NSMC awards 37 superior ratings in fall contest

NSMC awards 37 superior ratings in fall contest

By Nancy Smith, MJE, NSMC chair

The National Student Media Contests were all completed virtually for the Fall 2021 JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.

In all, 405 students competed in photo, broadcast, graphic design, literary magazine, design and writing contests.

There were 197 winning students comprising 37 superior, 70 excellent and 90 honorable mention awards.

All the competitors had their submissions assessed by teams of judges, and those critiques are available at the NSMC website. Contestants can log in with their username and password to view their critiques.

Certificates and medals for the winners were mailed to schools.

In place of the traditional on-site critique session, each contest’s lead judge has created a video critique. Critique videos provide information about the contest and what the judges were looking for in the winning entries.

Judges also share some of their thoughts about what some of the strengths were in the category and what are some general areas to look to improve in the future. The contest prompts and the critiques are great resources for classroom lessons and preparation for future contests.

In addition, through SmugMug students and advisers can view thousands of photos from JEA photo contests in each of the nine categories. The site houses all of the photos that have been recognized in past conventions so users can learn from those student photographers.

SmugMug has an interface that discourages copying of images and allows full display of metadata including camera data and captions. So photojournalists really can break down the photo to discuss technique, composition and the meaning of the images. 

“While we are certainly looking forward to being able to offer our 46 National Student Media Contests in person again at a traditional National High School Journalism Convention, we are appreciative of the JEA member schools who took advantage of the opportunity this fall to compete virtually,” JEA contest chair Nancy Smith, MJE, said. “The team of critics and judges who evaluate all of our student entries provide some great feedback and make the event not just a contest, but a real learning experience for everyone who participates.”

