Perhaps he was propelled by a personal loss and then grief. Perhaps it was in Colorado’s KRDO Channel 13 newsroom where he’d watch his uncle edit broadcasts live from his lap. Perhaps it’s just who he is.
It was in a time of change and instability that Logan Day found journalism in Room 3415 at Caney Creek High School in Conroe, Texas, and his school-provided Canon Rebel T7 first helped him document life as it unfolded.
As it would turn out, walking into that room, meeting his “monotone, deep-voiced giant” of an adviser, Stephen Green, CJE, would be just the ticket. Although he lost every competition he entered that first year, a youthful obsession with medals became a turning point for Day, especially when he moved from photography into writing the next summer in Lori Oglesbee’s “beginning feature” class at the NSPA Gloria Shields’ workshop.
Since then, Day has redefined what it means to be a student journalist. He oversees all publications, including the literary magazine, yearbook, radio and news website. His work spans writing, photography, video and design, reflecting technical excellence paired with a deep understanding of the importance of telling stories. From writing about a student death at his school to political unrest to a presidential campaign rally, what sets Day apart isn’t just the content he produces, it’s how he works.
“He’s the kind of reporter who strikes the balance between empathy and information gathering so well that sources reach out to him to thank him,” Day’s adviser wrote.
In the newsroom, Day approaches leadership with the same mentality as he does reporting — with a sense of ownership.
“He was one of two students who showed up nearly every day for three weeks to finish a yearbook after school let out when everyone else abandoned the project,” Green said. “That includes sitting at summer swim practice with his laptop writing, rewriting and editing stories and captions from staffers who swept their lack of reporting under the rug.”
More recently, Day is more deliberate in his work. He calls it his duty. His future. His calling. Journalist of the Year judges agreed.
“The first word that comes to mind after reading your portfolio is ‘voice.’ It’s a passionate voice,” wrote Jack Kennedy, MJE.
Judges called his work inspirational, noting his thoughtful design, strong sense of ethics and an awareness of his audience.
“The extent to which you are involved, on some level, in all aspects of multiple publications is astounding,” added Brenda Field, MJE. “It was a privilege to evaluate your portfolio.”
Day is the first JEA Journalist of the Year from Caney Creek High School and will earn a $4,000 scholarship. He plans to major in journalism at the University of Missouri with ambitions to earn a master’s while working for local media stations. Perhaps of greater importance, however, is Day’s desire to pay it forward, hoping young journalists like him are inspired too.
JEA honors finalists from California, Florida, Kansas, Michigan and Missouri
From a pool of more than 250 entries submitted to 43 state-level contests, JEA also honored five finalists with $1,200 scholarships. The Journalist of the Year scholarships are named for Sister Rita Jean Abicht, JEA’s former treasurer.
Ava Knapp, Palo Alto (California) High School
2026 JOY finalist from California
Ava Knapp of Palo Alto High School in California says that “the moment news breaks, responsibility begins.” While she once preferred predictability and avoided doing things outside her comfort zone, a middle school move to London and later, joining the Palo Alto journalism program, changed that for her.
“I quickly realized that being a good journalist meant more than simply writing well. It meant being brave enough to ask difficult questions and to step forward when an important story needed to be told,“ Knapp said.
Under the guidance of veteran adviser Paull Kandell, Knapp has become a fearless leader who “scans breaking news like a quarterback scans the field.”
“In my 30 years of advising student media, I have rarely encountered a journalist who possesses the professional instincts, ethical backbone and sheer ‘nose for the news’ that Ava Knapp displays daily,” Kandell wrote.
Knapp, who has completed seven AP courses, volunteers at a local hospital, has taught English to refugees and is a track athlete, has a commitment to her craft. Kandell called it a “zen-grounded resilience,” and judges agreed.
“Your writing is as sophisticated as your self-analysis,” Jack Kennedy, MJE, wrote. “You have all the tools.”
Knapp plans to major in journalism and economics. For her, “reporting has placed me at the front of unfolding events, and leadership has taught me to help others wield this privileged access with care and integrity.”
Lia Miller, Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Florida)
“I joined the newspaper angry, tired and 15 years old,” Lia Miller of Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida, wrote. “I only wanted to write opinions, and doing so scratched a particular itch. I decided this was the meaning of journalism: to care strongly, loudly.”
Adviser Brit Taylor, however, may have seen it differently.
“Like a college football coach scheming for recruits, I knew I needed Lia Miller on my newspaper staff four weeks into her freshman year,” he wrote. “In a long line of talented editors, Lia is quite simply the best I’ve had.”
