The Journalism Education Association has chosen five scholastic media advisers to receive the 2013 Rising Star award. This award recognizes teachers with one to five years’ journalism teaching and/or advising experience who demonstrate a commitment to journalism education and show promise as up-and-coming advisers.

The award winners represent five states and advise a variety of student media, ranging from newspaper and yearbook to video broadcast and website news outlets. Honorees were asked to complete an extensive questionnaire on their experience, their involvement in scholastic journalism beyond their classroom, and their teaching/advising philosophy. Several of those chosen have already seen success from their students and the media they advise through state and national awards. All are JEA Certified Journalism Educators.

This award began in 2006, and the newest honorees bring the total to 63 winners, many of whom have taken on leadership roles in their states and at the national level.

The 2013 Rising Stars are as follows:

• Angela Banfield, CJE, Coronado High School, Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Colleen Bennett, CJE, Oak Ridge High School, Orlando, Fla.
• Keith Carlson, CJE, Naperville Central High School, Naperville, Ill.
• Tara Stepanek, CJE, Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield, Mo.
• Anthony Whitten, CJE, Westfield High School, Chantilly, Va.

The Rising Star awards will be presented April 27 during the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco.

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.