’s).

Inspired to pursue journalism 

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a School Buzz reporter for Memorial High School for the past three years. The Buzz gave me the motivation to dig deep into the inner workings of Memorial while simultaneously expanding my journalistic skills for each story. I am grateful that I got to be a part of such an amazing program dedicated to highlighting schools in the Houston area and their untold stories.

I applied to be a reporter my sophomore year of high school. I remember being scared to ask to interview someone or to ask them questions. But with each article, I gained confidence in my interviewing and writing abilities. School Buzz allowed me to independently tackle each article, teaching me responsibility with each deadline and showing me that I want to be a journalist. Being able to share my work with my community and hearing that people enjoyed reading my articles inspired me to keep writing. Thank you to The Buzz for pushing me to get out of my comfort zone and always follow the story. Three years later, I have chosen to pursue journalism in college and in my future and I would not have done it without School Buzz.

Alden Farrow, School Buzz reporter, Memorial High School 

Editor’s note: Alden, we love hearing that our School Buzz program has made such an impact on you and that you’ve decided to pursue journalism! See thebuzzmagazines.com/columns/school-buzz. 

From our neighbor and original WNBA player

Thank you to the entire Buzz team for your perseverance and determination to write a story on my life [The Highest Heights: Basketball – and Disney movie – stardom by Andria Dilling, Sept. 2024]. You did a wonderful job of gathering the facts, writing a heartwarming story, and taking high-quality photos, right in my backyard! It was so well done. 

I recall that [two of your] summer interns [Natalie French and Gia Gaston, who knew Heidi’s son Jonathan] were the reason you even heard about my story. That makes me smile. I have lived around the world, and I swear, the world gets smaller and smaller the more places I go. I am blessed with a wonderful community!

I think at some point in the past 24 years here in Houston, I know and have coached most the kids around here, or their family has been involved with my Hoops School, my kids and their schools, or our neighborhood. What’s best is when those same sweaty third graders I coached 17 years ago want to come back and coach the new crop of Hoops School kids. It’s a wonderful circle of life – a fun circle of giving back, and it’s all because my father, Larry Burge, made me try basketball back in 1985 when I didn't want to!

I’m so grateful to my late parents, Mary and Larry, for raising me to value people and being a coach! Thank you, Disney, for making a movie about my life. And, thank you, Memorial Buzz, for writing a new era update on the second half of my life – as a very happy and blessed resident and coach.

Heidi Burge 

Editor’s note: Thank you, Heidi! We were intrigued when Buzz intern Natalie French brought up your story over the summer; turns out another Buzz summer intern, Gia Gaston, knew your family, too. We knew immediately you were “Buzzworthy” and were happy you agreed to be featured. 

Captured his essence 

Cathy, it’s great [Magic, Music, Medicine, More: And this inventor’s ‘humerus’ Halloween by Cathy Gordon, on brother Billy Cohn]. I think you really captured the zillion facets that make Billy so unique!

John Cohn 

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