That talent was quickly put to use as Miller moved from writing news briefs to tackling “everything from flag football to antisemitism.” Her leadership for BluePrint News became the hallmark of her senior year.
For Miller, the “fires” she has had to put out as an editor, from defending controversial stories to fielding angry comments, have been part of her larger mission.
“I want my staff to leave class asking questions, pursuing information and expressing their opinions,” she wrote. “I want them to gain confidence to not feel intimidated when others try to shut them down for doing so.”
These days, although being an editor-in-chief is “a little bit closer to lawyer-zookeeper-writer-actor combo career,” Miller has come to realize that journalism is more than just having a platform for her voice. She now realizes that the simple, disciplined act of recording the truth carries far more weight than any loud opinion.
Sofia Ball, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School (Shawnee, Kansas)
At Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Kansas, it’s her “pounding the pavement reporting” that sets her apart from her peers. Sofia Ball says it herself: “As journalists, our job isn’t to advocate or solve problems or make sense of everything, only to present people with realities and make them think.”
According to her adviser, Chris Heady, Ball has a list of topics she’s reported on that could rival the pros. She’s covered the community in the aftermath of four student deaths in 14 months, students who do homework for others for money, students protesting racial discrimination and even skipping school. That’s not it.
Her list of community news stories is just as impressive. From pet cemeteries, to grieving the death of a parent, to student athletes wearing hijabs, there’s no off limits topic for Ball.
Judges agreed, calling her “one of the strongest and most robust in the cohort of JOY candidates” and noting her wonderful collection of examples on how she used her position and experience to enhance publications at Shawnee Mission Northwest.
“I imagine the pursuit of choosing the student journalist of the year is a tricky one,” Heady said. “You have to really decide what constitutes a journalist in 2025 and what’s most important. Is it being well-rounded? Is it knowing how to break news and tell a feature and how to change ISO in a dimly-lit gym and how to engage readers on social media and know design hierarchy? Absolutely. Sofia can do all those things.”
Satvika Ramanathan, Huron High School (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
“Satvika Ramanathan is going to change the world,” Huron High School adviser Sara-Beth Badalamente, CJE, said.
As editor-in-chief of the nationally ranked Huron Emery, Ramanathan has led coverage that is both timely and human. From a $25 million district budget crisis to stories centering on marginalized voices, when there’s a story to tell, she tells it.
Calling her writing “fact focused and balanced,” Badalamente remarked at Ramanathan’s discipline, persistence and journalistic integrity, noting that her urgency is matched only by her care and commitment to getting stories right.
“Satvika inspires others,” Badalamente said. “She teaches lessons in class, she leads sessions at national conventions and even works with other journalism programs across the nation. She educates and inspires and helps them through the process until they can do it on their own. Her impact goes deep.”
The JOY judges agreed.
“The Men’s Mental Health page is beautiful,” Kristi Rathbun, MJE, said. “[It] tackles a serious topic with a visually accessible design so readers can pay attention to the content.”
Another judge, Michael Malcom-Bjorklund, CJE, noted Ramanatha’s wonderful collection of examples of leadership, stating that her choices were both measurable and actionable.
Looking ahead, Ramanathan plans to major in environmental science, write for her school newspaper and pursue a journalism career. If her work is any indication, however, she’s already doing just that.
Vincent Hsiao, Ladue Horton Watkins High School (St. Louis, Missouri)
“The camera gave me confidence and curiosity,” Vincent Hsiao, a senior and photo editor-in-chief at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis said. “Journalism taught me confidence and humility.”
Hsiao’s influence began early. As a freshman, he covered more than 60 events, quickly earning recognition.
“Who is Vincent, and how did he get that photo?” would be a common daily question, adviser Sarah Kirksey said. “If you have seen any publication that has come out of Ladue Horton Watkins High School over the past three years, then you have seen Vincent’s work.”
Sophomore year meant a shift from production to leadership for Hsiao.
“‘Just try harder’ stops working when you’re responsible for a program, not just your own thing,” Hsiao wrote.
So what did he do?
“I built systems,” Hsiao added. “I created guides, trainings and workflows that help new staffers build competency quickly. I revamped the photo request and tracking process so coverage is organized, transparent and equitable — so the quiet staffer with a great idea has the same access to the photo team as anyone else. I learned when to step in and when to step back.”
Hsiao still loves the adrenaline of the perfect moment — peak action, beautiful lighting, a split-second expression — but as he heads to the University of Missouri, his focus remains clear: “Document the truth in a way people can trust.”
State JOY winners
The JEA Journalist of the Year competition starts at the state level, with winners from qualifying contests in each state, Washington, D.C. and JEA members at international schools. A jury of volunteers evaluated entries based on the areas outlined in the competition rubric. Each candidate was nominated by a JEA member adviser.
