Faust named 2025 H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year

Carrie Faust of Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado, is the 2025 H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year.

With the help of Smoky Hill principal Andre Bala, JEA Vice President and 2024 winner Justin Daigle, MJE, surprised Faust during her Advanced Yearbook class Dec. 11 along with Ann Akers and John Cox from Varsity Yearbook.

The H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year program is designed to honor outstanding advisers and their exemplary work from the previous year, as well as throughout their careers.

Additionally, JEA is recognizing six other yearbook advisers.

Commended Yearbook Adviser:

• Phillip Caston, CJE, Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Distinguished Yearbook Advisers:

• Glenn Krake, CJE, West Linn (Oregon) High School
• Carrie Rapp, MJE, Lindbergh High School, St. Louis, Missouri

Special Recognition Yearbook Advisers:

• Cody Harrell, CJE, East Lansing (Michigan) High School
• Anastasia Harrison, MJE, Legend High School, Parker, Colorado
• Jennifer Parsons, CJE, Greenfield Junior High School, Gilbert, Arizona

The Yearbook Adviser of the Year will receive a personal $1,000 prize. A $500 award for the winner’s school, and $500 awards for Distinguished Yearbook Advisers’ schools may be used to buy equipment for the yearbook classroom or to fund student scholarships to summer workshops.

The National Yearbook Adviser of the Year is presented each year by the Journalism Education Association. The program is underwritten by Balfour Yearbooks, Jostens Inc., Varsity Yearbook and Walsworth Yearbooks.

The following stories about the winners include quotes and excerpts from their applications.

2025 H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year

Carrie Faust

Carrie Faust has advised yearbooks for 22 years, the last 21 years with Summit yearbook at Smoky Hill High School.

2024 Summit editor-in-chief Jaya Castaneda said she has been forever changed because of Faust’s impact in her life.

“Before going to college, I assumed that every high school student had a Faust in their life, especially because Faust was ‘my adult’ to so many kids at Smoky Hill,” Castaneda said. “But meeting other freshmen from around the country has made me realize that not all teachers invest in their students like Faust does with us.”

Carter Faust, Carrie’s daughter, took journalism with her mom in high school and got to see first-hand how her mother leads a staff.

“She finds ways to incorporate everyone into the staff, finding jobs and responsibilities for otherwise lost students,” Carter said. “When three students were struggling keeping up with photo assignments but feared dropping the yearbook, she created a video program that those students went on to develop and teach to future classes. When a student with anxiety and sensory issues craved the community of yearbook but had trouble withstanding the noise of a newsroom, she set aside space in her own office to create a smaller office specific to that student, who went on to thrive as our very thorough and very thoughtful copy editor the next two years.

“Now in my third year as an educator, I’m consistently reminded of how fragile, unique and remarkable that classroom environment is,” Carter said. “It’s a feat that can be difficult to maintain from year to year — let alone across two decades — and, yet, Summit stands strong today, producing upstanding work and equally upstanding citizens. My job as an educator, like my understanding of collaborative work, responsibility and innovation, is of course, tied to my time in the Summit yearbook.”

JEA Tennessee state director Heather Nagel, CJE, said Carrie Faust has been a cornerstone of scholastic journalism for quite a while.

“She’s not just an adviser — she’s a mentor, a trailblazer and a friend to the community,” Nagel said. “Her influence is evident in the award-winning yearbooks she has advised, the students she’s mentored into leadership and the educators she’s inspired along the way. Carrie Faust makes every room she enters better and every program she touches stronger. I can tell you from experience that my own yearbooks are better for having Carrie walk through the process with my students. They love her honesty, candor and compassion. They can’t wait to show her the suggested tweaks. They know she cares so deeply about making their yearbook great, even though they are not her own staff. Carrie pushes students to learn a valuable skillset — how to work with others and achieve a cohesive product together.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that the world of scholastic journalism is better because Carrie Faust is part of it,” Nagel said. “She has spent her career uplifting others and impacting students in ways that will be with them for the rest of their lives.”

