• Coppell ISD is closed for spring break. Coppell Student Media publishing resumes March 24.
  • Coppell Arts Center hosts the Coppell High School International Baccalaureate Art Exhibition at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
  • CHS students signed up for job shadowing will shadow from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media
The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media
The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media
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SJW2025: Sidekick alumni reporting to communications realm

Sukirtha Muthiah, Nrithya Mahesh, Sahasra Chakilam, and Rhea Choudhary • February 28, 2025

Scholastic Journalism Week, held by the Journalism Education Association (JEA), took place from Feb. 24-28, 2025, celebrating student journalists nationwide. In honor of SJW 2025, The Sidekick revisits staffers who participated in the program years ago, sharing how each of their initial journeys into journalism led them to their current careers.

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About the Contributors
Sukirtha Muthiah
Sukirtha Muthiah, Executive Editor-in-Chief
Sukirtha Muthiah is a senior and the Executive Editor-in-Chief of The Sidekick. She believes in using the power of words to tell stories and connect people. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and hanging out with her friends and family. Sukirtha has been learning Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance) for over 13 years, and she believes that dance has helped her connect with her culture. Sukirtha is always up for a coffee at her favorite drive-in, 151 Coffee. She has tried just about every item on the menu, but her favorite order is an iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel mixed in. You can contact Sukirtha at [email protected] or on X (@suki_muthiah).

Nrithya Mahesh
Nrithya Mahesh, Executive Managing Editor

Nrithya Mahesh is a senior and the executive managing editor for The Sidekick.

After having a family member join The Sidekick, Nrithya came to read the paper and form an interest in joining as a member herself. Although she joined the program swearing to never veer away from design, she somehow ended up finding a love for writing and telling multimedia stories.

When she’s not designing the next issue or writing a feature, you can find her catching up on classic middle grade and young adult novels that she never got to in middle school, or maybe even listening to the latest Red Velvet release.

You can contact her at [email protected] or on Instagram (@Nrithya_M).

Sahasra Chakilam
Sahasra Chakilam, Executive News Editor
Sahasra Chakilam is a senior and the Executive News Editor of The Sidekick. She joined The Sidekick after watching Gilmore Girls and being inspired by Rory Gilmore’s work ethic and passion for journalism. Through the program, she has been able to develop a love for storytelling and connect with her community on a deeper level through reporting.  Outside of The Sidekick, she enjoys consuming all sorts of media. Her favorite music genres are R&B and indie pop, she has rewatched Crazy Rich Asians and How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days maybe 15 times and cannot ever pass on a 2000s teen drama. 

You can contact her at [email protected] or on Instagram (@sxhasraa).

Rhea Choudhary
Rhea Choudhary, Executive Features Editor
Rhea Choudhary is a senior and the executive features editor of The Sidekick. She has found a passion for writing through the program, as she loves to be a part of stories getting told.  When she’s not writing a feature, you can count on Rhea watching a long show; some of her favorite shows include The O.C., Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, Suits, One Tree Hill, Friends and many more. She has been learning Bharatanatyam, a form of Indian classical dance, for the past 13 years and she completed her arangetram (solo graduation debut) two years ago. You can contact Rhea at [email protected] or on X (@rhea_choud).