Click on the links below to view each state winner’s portfolio. Portfolio access is maintained by the student winners and some portfolios may become unavailable.
ALABAMA: Kinleigh Freeman, Mountain Brook High School (adviser, Brooke Dennis)
ARIZONA: Kiley Jacobson, Chandler High School (adviser, Ashley Yap)
ARKANSAS: Kaylee Anderson, Bryant High School (adviser, Justin Turner)
CALIFORNIA: Ava Knapp, Palo Alto High School (adviser, Paul Kandell)
COLORADO: Peter Philpott, Cherry Creek High School (adviser, Seth Fine)
CONNECTICUT: Harshitha Kothapalli, Jonathan Law High School (adviser, Christopher Kulenych)
FLORIDA: Lia Miller, Hagerty High School (adviser, Britton Taylor)
GEORGIA: Peter Atchley, Clarke Central High School (adviser, David Ragsdale, CJE)
HAWAII: Madeline Lucy Nicolas, ‘Iolani School (adviser, Lindsey Combs)
IDAHO: Hunter Ericksen, Madison High School (adviser, Nichole Stanford)
ILLINOIS: Light Dohrn, University of Chicago Laboratory High School (adviser, Logan Aimone, MJE)
INDIANA: Kelton O’Connell, Bloomington High School North (adviser, Troy Cockrum)
INTERNATIONAL: Ruby Rogers, The American School In London (adviser, Louisa Avery, MJE)
IOWA: Brooklyn Berumez, Waterloo West High School (adviser, Nicole Goodman, CJE)
KANSAS: Sofia Ball, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School (adviser, Christopher Heady)
KENTUCKY: Ella Peabody, Highlands High School (adviser, Beth Brubaker, CJE)
LOUISIANA: Kada Mataya, Mount Carmel Academy (adviser, Kerri Caruso)
MAINE: Quinn Wherley, Kennebunk High School (adviser, Beth Carlson)
MARYLAND: Mia Dove, Damascus High School (adviser, Caitlin Patrick)
MASSACHUSETTS: Kate Kelly, Westford Academy (adviser, Janet Fonden)
MICHIGAN: Satvika Ramanathan, Huron High School (adviser, Sara-Beth Badalamente, CJE)
MINNESOTA: Lynn-Clara Tun, Edina High School (adviser, Daniel Amborn, CJE)
MISSISSIPPI: Anderson Shows, Oxford High School (adviser, Diala Chaney, CJE)
MISSOURI: Vincent Hsiao, Ladue Horton Watkins High School (adviser, Sarah Kirksey, MJE)
MONTANA: Ezra Graham, Gallatin High School (adviser, Abigail Olson)
NEBRASKA: Madeline Petrick, Gretna East High School (adviser, Ranae Duncan)
NEVADA: Adrienne Vera-Perez, Southwest Career and Technical Academy (adviser, Matthew LaPorte, CJE)
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Kelsey Sweet, Londonderry High School (adviser, Mary DeWinkeleer, CJE)
NORTH CAROLINA: Caroline Rhoad, Wakefield High School (adviser, Joy Tekotte)
OHIO: Allison Keim, William Mason High School (adviser, Dale Conner)
OREGON: Olivia Wang, West Linn High School (adviser, Glenn Krake, CJE)
PENNSYLVANIA: Kaitlyn Ho, Strath Haven High School (adviser, Kate Plows, CJE)
RHODE ISLAND: Natalia Jackson, Cranston High School West (adviser, Jay Jones)
SOUTH CAROLINA: Noah Iverson, Wando High School (adviser, Phillip Caston, CJE)
SOUTH DAKOTA: Elizabeth (Ellie) Quinn, Lincoln High School (adviser, Katie Kroeze)
TENNESSEE: Brady Ehrhart, Memphis University School (adviser, Ginny McCarley)
TEXAS: Logan Day, Caney Creek High School (adviser, Stephen Green, CJE)
VERMONT: Rose Howell, Burlington High School (adviser, Jeff Finn)
VIRGINIA: Lizzie Sun, Chantilly High School (adviser, Kristine Brown, MJE)
WASHINGTON: Dani Crossen, Central Kitsap High School (adviser, Kate Miller)
WEST VIRGINIA: Hailey Hans, Weir High School (adviser, Morgan Bricker, MJE)
WISCONSIN: Kyra Balch, Indian Trail High School and Academy (adviser, Michelle Corbett, CJE)
WYOMING: Nalani Jordan, Powell High School (adviser, Amy Moore)
Jessica Hunziker, MJE, JEA Journalist of the Year Coordinator