International 2023 Journalist of the Year, Grace Hamilton, Mugshot of Grace

By Joe Humphrey, MJE, Journalist of the Year Coordinator

SAN FRANCISCO – A once-shy freshman who found her voice through writing was recognized today as the Journalism Education Association 2023 Journalist of the Year. Grace Hamilton of The American School in London is the first winner of the award from an international school. 

Hamilton, editor in chief of The Standard newspaper, will receive a $3,000 scholarship named for Sister Rita Jean Abicht, JEA’s former treasurer. Adviser Louisa Avery, MJE, recognized Hamilton’s potential early in her scholastic journalism career. 

“It was clear that her passion for journalism would consume her completely if I let it,” Avery said.

That passion manifested in multiple ways, including a riveting 15-source, 5,000-word feature story about sexual harassment on campus that Avery said “triggered all sorts of emotions, from sadness to shock to anger.”

Hamilton was inspired to write the story after reading a Guardian report about how 97% of women in the U.K. reported being sexually harassed in public areas.

“I was outraged … I went through the five stages of grief, questioning the world we live in and grappling with the frustration of gender inequality before picking up my reporter’s notebook,” Hamilton reflected in her portfolio. “An in-depth, investigative feature was born. Over several months, I listened to stories of sexual harassment both within and outside of ASL.”

Both Hamilton and Avery said reaction to the piece was significant.

“It made an incredible impact on the community, causing discussion among students and adults about how the school was addressing the issue,” Avery said. “The Grade 7 social studies teachers even used it as a teaching tool in their classes, and Grace spoke to the Global Issues and Community Issues class about social justice reporting.”

“Overhearing friends and faculty debating a topic seldom discussed was invaluable,” Hamilton wrote. “That is the hallmark of good journalism – spurring conversation that might just nudge the world.”

Beyond reporting, Avery also praised Hamilton’s leadership. She stepped into the role of Lead Culture Editor and that section continues to thrive “mainly because of the work she did to develop it,” Avery said.

Now, as editor-in-chief, Hamilton oversees a 63-person staff — the largest in school history.

“Grace oversees both the print and online publications,” Avery said. “However, her main responsibility is caring for the people on staff. She has made an effort to get to know each staff member, even though she is only in class with the other editors.”

Her leadership extends beyond The Standard. Hamilton planned an outreach session for 15 students and a teacher from another school in the United Kingdom in an effort to grow scholastic journalism there. 

“Grace planned out the sessions, selecting what presentations to use and creating interactive activities,” Avery said.

In her judging feedback, contest juror Ava Butzu of Michigan highlighted this quote from Hamilton’s personal narrative: “Reporting fosters wonder and doubt, dissatisfaction with the status quo. It calls on empathy, opening up to others’ minds. This human experience reveals not just how things are but how they could be.” 

Butzu continued: “That is beautifully said, and I see all of these qualities and values infused in your work and experiences. I see in your leadership and editing so many qualities that it took me years to develop as an educator and adviser – your careful editing comments that aim to improve writing but not crush voice, your dedication to developing guidelines, procedures and lessons to unify your publication and your team. These are the qualities of a seasoned adviser, rarely so developed in a high school student, as they are in you.”

Hamilton plans to study English in the states; she will be invited to present a speech at the 2024 Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

JEA honors finalists from California, Florida, Texas and Virginia

From a pool of nearly 200 entries from 35 state-level contests, JEA also honored four runners-up with $1,000 scholarships.

Delilah Brumer, California

Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Lake Balboa (adviser Adriana Chavira, MJE)

When Delilah Brumer’s adviser was suspended last September for not bending to a principal’s order to amend students’ COVID-19 coverage, Brumer found herself straddling the line between journalist and activist. The coverage was written before her tenure as editor, but as editor it was up to Brumer and her staff at The Pearl Post to decide whether to change the article in question.

“Seeing my adviser vulnerable scared me,” Brumer wrote, “but it also galvanized me to stand up for my rights as a student journalist, the way she has taught us to do. I voted to keep the article up.”

“I had never considered myself an activist,” Brumer wrote in her personal narrative. “Whenever there are protests or controversies in my community, I grab a camera and a notepad, not a megaphone. Yet, as I faced censorship first hand, I channeled my rage through writing.”

After what Brumer described as “a lively debate and meticulous edits,” the staff published an editorial written by Brummer titled “They don’t respect us as student journalists.”

Award juror Jack Kennedy, MJE, lauded Brummer’s ability to straddle the fine line between being both objective and persuasive, as needed. 

“No one asks for controversy like you and your adviser experienced, but how everyone responds to the challenges can become that crucial moment when attitudes and motivations change dramatically,” wrote Kennedy of Colorado. “You were ‘there’ before, I would guess, but it is clear that your experiences with challenges to press rights (and adviser rights) continues to resonate with you.”

