The Journalism Education Association has chosen Karen Flowers, CJE, of Irmo, S.C., as a 2013 Medal of Merit Award winner. This award is presented to JEA members who have made significant contributions to scholastic journalism.

Flowers is the director of the Southern Interscholastic Press Association, South Carolina Scholastic Press Association and Carolina Journalism Institute. She has been Teaching Committee chair of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Scholastic Journalism Division for many years.

Prior to taking on her positions at the University of South Carolina, Flowers taught and advised publications for 30 years, the last 20 at Irmo High School in Columbia, S.C. She has earned top national awards from JEA, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and the Dow Jones News Fund. Her students and the publications she advised were recognized as among the nation’s best for many years.

According to Monica Hill, director of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association, Flowers “binds together all scholastic journalism efforts in the South. Her annual SIPA conventions are wonderful events marked by camaraderie, generosity and impartiality – all traits I attribute to Karen.”

Flowers also has been active in JEA as a longtime state director, and speaker, moderator and judge at numerous national conventions.

Flowers will receive the Medal of Merit award Nov. 16 during the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Boston.

The Journalism Education Association Inc. is the only independent national scholastic journalism organization for teachers and media advisers. It is headquartered at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.