JEA names 8 Lifetime Achievement Award winners

The Journalism Education Association has named eight individuals Lifetime Achievement Award recipients for their significant contributions throughout their scholastic journalism careers. They will be honored at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle. The recipients are:
- Erinn Harris, MJE, Alexandria, Virginia
- Linda Jones, Chicago
- Greg Keller, Lincoln, Nebraska (posthumously)
- Mary Larson, Palatine, Illinois
- Tamra McCarthy, CJE, Modesto, California
- Jim McCrossen, Overland Park, Kansas
- Jed Palmer, CJE, Centennial, Colorado
- Esther Wojcicki, Palo Alto, California
Erinn Harris, MJE, Alexandria, Virginia
Erinn Harris, MJE, formerly advised at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. As Virginia’s state director (2017-2024) she worked to bring programming to the state’s journalists and their advisers, increase participation in the Journalist of the Year competition and worked to lobby the state lawmakers to consider supporting New Voices legislation.
JEA President Val Kibler, MJE, said she is most proud of Harris’s efforts to get New Voices legislation passed because she went above and beyond to teach her students to be
advocates for themselves.
“Along with blazing a trail in scholastic journalism on her own, she took the time to challenge those around her and push them to be better teachers, better thinkers, better people,” Kibler said. “I have nothing but respect for this woman and all that she has done for the world of scholastic journalism.”
Harris served on three JEA/NSPA Local Convention Committees. She judged publications and the Journalist of the Year contest, and, as JEA’s Awards Chair (2020-2023), Harris championed excellence in student journalism. Her accolades include the NSPA Pioneer Award (2020), Medal of Merit (2023), and CSPA/Dow Jones Journalism Teacher of the Year (2020).
“What I admire most about Erinn is her tremendous work ethic and the absolute passion she has for student media,” Virginia adviser Meghan Percival, MJE, said. “I am awed by her tirelessness and her absolute dedication to kids and to yearbooks, and by her example she pushed me to do more to serve others in the greater journalism community.”
Linda Jones, Chicago
After working as a journalist for 13 years, Linda Jones spent 35 years in academic life, first at Northwestern Medill School of Journalism and then at Roosevelt University. Jones is a founder of the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago and served as its executive director for 28 years.
Retired Illinois adviser John Gonczy said she routinely secured funding from the McCormick Foundation to support the annual high school media conference and media competition sponsored by SPAC.
“Linda worked tirelessly to empower high school journalism teachers and media advisers in the city to develop and sustain strong programs to benefit our students,” Gonczy said.
Jones now serves as the executive director of the Illinois Journalism Education Association. IJEA board member Dave Porreca said Jones helped the organization find a new home at the headquarters of the Illinois Press Foundation and steered the organization through the pandemic.
“Through it all, she has overseen an infusion of new and younger members into our organization, including as board members,” Porreca said. “We are now stronger than we have ever been in the three decades that I’ve been a part of IJEA.”
Illinois adviser Lauren Teeter said that Jones’s love for journalism is infectious, and her commitment to its growth and preservation is tireless.
“Linda has a unique ability to ignite a spark in others, encouraging them to learn more, do more and achieve more within the realm of journalism,” Teeter said. “Her impact is profound and far-reaching, and her legacy is one that will endure for generations to come.”
Greg Keller, Lincoln, Nebraska
Greg Keller was a journalism adviser at Lincoln (Nebraska) High School for 30 years.
Retired journalism adviser Jane Holt described Lincoln High as the city’s oldest high school, a vibrant microcosm of the larger world, a place where over 30 languages are spoken.
“Greg embraced the richness of that space and the students who filled it,” Holt said. “A champion for students’ voices, Greg Keller met those students where they were and worked side by side with them to nudge them further and help make their voices heard.”
Holt said Keller helped the district journalism colleagues in many ways, from sharing technology hacks to modeling how to access outside sources and professional support.
“When Greg retired, our local student-journalism world hiccupped, to be sure, but because of the deep roots he’d planted and the seeds of wisdom he’d shared with the rest of us, our district’s high school journalism programs continue to thrive,” Holt said.
Nebraska adviser Brandi Benson, CJE, said she reached out to Keller more than anyone as a new adviser.
“Greg was always looking for ways to incorporate journalism into his work or inspire others to see the value in storytelling, and he always wanted the story to be better – whether that meant the actual writing of the story or how the story was produced,” Benson said. “He took on an adjunct position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to help future journalism teachers. Telling stories and writing history has always been part of Greg’s life.”
Greg Keller passed away on Dec. 21, 2024. His obituary is available here. This award is given posthumously in his honor.
Mary Larson, Palatine, Illinois
Mary Larson advised the Guardian newspaper at Elk Grove High School for two non-consecutive terms (1985-2007 and 2015-2018).
Current Guardian adviser Kevin Modelski said Larson is one of the hardest-working teachers he knows, who always goes out of her way to support students and teachers.
“When it comes to her personal character, there is nobody on the same level as Mary,” Modelski said. “When Mary stepped aside from advising in 2018 and handed the program over to me, she
mentored me through the highs and lows of advising. Also, although she’s been retired since 2023, she even came back to teach my journalism classes this fall while I was on paternity leave. She is that passionate about our students.”
Illinois adviser Jason Block, CJE, said Larson had to work with numerous administrators over the years, and some didn’t respect or understand what happens in a model high school journalism program.
“What makes Mary’s infectious energy and enthusiasm for scholastic journalism even more impressive was that she maintained it despite sharing her gifts in an incredibly challenging work environment,” Block said. “Mary had to advocate for her students’ rights countless times and had to battle an overall lack of support for scholastic journalism to keep her program not only afloat, but thriving.
