JEA Names Cassreino 2023 National High School Broadcast Adviser of the Year

The Journalism Education Association has named Terry Cassreino, CJE, of St. Joseph Catholic School, Madison, Mississippi, its 2023 Broadcast Adviser of the Year.
JEA leadership surprised Cassreino with the announcement at St. Joseph Catholic School Monday, Aug. 28 during his Broadcast Journalism class.
The Broadcast Adviser of the Year Award honors outstanding high school advisers and their exemplary work from the previous year, as well as throughout their careers.
JEA also named Emily Jorgensen of Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri; and Jessica Roberts of Arlington (Tennessee) High School, as Distinguished Broadcast Advisers. Sandra Coyer, MJE, of Puyallup (Washington) High School, and Jeff Doles of Barrington (Illinois) High School, were named Special Recognition Broadcast Advisers.
Cassreino receives a $1,000 prize, and his school receives $500, which may be used to buy equipment for the broadcast classroom or to fund student scholarships for summer media workshops.
Jorgensen and Roberts’ schools also receive $500 for broadcast equipment or to fund student scholarships to summer workshops.
Broadcast Adviser of the Year
Terry Cassreino, CJE, began advising at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, Mississippi, in 2012 after working for more than two decades as a professional journalist.
“He inherited a newspaper that was mostly dormant and juvenile, and he turned it into a statewide powerhouse in short order,” Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Executive Director RJ Morgan, MJE, said. “He lobbied local businesses and media outlets to help him fund a new broadcast program. Since then, Bruin News Now has only grown in stature.”
Aside from a weekly newscast, the program now also includes student-run live streaming and radio commentary for all football, basketball and baseball games, as well as regular production of other additional podcasts and documentary projects.

St. Joseph Catholic School adviser Terry Cassreino, CJE, shows broadcast journalism students how to edit video using Final Cut Pro software.
“The resulting multilayered program is one of the deepest, most nuanced and enriching high school media outlets I have ever seen,” Morgan said. “I would argue there may not be a scholastic broadcast program in the country that serves its audience better or in more ways than Bruin News Now.”
Cassreino describes his newsroom as diverse with a mix of students from different backgrounds who work together as a team.
“I have always operated the same way I did at the news organizations where I worked before teaching: A successful news organization should be representative of the community it covers,” Cassreino said. “I go out of my way to recruit all students who are talented and have even a slight interest in writing and performing.”
Jack Clements, news director for Rebel Radio at University of Mississippi, is a former student of Cassreino’s. He said Cassreino not only ensured that his students had the technical skills to produce stories, newscasts, and podcasts, but also the real-life, newsroom skills of working under deadline, interviewing people, coming up with stories, and delegating pieces of a production.
“He runs his class like a legitimate newsroom,” Clements said. “Many of my classmates and I would joke that we were actually unpaid employees of a media outlet, rather than high school students taking an elective. This authentic newsroom experience with real deadlines and newsroom hierarchy truly set me up for success in this field. In his classroom, the students run the show, but he is always there for guidance, drawing on his own vast experience as a journalist.”
“When I came to Ole Miss and enrolled in Journalism 101 and 102 as a freshman, I coasted through them. While my college classmates were learning the inverted pyramid and how to frame a subject on camera, I was sitting in with Journalism 480 (a senior level class) producing Hotty Toddy News and working as a reporter for Rebel Radio because I came to college with a portfolio and a solid base of skills. Mr. Cassreino has a knack for finding students with journalistic potential and helping them achieve it.”
Cassreino has also made an impact on other students throughout the state. He has served on the MSPA Board of Advisors since 2014.
“He’s chaired a variety of committees for us, taught sessions and mentored younger advisers, and has been instrumental in helping shape much of the organization’s forward progress over the last decade,” Morgan said. “He’s a talented, hard-working adviser with intelligence and ambition who has drastically improved the career and educational opportunities for not only his students but countless others.”
Distinguished Broadcast Advisers
Emily Jorgensen began advising broadcast in 2018 at Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri, where she has taught journalism since 2001. A recurring theme in her recommendations letters is how she leads by example.
“One of Emily’s greatest strengths is her ability to inspire and motivate her students,” colleague Brittany Sharitz said. “She creates a positive and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to take risks and push themselves to be their best. Her students consistently produce high-quality broadcasts that showcase their talent and creativity, and they credit ‘Mrs. J’ for giving them the guidance and support they needed to succeed.”