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Commended Yearbook Adviser

Phillip Caston, CJE

Phillip Caston, CJE, advises the Legend yearbook at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Parent Heather Chadwick said Caston was a lifeline to her daughter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He gave her purpose and direction when so much felt lost,” Chadwick said. “He pushed her to achieve, encouraged her creativity and gave her the confidence to lead. His classroom was not simply a place to learn about journalism and yearbook production — it was a safe haven where students felt seen, highly valued and inspired each day.”

Former editor-in-chief Maria Gonzalez said Caston encourages his students to not only be better writers, but better people.

“He was someone we could go to not just for advice on writing or yearbook, but for guidance on life,” Gonzalez said. “He pushed us to think deeply, to act with integrity, and to be responsible for ourselves and each other. Because of him, I left high school not only more confident in my writing and leadership, but also more prepared to take on the world. I cannot imagine my high school years without Caston’s influence. He made us believe we were capable of more than we thought, and he walked beside us as we reached those goals.”

Former photography editor-in-chief Gabriella Mortellaro said she learned a lot from Caston’s approach to running class.

“Caston goes beyond teaching lessons,” Mortellaro said. “He inspires a lifelong love of learning. Every student in his class feels seen, and he makes sure no one ever has a bad day. I don’t know who I would be without his class and his mentoring. Not only is he my biggest mentor and supporter, he is the reason I believe I can be a good person through everything and tell stories through my work that will change the world.”

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Distinguished Yearbook Advisers

Glenn Krake, CJE

Glenn Krake, CJE, advises the Green & Gold yearbook at West Linn High School in Oregon.

Multimedia editor Garrett Arendt said, as a student with dyslexia, he always felt a disconnect between himself, his classes and his teachers.

“It was because of Krake that my passion for journalism has been able to bloom,” Arendt said. “It was because of him that I was able to find guidance in a world of student journalism that led me to push myself further and further. It was because he gave me a chance. I was and am still not a good student academically, but Krake saw something in me, and I’m forever grateful.”

Oregon adviser Michelle Balmeo, MJE, said Krake inspires students to find greatness within themselves.

“While a lot of teachers lament all that their students can’t do, Glenn is continuously focused on what they can do,” Balmeo said. “He leads by inspiration, cheerleads and orchestrates, and sings their praises to anyone who will listen because it’s clear he’s full of love, pride and admiration for his kids.”

As JEA Oregon state director and a member of the Oregon Journalism Education Association board, Krake works closely with OJEA president Beth Zilk, CJE.

When planning the state conventions, Zilk said Krake was consistently the first to volunteer for committees or jobs, from designing T-shirts, running on-site contests or conducting publication critiques to teaching extra sessions. Krake also created the All-State Journalism Team to recognize student achievement, and launched a monthly newsletter to keep advisers informed and connected.

“Glenn is an exceptional educator and adviser whose passion for journalism is contagious,” Zilk said. “He brings incredible energy to his teaching and pushes his students to be curious and challenge themselves. His classroom is a place where students are empowered to lead.”

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Carrie Rapp, MJE

Carrie Rapp, MJE, advises the Spirit yearbook at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Editor-in-chief Kate Basler said what makes Rapp stand out is the way she challenges her students.

“She does way more than just teach us how to create a perfect yearbook; she teaches us how to collaborate with our peers, manage deadlines and handle real-world responsibilities,” Basler said. “I’ve had teachers underestimate my talents before, but Mrs. Rapp was one of the first to always make me feel like I was 100% seen and appreciated. This has made me grow exponentially in my confidence for myself and just taught me to be brave and think outside of the box with my work and decisions.”

Former student Grace Herzog said Rapp was able to make yearbook a safe space.