Larson served on the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association board, helping plan the spring conference. She also served on the local committee when the JEA/NSPA convention was held in Chicago. She continues to present at NISPA conferences even in retirement.
Tamra McCarthy, CJE, Modesto, California
Tamra McCarthy, CJE, has advised the Wingspan yearbook at James Enochs High School since the school opened in 2006.
Retired California adviser Mitch Ziegler, CJE, said McCarthy is what baseball scouts call a five-tool player.
“She is an expert in design, photography, concept, coverage and writing,” Ziegler said. “She enabled her students to produce stunning design, and they did it the right way, by finding inspiration through great graphics, with meticulous attention to detail.”
For six years, McCarthy created and edited a quarterly newspaper for the Modesto Teachers Association. She has served on three local committees for JEA/NSPA conventions in San Francisco (2013, 2018 and 2023). She’s been on the JEA North California board and has been a popular speaker at JEA/NSPA and CSPA conventions for decades.
Whitney High School adviser Sarah Nichols, MJE, first met McCarthy at a Starbucks almost 20 years ago to discuss yearbook, and they quickly went from strangers to close friends.
“She’s a lifelong learner, passionate advocate for student expression and gifted educator,” Nichols said. “Tamra has consistently demonstrated her passion for journalism education through service, involvement and personal relationships from coast to coast.”
She was named a JEA Rising Star in 2011, JEA Distinguished Yearbook Adviser in 2013 and California League of High Schools Teacher of the Year in 2016. In 2022, she received both JEA’s Medal of Merit and NSPA’s Pioneer Award and was recognized as a Distinguished Adviser in CSPA’s 2023 National HS Journalism Teacher of the Year competition.
Jim McCrossen, Overland Park, Kansas
Jim McCrossen advises publications and teaches journalism in the Blue Valley School District in suburban Kansas City where he has worked since 1991.
Kansas adviser Michelle Huss, CJE, said McCrossen’s genuine willingness to share his expertise as the head of their district’s PLC made him an indispensable resource.
“What sets Jim apart is the remarkable rapport he cultivates with his students,” Huss said. “He exemplifies what it means to be a transformative educator — one who not only teaches the principles of journalism but also instills in students a lasting passion for storytelling, critical thinking and ethical reporting.”
McCrossen served as Kansas Scholastic Press Association president twice, navigating the resignation of several board officers and a change in executive director. During that transition, McCrossen also served as the interim director of the Jayhawk Media Workshop. He will return as interim director of JMW this summer, once again helping KSPA navigate the transition to another new director.
“He has had a huge impact on so many advisers and students from the Kansas City area and beyond,” Kansas adviser Amy Morgan, MJE, said. “I know that I am a better teacher and human for the time spent in his company.”
Kansas adviser Kathy Habiger, MJE, said McCrossen’s humble, calm and kind personality makes him stand out in advising circles.
“Jim is a gentleman,” Habiger said. “Jim is an exceptional teacher. Jim is a good human being.”
Jed Palmer, CJE, Centennial, Colorado
Jed Palmer, CJE, spent 22 years teaching middle school student journalism at Sierra Middle School and Ranch View Middle School. Palmer was the 2013 Colorado Adviser of the Year, a 2013 Distinguished Yearbook Adviser and a 2023 Medal of Merit winner. He is now the Colorado Student Media Association executive director.
“Jed is responsive to the needs of advisers and students and quickly develops action plans and resources when needed,” Colorado state director Jessica Hunziker, MJE, said. “I’ve already noticed a change in the state organization due to Jed’s leadership and strong roots in advising.”
Colorado adviser Annie Gorenstein-Falkenberg, CJE, said Palmer helps middle school advisers build their programs and advocate for their students to have access to the tools they need to produce content.
“Middle school journalism is thriving in Colorado, and it is a direct result of Jed Palmer’s fierce advocacy for us all to see the importance and value of giving young people the platform they need to tell the stories of their community,” Gorenstein-Falkenberg said.
He teaches at yearbook camps and workshops and frequently presents at the JEA/NSPA conventions. New York adviser Michael Simons teaches a pre-convention workshop with Palmer.
“Jed Palmer was a gift and inspiration to his middle school student journalists and every audience lucky enough to have him as an instructor when he was in the classroom, and his active support of scholastic journalism shows no signs of slowing,” Simons said. “He is a perfect blend of kind, generous, knowledgeable and witty, enriching every classroom, camp, critique or convention to which he contributes.”
Esther Wojcicki, Palo Alto, California
Esther Wojcicki taught journalism at Palo Alto High School in California from 1984 to 2020, founding the Paly journalism program.
Adviser Paul Kandell taught with Wojcicki for 20 years at Palo Alto High School.
“I can attest firsthand to the transformative impact she has had on students, colleagues and the field of journalism education as a whole,” Kandell said. “As a global ambassador for scholastic journalism, she has made the promotion of scholastic journalism her life’s work and has succeeded on a scale few of us can imagine.”
Wojcicki was the 1990 Northern California Journalism Teacher of the Year and was selected as the California Teacher of the Year in 2002 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In 2009, she was awarded the Gold Key by Columbia Scholastic Press Association. In 2015, Wojcicki co-founded the Journalistic Learning Initiative with Dr. Ed Madison at the University of Oregon School of Communications and School of Education.
In her best-selling books, “Moonshots in Education: Launching Blended Learning in the Classroom” and “How To Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons to Help Your Child Become Self-Driven, Respectful, and Resilient,” she explains her teaching and parenting philosophy: TRICK, standing for Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration and Kindness.
“Esther’s approach has always been that journalism students should be the center of everything happening, and that they should make the decisions about every aspect of their publications,” said retired Palo Alto adviser Ellen Austin. “Esther encouraged her students — and by extension us, as her colleagues — to go after great stories and not be afraid to ask questions.”