Carla Gualdron’s story is a full-circle journey rooted in the power of teen voice. As a sophomore at a Boston Public School, Carla joined Teens in Print and quickly became a standout writer. By senior year, she had risen to editor-in-chief, already eyeing a future in journalism. Inspired by her TiP experience, she enrolled at Emerson College to study journalism, interning at the Boston Herald and later contributing to outlets like El Mundo and The Enterprise.
In 2016, Carla returned to TiP as Program Director, the very newsroom that first introduced her to the field. She led with intention, providing Boston teens with an authentic newsroom experience and encouraging them to see their ideas—and their voices—as powerful. Her goal? To make journalism accessible, exciting, and rooted in community relevance.
“My involvement with TiP really was very encouraging and enriching,” she said at the time. “And I wanted to give that experience to other BPS students.”
She guided students through every step of the journalistic process—from generating story ideas and conducting interviews to writing, revising, and publishing their work. Under her leadership, TiP tackled issues ranging from financial literacy and education policy to youth perspectives on movements like Black Lives Matter.
But for Carla, it wasn’t just about journalism. It was about building confidence and helping teens find the courage to speak up. “Sometimes it’s hard to talk about things when you feel like no one’s taking you seriously as a teenager,” she said. “But when they write about what matters to them, it gives them that courage.”
Today, Carla works in communications at Boston University, continuing her commitment to storytelling, access, and impact. Her trajectory—from teen reporter to newsroom leader to higher ed communicator—is a testament to the role youth media can play in shaping futures. And in every role, she brings the same mission: empowering young people to be seen, heard, and believed.