Chavira, whose suspension was rescinded, praised Brummer’s poise during that time and her body of work throughout her high school career.

“She is a multi-skilled journalist, from writing to photography to video. She has a variety of accolades at the local, state and national level,” Chavira said. “And she has had work published in a variety of publications, from The Los Angeles Times to PBS Student Reporting Labs.”

Julia Landy, Florida

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland (adviser Melissa Falkowski, CJE)

Contest evaluator Erinn Harris, MJE, offered this assessment of Julia Landy’s portfolio: “Wow. That’s all I’ve got. Just wow.”

Landy, editor of the Eagle Eye News, presented a portfolio packed with strong examples across the various areas of the rubric and detailed reflections for each artifact. “You did an excellent job reflecting on what you learned in each category … the type of reflection that makes people better,” Harris wrote.

Adviser Melissa Falkowski, CJE, said she wished for a staff of Julias – “an adviser’s dream staff,” she wrote, praising Landy as a “versatile and tenacious” student journalist who can write, design, draw award-winning editorial cartoons and even excel at the business side of publications.

“She is extremely professional when dealing with business owners, whether it’s selling an ad, contacting a business for missing art work or negotiating discounts for our debate tournament (fund raiser) food supplies,” Falkowski wrote. “She will pick up the phone without hesitation and call anyone, which is a rare quality in a high school student.”

In her personal narrative, Landy said she is drawn to journalism in large part because she wants to help create an informed public.

“I wholeheartedly believe that one of the biggest issues that our nation faces today is the colossal amount of misinformation in circulation, combined with the general public’s apparent refusal to strive toward informedness,” she wrote. “Given the current social climate, I believe that increasing the quantity of well-researched, high-quality, informational videos and graphics would enable the general public to access more unbiased information.”

Contest judge Ava Butzu was struck by Landy’s illustrations.

“I can’t tell you how much time I spent studying your illustrations, especially the pieces with editorial intent,” she wrote. “Such great attention to detail and sense of how to emote and tell a story in an image! Bravo!”

Haylie Stum, Texas 

Bridgeland High School, Cypress (adviser Alexis Prieto-Berkey)

From encouraging her staff to reporting from the sidelines, adviser Alexis Prieto-Berkey said she has never seen a journalist quite like Haylie Stum.

“Haylie is always accepting and encouraging with her staff but never lets them hide behind their fears,” Prieto-Berkey wrote of Stum, co-editor of the media staff at Bridgeland.

“While writing comes naturally to Haylie, so does live reporting. Throughout my time with Haylie, I have never seen her miss a football game. The weather and the crowd were never a problem, she’ll report live in the rain with over 300 people watching and not break a sweat. Haylie doesn’t need a big camera with perfect lighting to produce an amazing product.”

Evaluator Jessica Hunziker, MJE, of Colorado was especially impressed with that live reporting, calling it “exciting!” with a deserved exclamation point.

“I appreciate the true multimedia approach to some of the storytelling,” Hunziker wrote. “There’s a reason why various platforms continue to co-exist with each other and to see how you’ve thoughtfully considered what to use, when to use it and the supporting design shows exemplary thinking.”

In her personal narrative, Stum said sports journalism has become an outlet for her and one that she’d like to see more young females tackle.

“I draw attention because I would rather talk about how many rushing yards a boy has rather than what color shirt he wore to school,” she wrote. “I knew being so open to the public about my work and branching out professionally as a 16-year-old girl would come with some hardships. I have been openly mocked by classmates and barked at and ridiculed by a group of high school boys for the entirety of filming a pregame report.”

“I am here to change that,” she continued. “By sharing my own journey, I hope to encourage the young women of today to use their voices now. Whether it is through the school’s newspaper or creating a podcast, motivating women to capitalize on their young perspective despite what others might think of them is something I aim to do through my work.”

Kasey Thompson, Virginia 

Harrisonburg High School (adviser Valerie Kibler, MJE)

After reviewing the Virginia Student Journalist of the Year’s portfolio, one contest judge had a question for Kasey Thompson.

“When do you sleep?” wrote Christina Geabhart, MJE, of Missouri. “The editing, leadership and team building section was exceptional – your staff must feel super supported, well trained and meet their deadlines – how could they not with all the details seen to?”

Thompson is one of the editors of the converged HHSMedia program at Harrisonburg. In her letter of recommendation, classmate Clare Kirwin emphasized Thompson’s journalism qualifications, of course, but also told the story of how she made sure a student just coming back from online learning would have a friendly face to sit with when it was time for a pep rally.

