3. Rebekah Rombom

Everyone by now has heard about the Roslyn school scandal—officials stealing more than $11 million in school funds. It was one of LI’s biggest news stories of the year, with Roslyn’s problems leading to audits at other schools and revelations of fraud across the Island. But few people realize that the reporter who first brought the abuse to light was Rebekah Rombom, then a high school senior and co-editor of Roslyn High School’s Hilltop Beacon. She got a tip that an official had stolen $250,000 and the superintendent’s office had covered it up to avoid bad publicity. Rombom bravely confronted her principal and superintendent in interviews and then printed the story that has led to firings, felony convictions, painstaking audits by the state comptroller, and, we hope, improved accountability in LI schools. Rombom demonstrates how even the youngest citizens, fueled with curiosity, determination and a printing press, can make significant change.