Special to the Reporter

KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, Mercer Island High School’s award-winning student-run radio station, is proud to announce that six of its student podcasters have received top honors in the 8th Annual New York Times Student Podcast Contest, a prestigious international competition that drew more than 1,600 submissions from around the world.

Two students from KMIH earned first-place recognition:

● Samantha Back won for her moving story about her immigrant grandparents and the generational legacy they’ve passed on.

● Eric Shao also received first place for his podcast exploring the revival of old books and the timeless value of physical literature.

Three other students were named runners-up:

● Audrey and Jayne Tintle, twin sisters, shared the incredible story of their mother — who was born a quintuplet — and the family’s extraordinary history.

● Sam Paddor created a deeply reflective piece about the journey and lifespan of musical instruments, from creation to reinvention.

Additionally, Megan Opati received an honorable mention for her powerful story about being part of the 1.4% of minorities at Mercer Island High School and what that means for identity, belonging and voice.

“This is an incredible achievement and a reflection of the creativity, courage and storytelling talent of our students,” said Natalie Woods, broadcast media teacher at Mercer Island High School. “We’re honored to have our students recognized on a national stage, and even more proud of the meaningful stories they chose to tell.”

The contest challenges teens to craft an original five-minute podcast about almost anything. This year’s winners were selected for their creativity, journalistic integrity and ability to spark curiosity or emotion — proof that our Mercer Island High School students have powerful stories to share when given the mic.

To listen to the winning entries and learn more visit: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/learning/the-winners-of-our-8th-annual-student-podcast-contest.html