“From hosting annual alumni Pubsgiving get-togethers to making a genuine effort to get to know all staffers beyond the yearbook walls, Rapp’s empathy echoes in all her actions,” Herzog said. “While every staffer who has the privilege of learning from Rapp won’t use AP style or graphic design principles in their everyday lives, they will always remember how she made them feel seen. No matter who you were, you could count on Rapp to be there for you, whether you were having writer’s block or dealing with personal struggles.”

Missouri adviser Madi Lehmann was paired with Rapp through JEA’s mentoring program after she was placed in the role of yearbook adviser without any training. Now, Lehmann plans to continue advising for the rest of her career.

“Carrie provided not only curriculum resources but also ongoing emotional support, empowering me to not just remain in the role, but to thrive in it,” Lehmann said. “She helped me see the possibilities — not just the problems.”

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Special Recognition Yearbook Advisers

Cody Harrell, CJE

Cody Harrell, CJE, advises the Ceniad yearbook at East Lansing High School in Michigan.

Reena Natla and Madeline Shangraw, 2025 co-editors-in-chief, said Harrell made yearbook more than just a class — it became a second family.

“He created an environment where students felt welcomed, supported and challenged to do their best work,” Natla and Shangraw shared in their cowritten recommendation letter. “His feedback was always brutally honest, but in the way that made us better. Whether we were reworking designs or reworking stories, he pushed us to take risks, never letting us settle for less than what we were capable of. That balance of tough critique and steady encouragement shaped us into stronger editors and even stronger people.”

Maggie Moore has had four children in Harrell’s yearbook program and said he’s the kind of classroom teacher she aspires to be.

“Cody knows that the best way to encourage growth is to set the highest bar for students, so that instead of falling, they rise,” Moore said. “What Cody Harrell has done for my children, and for so many others, is infinitely more than advising a program. He’s a mentor, an inspirational coach, an expert educator and a light for so many.”

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Anastasia Harrison, MJE

Anastasia Harrison, MJE, advises the Epic yearbook at Legend High School in Parker, Colorado.

Design editor Anna Kinney said she originally started taking yearbook to avoid taking the computer coding elective.

“Because of Mrs.Harrison’s teaching and dedication, I have found a passion in yearbook in my role as design editor,” Kinney said. “On my own I never would have chosen this role, but with Mrs. Harrison’s insistence, I found solace in grids, white space and alignment of elements.”

Former student Carly Lambert said Harrison’s influence led to her decision to pursue graphic design in college with the goal of one day working at a magazine. She is now the chief operating officer for 5280 Magazine, a Denver lifestyle guide.

“To this day, I strive to embody so much of what I learned from Mrs. Harrison in my role at 5280,” Lambert said. “She always emphasized accuracy, fairness and empowering students to take ownership of their work. She taught us that journalism is a responsibility, not just an assignment. Because of her, I have been able to build a career rooted in both journalism and design. I attribute the foundation of my success — my work ethic, critical eye and respect for strong storytelling — to her guidance.”

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Jennifer Parsons, CJE

Jennifer Parsons, CJE, advises the Ingenium yearbook at Greenfield Junior High School in Gilbert, Arizona.

Former editor Jacob Walter was on the yearbook staff both years of junior high. “Our campus was a two-year school and in that time, Mrs. Parsons was able to teach us everything we needed to know not only to create a sound yearbook that our school population loved, but to prepare us to join high school staffs,” Walter said. “As a freshmen heading into my new yearbook staff, I was recruited to right away join the editorial team.”

Former student Nicole Schuermann started on the yearbook staff in eighth grade and said she was nervous she would not get the whole experience or feel included starting a year after everyone else.

“Parsons took me under her wing right away and got me comfortable behind the lens – which is where I felt most at home for the next four years as I led the sports photography team for my high school’s book,” Schuermann said. “Parsons saw my passion for journalism, gave me more responsibilities and advocated on my behalf to my adviser in high school before I even met her, which led to being a section editor in my freshman year.”