Fall National Student Media Contest results

Rating Contest Name Full Name School Name School State
Superior Newswriting Vish Gondesi Huron High School MI
Excellent Newswriting Alyssa Schulz Prospect High School IL
Excellent Newswriting Evan Lu Conestoga High School PA
Honorable Mention Newswriting Grace Martin Spring Branch Middle School TX
Superior Editorial Writing Yaopeng He Severn School MD
Excellent Editorial Writing Olivia Kim Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Editorial Writing Brielle Lampf Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Honorable Mention Editorial Writing Chloe Highsmith Salina Central High School KS
Honorable Mention Editorial Writing Charlie Yale Omaha Central High School NE
Superior Feature Writing Peter Pu University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Excellent Feature Writing Atarah Israel Munster High School IN
Excellent Feature Writing Morgan Dawson Mercer Island High School WA
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Hiba Samdani Conestoga High School PA
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Claire Kim St Paul Academy and Summit School MN
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Rylee Dang Emmaus High School PA
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Isabella Anderson Lawrence North High School IN
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Amelia Jarrett Westford Academy MA
Honorable Mention Feature Writing Gina Ko Huron High School MI
Superior Sports Writing Cameron Sullivan Prospect High School IL
Excellent Sports Writing Morgan Vehige Lafayette High School MO
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Jack Nitz Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Lalitha Viswanathan Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Adrianna Nehme University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Hanah Kitamoto Iowa City West High School IA
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Abby Bagby Conestoga High School PA
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Alex Levin Mercer Island High School WA
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Elizabeth Duerholz Emmaus High School PA
Honorable Mention Sports Writing James McDermott Westford Academy MA
Honorable Mention Sports Writing Quinn Newhouse Huron High School MI
Superior Review Writing Makayla Archambeault Lafayette High School MO
Excellent Review Writing T ©a Tamburo University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Excellent Review Writing Jui Bhatia Conestoga High School PA
Honorable Mention Review Writing Lance Locker Adlai E Stevenson High School IL
Honorable Mention Review Writing Sophie Henschel Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention Review Writing Ellie Noh Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Honorable Mention Review Writing Brenna Walters Argyle High School TX
Honorable Mention Review Writing Thomas Hartill Emmaus High School PA
Honorable Mention Review Writing Emily Malone Padua Academy DE
Superior Editorial Cartooning Yuting Pu Conestoga High School PA
Superior Editorial Cartooning Lena Hardisty Mercer Island High School WA
Excellent Editorial Cartooning Cecilia Urbanski Omaha Marian High School NE
Excellent Editorial Cartooning Caoimhe Farris Lafayette High School MO
Honorable Mention Editorial Cartooning Ari Bowman Emmaus High School PA
Honorable Mention Editorial Cartooning Tarik Fermin Huron High School MI
Superior Commentary Writing Bayarmaa Bat-erdene Adlai E Stevenson High School IL
Excellent Commentary Writing Vijay Viswanathan Lafayette High School MO
Honorable Mention Commentary Writing Cebelli Pfeifer Woodside High School CA
Excellent Newspaper Layout Celia Condon Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Excellent Newspaper Layout Kevin Lynch Prospect High School IL
Superior Newsmagazine Layout Marissa Mathieson Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Excellent Newsmagazine Layout Caroline Gould Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention Newsmagazine Layout Sabrina San Agustin Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Superior Press Law and Ethics Jacob Molina Dos Pueblos High School CA
Superior Press Law and Ethics Melanie Duronio Westford Academy MA
Excellent Press Law and Ethics An Ngo University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Excellent Press Law and Ethics Shreya Vaidhyanathan Conestoga High School PA
Excellent Press Law and Ethics Lin Luo Emmaus High School PA
Excellent Press Law and Ethics Elise Hsu Carlmont High School CA
Honorable Mention Press Law and Ethics Domenic Fenoglio Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Honorable Mention Press Law and Ethics Joe Shem University Preparatory Academy CA
Superior Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports Claire LeDuc Parkway West High School MO
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports Katie Baffa University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports Ashley Dickey Lindbergh High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports Riley Ramirez Munster High School IN
Superior Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Layla Halilbasic Oakville High School MO
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Anthony Messerly Lindbergh High School MO
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Jenaya Ripko Brighton High School CO
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Hannah Lifton Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Mallory Stirrat Parkway West High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Peter Stern University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics Simona Terek Munster High School IN
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Kaylee O’Dell Lafayette High School MO
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Lilly Francis Parkway West High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Katherine Adams Lindbergh High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Elise Aho Brighton High School CO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Sarina Zhao University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs Halsey Hooper Omaha Central High School NE
Superior Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Lillian Coe University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Excellent Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Srinithi Raj Westford Academy MA
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Greyson Imm Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Emma Meyer Lindbergh High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Valeria Welk Omaha Central High School NE
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Claire Graver Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life Fiona Ferguson Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Superior Yearbook Layout: Theme Anusha Singh Lafayette High School MO
Honorable Mention Yearbook Layout: Theme Faith Rost Salina Central High School KS
Honorable Mention Yearbook Layout: Theme Sydney Lupo Prospect High School IL
Superior Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages Kiana Saghafi Westlake High School TX
Excellent Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages Jillian Brawner Junction City High School OR
Honorable Mention Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages Abby Rinehart Humboldt High School KS
Honorable Mention Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages Madi Suenram Salina Central High School KS
Superior Yearbook Cover/Endsheets Karsyn Arnold Salina Central High School KS
Honorable Mention Yearbook Cover/Endsheets Rumi Sait Westlake High School TX
Superior Literary Magazine: Layout Rhea Patney Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Excellent Literary Magazine: Layout Isabela Flores McGill-Toolen Catholic High School AL
Superior Literary Magazine: Poetry Sarah Dent Dos Pueblos High School CA
Excellent Literary Magazine: Poetry Alena Zhang Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Excellent Literary Magazine: Poetry Eliza Farley St Paul Academy and Summit School MN
