Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, states: “Several technological and political forces have converged, and that has produced a global, Web-enabled playing field that allows for multiple forms of collaboration without regard to geography or distance - or soon, even language.”

Friedman might have been speaking of a recent event that took place involving some of the students and staff at Florida Virtual School.  On October 3rd, four FLVS News in a Click student editors forged a new relationship with other student reporters and writers around the globe in an online conference.  Joined by several members of the leadership staff of FLVS and advisors of the Daniel Pearl World Youth News, student editor Ashley Huffman hosted the event, leading the high school reporters in getting acquainted through Elluminate.  Students from Ireland, Viet Nam, and New York City, along with FLVS students Reguli Granger, Juan de la Cruz, and Ramer Pelayo, gathered to kick off a year of working together to write and edit articles for the international student newspaper, World Youth News. 

The FLVS students have been chosen to serve as editors this year under the guidance and mentorship of students and alumni of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.  Florida Virtual School students Laura Moody and Brianna Snell will also be joining the team of student editors.  We are both pleased and proud to introduce these outstanding FLVS students.

Ashley Huffman is a senior who is homeschooled and dual-enrolled and is a 2nd year editor in the Newspaper Club and member of the FLVS National English Honor Society.  She hosted the NEHS Literary Fair and African American Read In during her junior year.

Hobbies/Interests: Karate, boxing, reading, American history, politics, Spanish, and going to basketball games

Favorites
Class: AP American History (or AP American Government and Politics)
Food: PopTarts
Sport: Karate or basketball
Band: Rebecca St. James or Little Big Town
Type of music: Christian
Book: Memoirs of a Geisha
Movie: War of the Worlds

Juan De La Cruz is a senior who is dual-enrolled in addition to the classes he takes at his high school and FLVS.  As a 2nd year editor of News in a Click, Juan is also President of the Future Business Leaders of America and a member of NEHS at FLVS, as well as the French Club, Beta Club, NHS, and psychology club at his high school.
Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, psychology, French, music, rock climbing, and interesting stuff
Favorites
Class: Hard to say but I will go with AP Psych
Food: I would be lying if I said a favorite food
Sport: Soccer
Band: The Killers
Type of music: Rock although I can listen to almost everything
Movie: 2 Fast 2 Furious
TV show: The Weakest Link

Reguli Granger is in 11th grade and she homeschools and is dual-enrolled.  Reguli is also a member of the Latin Club, Science Club, FBLA, Spanish National Honor Society, and International Club at FLVS.

Hobbies/Interests: I love lots of things, but especially music and sports. I love listening to rock bands, some indie rock, some punk, some ska-punk, and some stuff that really can't be defined by a name! Some of the sports that I enjoy are running, tennis, soccer, biking, and sailing. I also like watching ice hockey, gymnastics, ice skating, swimming, horse racing, and a bunch of others!
Favorites
Class: AP Biology
Food: chocolate, cookies, chocolate cookies, and most other things that include chocolate!!!
Sport:  hmmm, that's so hard! As most people close to me know, I am obsessed with sports and I absolutely LOVE to run, bike, do triathlons, play tennis, and play soccer. I run, bike, and do triathlons competitively, and I also sail my Laser Radial (Women's singlehanded Olympic class boat). Racing it is my favorite thing in the world, and I couldn't imagine ever not sailing! So to answer the question, my favorite sport is sailing!!!
Band: Coheed and Cambria, the Strokes, Streetlight Manifesto, Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, The Killers, Third Eye Blind, Razorlight, Rush, Papa Roach, Green Day, Simple Plan, Evanescence, Sum 41, Blink 182, Foo Fighters, and many, many more!
Type of Music: rock, no doubt about it!
Book:   The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Harry Potter series, Eragon, and Eldest, Pride and Prejudice and The Catcher in the Rye.
Movie: Stick It, the Harry Potter movies, Must Love Dogs, A Cinderella Story, Ring 2, Ice Princess, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Gone With the Wind, and lots more.
TV show: the Simpsons and Family Guy

Ramer Pelayo is an 11th grade student who is also a member of the FLVS History Club, International Club, and Science Club.
Hobbies/Interests: Drums, music, paintball, video games, writing, poetry, science, and history
Favorites:
Class: Any history class
Food: Steak
Sport: Bowling
Band: Dragonforce
Type of music: Rock
Video game: Final Fantasy Seven
Book: The Hobbit
Movie: Lord of the Rings the Return of the King
TV show: Burn Notice

Laura Moody is a senior who attends high school in addition to her FLVS classes.  She is also a member of the FLVS Eco-Investigators Club and Science Club.  “My favorite activities are reading and surfing the net. My interest in writing stems from my avid reading, which consists mostly of fantasy fiction. I want to go to college for my biotechnology degree in hopes of one day being a successful genetic engineer. But for now, I'm just trying to finish high school!”

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, Writing, Internet, Computer games, Music
Favorites
Color: Brown
Animal: Giraffe
Class: All Science classes
Food: Hot Dogs
Sport: Racquetball
Band: Breaking Benjamin, Queen, The Decemberists, The Shins
Type of music: Indie-Pop, Japanese Rock, and regular rock.
Video game: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Computer Game: Neverwinter Nights and WoW
Book: Too many to name!
Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo
TV show: Heroes

Brianna Snell is an 11th grade student who is also a member of the Band, Spanish Honors Society, Senior Beta Club, Tri-M and Mu Alpha Theta clubs at her high school.
Hobbies/Interests:  shopping, fashion, music, band, scrapbooking, being with friends
Favorites:
Class: English & Spanish
Food: anything Italian
Sport: football & cheerleading
Band: Taking Back Sunday & The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Type of music: just about anything
Authors: Meg Cabot, Nicholas Sparks, & Mary Higgins Clark
Movie: A Walk To Remember
TV show: Laguna Beach, The Hills