“I looked up and saw Kasey waiting for me with a smile. Kasey was the first to make me feel at home … She never failed to make me feel like I had a purpose,” Kirwin wrote. “Every staff member on our team would have a similar story about Kasey. She is not only an incredibly talented writer, photographer and designer, but a strong leader.”

Adviser Val Kibler, MJE, praised Thompson’s calmness.

“She thrives in stressful situations. She takes the time to patiently teach (younger students) what they need to do to improve their writing,” Kibler wrote. 

In her personal narrative, Thompson emphasized a series of controversial stories she and the staff pursued, on “fight culture,” drug use and mental health.

“However, the gift of journalism — of storytelling — can have a profound impact if student journalists continue to take advantage of it,” Thompson wrote. “I believe our unique perspective is our power. We tell stories that adults may not even have thought of because we truly understand and can relate to who we are covering. We as student journalists are living the lives of teenagers. We know what it feels like, what issues are important and we often have the courage to tackle the issues that adults don’t want to admit are real.”

State 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 18 volunteers evaluated entries based on the 11 areas outlined on the competition rubric. Each candidate was nominated by a JEA member adviser.

Click on the links below to view each state winner’s portfolio.

ALABAMA: Tess Warren, Sparkman High School (adviser Erin Coggins, MJE)
CALIFORNIA: Delilah Brumer, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (adviser Adriana Chavira, MJE)
COLORADO: Katie Fisher, Grandview High School (adviser Matthew Varca)
FLORIDA: Julia Landy, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (adviser Melissa Falkowski, CJE)
GEORGIA: Disha Kumar, Northview High School (adviser Meredith Evans)
ILLINOIS: Caspar Dowdy, Edwardsville High School (adviser Amanda Thrun)
INDIANA: Chris Gloff, Crown Point High School (adviser Lisa Keene)
INTERNATIONAL: Grace Hamilton, The American School in London (adviser Louisa Avery, MJE)
IOWA: Krisha Kapoor, Iowa City West High School (adviser Sara Whittaker, CJE)
KANSAS: Alena Gillespie, Bishop Miege High School (adviser Sarah McCambridge)
KENTUCKY: Brooklyn Sauer, Bullitt East High School (adviser Larry Steinmetz, MJE)
LOUISIANA: Mabel Regalado-Hernandez, Mt. Carmel Academy (adviser Ryan Naquin)
MASSACHUSETTS: Ryan Martin, Franklin High School (adviser John Leighton)
MICHIGAN: Ridhima Kodali, Huron High School (adviser Sara Badalamente, CJE)
MINNESOTA: Mady Leick, Eastview High School (adviser Nicholas Fornicoia, CJE)
MISSISSIPPI: Winnie Wilson, Oxford High School (adviser Diala Chaney, CJE)
MISSOURI: Emilia Becolore, Kickapoo High School (adviser Leslie Orman)
MONTANA: Isabel Foley, Charles M. Russell High School (adviser Beth Britton, CJE)
NEBRASKA: Justin Diep, Omaha Bryan High School (adviser Gretchen Baijnauth)
NEW JERSEY: Henry Frieman, Communications High School (adviser Wayne Woolley)
NEW MEXICO: Keriana Gamboa, Centennial High School (adviser Alyssa Flores)
NEW YORK: Hanna Schiciano, The Masters School (adviser Ellen Cowhey)
NORTH CAROLINA: Daneen Khan, Green Level High School (adviser Joshua Kesterson)
OHIO: James Underwood, Upper Arlington High School (adviser Robin Mollica)
OREGON: Audrey Lippert, West Linn High School (adviser Glenn Krake, CJE)
PENNSYLVANIA: Evan Lu, Conestoga High School (adviser Laura Howard)
SOUTH CAROLINA: Nicole Breen, Wando High School (adviser Phillip Caston, CJE)
TENNESSEE: Sheerea Yu, University School of Nashville (adviser Justin Karpinos)
TEXAS: Haylie Stum, Bridgeland High School (adviser Alexis Prieto-Berkey)
VIRGINIA: Kasey Thompson, Harrisonburg High School (adviser Valerie Kibler, MJE)
WASHINGTON: Arushi Sharma, Inglemoor High School (adviser Joanna Little)
WASHINGTON D.C.: Ethan Wolin, Georgetown Day School (adviser Julia Fisher)
WEST VIRGINIA: Elizabeth Rhodes, Weir High School (adviser Morgan Bricker)
WISCONSIN: Kadjata Bah, Madison East High School (adviser April van Buren, MJE)
WYOMING: Gabriella Paterson, Powell High School (adviser:Amy Moore)

State winners were honored April 20 at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco. The JEA Journalist of the Year was named April 22 at the convention. Links to portfolios were active as of April 20 but are maintained by the winners.

Joe Humphrey

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