2025 Winners of the Brodsky Prizes Announced

June 9, 2025

Manchester, NH – In celebration of excellence and innovation in student journalism, the prestigious Brodsky Prize has announced its 2025 winners, spotlighting the state's most promising high school journalists.

Kelsey Sweet, a junior at Londonderry High School, received the first-place award earning the $5,000 prize. The judges noted her clear, well-sourced writing showed initiative and journalistic curiosity that stood out in a competitive field, which showcased the future of New Hampshire’s journalistic talent.

The Brodsky Prize was established in 2018 by father and son, Howard and Jeffrey Brodsky. Jeffrey served as co-editor of his high school newspaper, The Little Green, at Manchester Central High School during the 1990s. His vision for the Prize was to foster "boldness and innovation" among a new generation of student journalists.

“I am truly blessed to be a small part of the mission that Mr. Brodsky and Jeffrey created,” Sweet said. “I will be a senior next year at Londonderry, and my plan is to major in journalism in college. Although I never got a chance to meet Jeffrey, I will continue to read his works and let them inspire me on my own journalism path.” 

Josefina Eliessetch, a junior from Kearsarge Regional High School, received second place with a $1,000 award, and Eleanor Rioux, a senior from Manchester Central High School, came in third place and received a $500 award.

Since its inception, the Prize has awarded more than $70,000 to outstanding high school journalists. Jeffrey’s own background in student journalism, political science, and oral history, with degrees from Washington University and Columbia University, fueled a storied career as a historian and documentary producer. Prior to his death in 2023, and despite a long and challenging illness, Jeffrey’s commitment to The Brodsky Prize remained unwavering.

Serving as judges were: Howard Brodsky, co-founder of CCA Global Partners; Misbah Tahir, biotechnology finance executive and former Little Green co-editor with Jeffrey; Leah Todd Lin, New Hampshire Public Radio’s vice president for audience strategy;  Joseph McQuaid, former Union Leader and NH Sunday News president and publisher, and Susan Geier, executive director of the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications.

Learn about The Brodsky Prize and its past winners at thebrodskyprize.org or the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications at loebschool.org.