Feb. 18, 2022– It looked like it might not happen. The Philippines government of which she has been frequently critical was making it complicated for Maria Ressa to leave the country in order to receive an award from her alma mater, Princeton University, an East Coast trip which would include a visit to her former high school. Thankfully, at the last minute, Ressa was granted court permission to leave.

Such complications and court orders are evidence of the impact Ressa’s journalism has had in exposing government corruption, and which, just four months ago, earned her the Nobel Peace Prize. It also earned her the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton, which wanted to document on Ressa’s behalf a visit to High School North, where she graduated four decades ago, in 1982.

And so it was that Ressa arrived– flanked by Princeton personnel and joined by Toms River board members, administrators, local media and, most importantly, students– at HSN for an informal visit. The trip was a precursor to a formal visit in May, when Ressa plans to return to Toms River to be inducted into the district’s Academic Hall of Fame, and to be honored as the namesake for HSN’s newly-renovated auditorium.

As for today, Ressa chatted with students in the school's media center, answering questions about her career, her experiences at HSN, and her courage in the face of persecution.

"Embrace your fear," Ressa advised when asked about the reality she confronts every day that her work exposing the truth puts her at risk. She connected her work criticizing dictatorships-- her latest book is titled, How to Stand up to a Dictator-- to confronting bullies, which she and her friends did at a young age.

When introducing her, High School North Principal Ed Keller noted that he had acquired her transcripts, and joked that although she finished third in her graduating class, she wasn't technically a straight-A student. Ressa self-deprecatingly acknowledged as much, and spoke joyfully about her non-academic experiences including basketball, school plays, band, and clubs, and the lifelong relationships those activities cultivated.

"Don't be a nerd alone," she said. 

Ressa relayed some of her experiences as a reporter in war zones, and the trauma and hardships those caused. But she remained eminently positive, urging students to "find meaning in your life through small decisions."

For a world-renowned journalist and winner of arguably the most prestigious global award, Ressa was refreshingly sincere, engaged, and downright kind. She took time to answer questions thoughtfully, engaged with students and admirers on a personal level, was funny, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience.

What's more, her affection for High School North is real. She remembered seemingly every teacher she had by name, remarked how the school is even mentioned in the second chapter of her new book, offered humorous commentary on what had and had not changed in the building, and welcomed her Class of '82 classmate, Shelly Bromberg, to join her in the discussion.

What might normally be described as a once-in-a-lifetime occasion was made all the more exciting by Ressa's planned spring return, which will usher in a well-deserved honor for someone whom High School North, the district, and the entire Toms River community is incredibly proud.

See additional coverage from Toms River Patch, Asbury Park Press.