Excellent Literary Magazine: Poetry McGowin Grinstead McGill-Toolen Catholic High School AL
Honorable Mention Literary Magazine: Poetry Juli Mejia Lafayette High School MO
Superior Literary Magazine: Illustration Katherine Li Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Excellent Literary Magazine: Illustration Jillian Cate McGill-Toolen Catholic High School AL
Excellent Literary Magazine: Photography Vivian Rong Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Excellent Literary Magazine: Photography Myrna Jalkh McGill-Toolen Catholic High School AL
Superior Graphic Design: Logo Michael Zimmerman O Fallon Township High School IL
Excellent Graphic Design: Logo Henry Hofferth Munster High School IN
Honorable Mention Graphic Design: Logo Katie Claunch Park Hill South High School MO
Superior Graphic Design: Infographics Julia Moser Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Honorable Mention Graphic Design: Infographics Olivia Hu Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Superior Graphic Design: Advertising Sophia Ismail Adlai E Stevenson High School IL
Excellent Graphic Design: Advertising Peyten Galloway Humboldt High School KS
Honorable Mention Graphic Design: Advertising Angela Castor Argyle High School TX
Superior Graphic Design: Photo Illustration Nora Hill Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Excellent Graphic Design: Photo Illustration Joanne Sung Ladue Horton Watkins High School MO
Honorable Mention Graphic Design: Photo Illustration Owen Aanestad Iowa City West High School IA
Honorable Mention Graphic Design: Photo Illustration Alison Togami Dos Pueblos High School CA
Excellent Themed Photo Cedrik Von Briel Woodside High School CA
Honorable Mention Themed Photo Finn Wenta Park Hill South High School MO
Honorable Mention Themed Photo MaKayla Finch Richland R-1 School MO
Superior Sports Action Photography Macy Crosser Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Superior Sports Action Photography Jalen Rodgers Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent Sports Action Photography Lindsey Farthing Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Excellent Sports Action Photography Kyle Button Francis Howell North High School MO
Excellent Sports Action Photography Aric Shah Westlake High School TX
Excellent Sports Action Photography Alex Daggett Argyle High School TX
Honorable Mention Sports Action Photography Yena Son Cherry Hill High School East NJ
Honorable Mention Sports Action Photography Kelsea Wilson Parkway West High School MO
Honorable Mention Sports Action Photography Josiah Ricks Junction City High School OR
Honorable Mention Sports Action Photography Maggie Grant Inland Lakes High School MI
Honorable Mention Sports Action Photography Madison Lamb Combs High School AZ
Excellent Sports Feature Photography Ellison Gracik Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Excellent Sports Feature Photography Sophie Pallman Arapahoe High School CO
Honorable Mention Sports Feature Photography Maggie Merckens Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention Sports Feature Photography Hannah Mekky Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Sports Feature Photography Katelyn Black Richland R-1 School MO
Superior Feature Photography Kaitlyn El-Sayegh Whitney High School CA
Superior Feature Photography Cassie Bess Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent Feature Photography Katherine Hamilton Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Excellent Feature Photography Arya Sharma Westlake High School TX
Honorable Mention Feature Photography Tina Safron Lindbergh High School MO
Honorable Mention Feature Photography Celia Cooper Park Hill South High School MO
Honorable Mention Feature Photography Sarah Stavnes Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Feature Photography Allison Mi Huron High School MI
Excellent General or Spot News Photography Emma Kate Squires Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Excellent General or Spot News Photography Alex Porter Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent Photo Story Rose Weidemann Brighton High School CO
Excellent Photo Story Charlotte Chengary Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention Photo Story Rachel Bingham Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Superior Photography Portfolio Dacie Ritch Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent Photography Portfolio Jessica Witt Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Excellent Photography Portfolio Andrew Burke-Stevenson University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Photography Portfolio Elise Madden Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention Photography Portfolio Rachael Barkoff Westlake High School TX
Superior Portrait Photo Josh Fritz Argyle High School TX
Excellent Portrait Photo Logan Holman Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent Portrait Photo Ridhima Kodali Huron High School MI
Honorable Mention Portrait Photo Hiba Issawi Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Honorable Mention Portrait Photo Kate Dickson Junction City High School OR
Honorable Mention Portrait Photo Malcolm Taylor University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Honorable Mention Portrait Photo Cali Shohet Carlmont High School CA
Superior First-Year Photo Marissa Kolly Inland Lakes High School MI
Superior First-Year Photo Joe Wyman Richland R-1 School MO
Excellent First-Year Photo Breanna Provance Lindbergh High School MO
Excellent First-Year Photo Bailey Thompson Blue Valley Northwest High School KS
Excellent First-Year Photo Mya Hailey Park Hill South High School MO
Excellent First-Year Photo Matt Petres University of Chicago Laboratory High School IL
Excellent First-Year Photo Sophie Dent Dos Pueblos High School CA
Honorable Mention First-Year Photo Riley Eck Shawnee Mission East High School KS
Honorable Mention First-Year Photo Krina Shah Westlake High School TX
Honorable Mention First-Year Photo Ethan Boersma Munster High School IN
Honorable Mention First-Year Photo Mollly Gusloff Prospect High School IL
Honorable Mention First-Year Photo Kayleigh Butler Whitney High School CA
Excellent Broadcast News Story Ava Lacey Tupelo High School MS
Superior Broadcast Sports Story Savannah Jarman Wichita Southeast High School KS
Excellent Broadcast Sports Story Maddie James Tupelo High School MS
Honorable Mention Broadcast Sports Story Eva Beidle Oakville High School MO
Honorable Mention Broadcast Sports Story Cierra Bradley Oakville High School MO
Honorable Mention Broadcast Sports Story Philip Soliz Independence High School TX
Honorable Mention Broadcast Sports Story Saisha Agarwal Independence High School TX
Superior Broadcast Feature Story Sarah Buzzell Tupelo High School MS
Excellent Broadcast Feature Story Emily Johnson Oakville High School MO
Excellent Broadcast Commercial/PSA Bianca Ward-Washington Archbishop Carroll High School DC
Excellent Broadcast Commercial/PSA Deneilia Thaxter Archbishop Carroll High School DC
Honorable Mention Videography Katherine Lytle Prospect High School IL
Excellent Short Documentary Charlie Dahlgren Prospect High School IL
Excellent Short Documentary Sloan Dial Argyle High School TX
Excellent Video Package Editing Kiana George Carlmont High School CA
Honorable Mention Video Package Editing Joey Weaver Lafayette High School MO
Honorable Mention Video Package Editing John Harris Liberty North High School MO
Honorable Mention Video Package Editing Margaret Patterson Padua Academy DE
Superior Online News Package Candice Anvari-Ghasr Beverly Hills High School CA
Superior Online News Package Emma Newman Beverly Hills High School CA
Superior Online News Package Ava Spina Beverly Hills High School CA
Excellent Online News Package Anushka Patil Westford Academy MA
Excellent Online News Package Kristen Su Westford Academy MA
Excellent Online News Package James Farley Westford Academy MA
Excellent Broadcast Newswriting Ava Iannucci Padua Academy DE

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