Luke Winstel, known as the “Voice of the Golden Lions” at St. Pius X Catholic High School, has led the school’s broadcasting team win awards, and has won some of his own for his work volunteering.
Luke, who graduated in May, is most known for his work directing the ESPX student webcast program at the school, which is located in DeKalb County near Brookhaven. He led the team to win St. Pius X an “Elite Schools” award from the National Federation of High School Sports Network for the fourth year in a row.
In March, he received the Georgia Youth Leadership Award presented by 21st Century Leaders. The competitive award is given by local businessmen to the top “20 Under 20” from across the state based on leadership, entrepreneurship and community service.
He also led the team to win a national marketing award for the first time.
“I fell in love with the art of broadcasting because of the extreme challenges it presented to me at each event,” Luke said. “But the webcast would not happen without the voluntary time put in by the crew to video and produce the games.”
Luke has broadcast many of St. Pius X’s sporting events since his freshman year when he joined the team. Preparing for hours of live broadcasting, especially for unfamiliar sports, takes some work, he said.
“I spent a lot of time compiling information about different athletes and watching professional sports casters report games. I also kept typed-up documents of notes and particular words, so I could build up the proper vocabulary for reporting games,” he said.
Luke also received the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2016 for his work at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. It’s awarded by the federal government for achieving over 250 hours of community service — almost 10-and-a-half days — in one year. Luke has volunteered at the museum for six years.
He has given lectures to kids and adults on a range of scientific topics like fossils or marine biology. Helping visitors learn about the exhibits in the museum allowed him to better understand how to “cater to an audience” and become passionate about giving back to the community, he said.
“Since I was a little kid, my family instilled the importance of helping others in me. I developed a passion for service when I discovered that even doing the smallest things can help make someone’s day better,” Luke said.
He has also received the St. Theresa of Calcutta Service Award from St. Pius X for going beyond his school-assigned service requirements.
“My parents have always emphasized the importance of serving your community, so I make it a priority,” he said.
Luke also plays in the advanced guitar ensemble at St. Pius X, where he has also won awards. He’s also played guitar at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.
He also hosts his own podcast covering Georgia sports, and has represented 21st Century Leaders in 2018 in a summer immersion program with the Atlanta Hawks video production group.
What’s next?
Luke plans to attend Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville to study mass communications. He plans to go into broadcasting after college, building on the experience and connections he made during his time at ESPX.
This article was written and reported by Alexa Robbins, a student at Atlanta International School.
Editor’s Note: Through our “Standout Student” series, Reporter Newspapers showcases some of the outstanding students at our local schools. To recommend a “Standout Student” for our series, please email editor@ReporterNewspapers.net with information about the student and why you think he or she should be featured.