At the closing ceremony of the JEA/NSPA convention in Phoenix, JEA announced the recipient of the $5,000 Journalist of the Year scholarship and runners up.

2009 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALIST
OF THE YEAR
and winner of $5,000 Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarship:
Henry Rome, Conestoga High School, Berwyn, Pa. (Susan Houseman, CJE, and Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt advisers)

RUNNERS UP
and winners of $2,000 Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarships:
Joseph “Dalton” Person, Fort Smith Southside High School, Fort Smith, Ark. (Susan Colyer, MJE, adviser)
Lauren D. Grubaugh, Granite Bay High School, Granite Bay, Calif. (Karl Grubaugh, CJE, adviser)
Aliya N. Mood, Bloomington High School North, Bloomington, Ind. (Ryan Gunterman, CJE, adviser)
Stephen E. Nichols, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kan. (C. Dow Tate, adviser)
Kendall D. Popelsky, Cypress Falls High School, Houston, Texas (Lisa Van Etta, adviser)
Nicole M. Pinto, Peninsula High School, Gig Harbor, Wash. (McCall Cowley, adviser)

STATE RECIPIENTS
These students, along with those above, won at the state level and received a certificate at the national level:

ALABAMA — Haley A. Herfurth, Sparkman High School, Harvest (Erin Coggins, MJE, adviser)
ARIZONA — Amanda A. Dallas, Greenway High Schools, Phoenix (Andrew Luckenbill, adviser)
COLORADO — Kristen N. Scheirman, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch (Jack Kennedy, MJE, adviser)
CONNECTICUT — Kimberly J. Michels, Darien High School, Darien (Stacey Wilkins, CJE, adviser)
GEORGIA — Isabel Bryan Barks, Clarke Central High School, Athens (David Ragsdale, CJE, adviser)
IDAHO — Katy Sword, Borah High School, Boise (Michelle Harmon, adviser)
ILLINOIS — Tom G. Stanley-Becker, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago (Wayne Brasler, adviser)
IOWA — James A. Kuberski, Davis County High School, Bloomfield (Michelle Williams, adviser)
LOUISIANA — Brady Renard, C.E. Byrd High School, Shreveport (Angela Watkins, CJE, adviser)
MARYLAND — Jaishri Shankar, Rockville High School, Rockville (Peter Daddone, adviser)
MICHIGAN — Alyson K. Halpert, Community High School, Ann Arbor (Tracy Rosewarne, adviser)
MISSOURI — Tyler A. Cacek, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia (Robin Stover, MJE, adviser)
MONTANA — Megan E. Gretch, Great Falls High School, Great Falls (Linda Ballew, adviser)
NEBRASKA — Alexandria M. Hodge, Omaha Central High School, Omaha (LaTrina Parker, adviser)
NEW JERSEY — Stefanie E. Dazio, Communications High School, Wall (Andi Mulshine, adviser)
NORTH CAROLINA — Nichole Mortimer, Ravenscroft School, Raleigh (Helen Velk, adviser)
NORTH DAKOTA — Molly P. English, West Fargo High School, West Fargo (Jeremy Murphy, adviser)
OHIO — David JM Esber, North Canton Hoover High School, North Canton (Rachelle Ogilvie, adviser)
OREGON — Sarah Davidson, Wilson High School, Portland (Keith Higbee, adviser)
RHODE ISLAND — Kendra A. Davis, North Kingstown Senior High School, North Kingstown (Elizabeth Martin-Kenworthy, adviser)
SOUTH CAROLINA — Ashley M. Brown, J.L. Mann Academy, Greenville (Phillip Caston, adviser)
VIRGINIA — Matthew B. Johnson, Oakton High School, Vienna (Chad Rummel, CJE, adviser)
WEST VIRGINIA — Casey D. Shreve, Wayne High School, Wayne (Ruby Dyer, adviser)