“For a few years of my career, I thought Emily lucked into having some of the kindest, most generous students in the school; however, after spending a little time in her room, one quickly realizes that the kindness and generosity her students show is a reciprocation of how she treats them.”
Jorgensen’s students also recognize how she leads by example.
“When I was first named executive producer of Marquette High’s broadcast program, I was honestly more alarmed than excited,” student Cassie Sun said. But slowly, simply by sitting at Mrs. J’s desk, watching her interact with her students, I learned what a true leader looks like.”
“There is truly no other teacher more dedicated to her students than Mrs. J is,” Sun said. “I remember thinking that for the first time three years ago when the pandemic first hit. For students like myself who stayed at home during the school year, we had no access to broadcast equipment beyond our phones to continue producing stories. Mrs. J not only extensively prepared us to film with nothing but our phones, she left fully-charged camera and microphone sets on her porch for us to stop by and pick up, just so we could keep telling stories.”
Jessica Roberts has advised digital media at Arlington (Tennessee) High School since 2012.
“My greatest enjoyment as an educator is offering a safe space where students can creatively work hard fun a space, knowing failure can be an outcome, but not the final outcome, for a project,” Roberts said. “It’s especially rewarding when students feel empowered to take risks and achieve their goals without fear of failure, backlash, or not having the ability to improve from that failure.”
Others in the community have noticed how this approach affects the students possibly.
“Ms. Roberts inspires her students and instills in them the confidence and skills they need to succeed in their personal and professional lives,” Arlington Community Schools Superintendent said. “She encourages them to try new things in a low-risk environment, allowing them to fail and learn from their mistakes while exploring their interests further. This approach creates a positive and supportive classroom environment, where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and taking risks.
Jack Glenn took a class with Roberts to fulfill a mandatory fine arts credit for graduation. Despite describing himself as not much of a creative person or artsy, Roberts helped him find something he truly loves doing – live-streaming the sporting events.
“I was surprised when Ms Roberts named me one of the producers for the live-streams,” Roberts said. “I was actually extremely nervous to do it at first. She trusted me, however, and she pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
“Because of her trust and willingness to push me, producing and directing ended up being great passions of mine.I learned a lot just by doing… trial by fire, if you will. Learning by doing is such a unique opportunity. Talking through your mistakes and understanding how to correct them for the future was very valuable for our program.”
Special Recognition Broadcast Advisers
Sandra Coyer, MJE, has been advising broadcast at Puyallup (Washington) High School since 2014, where she also advises newspaper, online and yearbook.
Coyer has held many leadership roles for the Washington Journalism Education Association in various capacities for many years, and currently serves as critique chair. Additionally, she served as a JEA Partner Project broadcast instructor in 2022.
“As an adviser and as an educator, Sandra has one speed — go,” Oregon Scholastic Press Association President Michelle Balmeo said. “She’s a ball of energy and excitement, someone who uplifts and inspires those around her to do and be better.”
“I’ve been doing this job as long as Sandra has, and I’m constantly impressed by the her tireless pursuit of excellence, both for her students and herself. She makes an impact wherever she goes.”
Students in her program feel the same way.
“Mrs. Coyer never fails to make her classroom feel like a home,” Executive Producer Anju Wagner said. “She goes above and beyond any average teacher and actively creates meaningful bonds with each and every single person in her life.”
“She constantly strives for greatness and pushes us to do our best. But most importantly, is always there for us.”
Jeff Doles has advised at Barrington (Illinois) High School for the last two decades. Doles has National Board Certification in Career and Technology Education and recently earned his PhD in Educational Technology, Research and Assessment.
“Not only is Jeff an expert in his subject area, but he is also a wonderful human being,” Eanes Independent School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tom Leonard said. “Jeff has a great heart and has found a way to take his passion for video production and teaching to channel the student’s efforts to helping those in our community.”
Students in his program have raised several million dollars for various charities by creating videos for galas, kickstarter campaigns and web sites.
Doles sees the challenge of maintaining trust and credibility with audiences as one of the biggest issues in the industry.
“The rise of fake news, misinformation, and the increasing polarization of society have all contributed to a climate of distrust towards traditional news sources,” Doles said. “In addition, the pressure to maintain ratings or clicks can influence content along with ownership’s potential personal bias and influence. I believe journalism classes can educate the consumer on media literacy and how to critically evaluate the content that they consume.”
Louisa Avery, MJE, JEA awards chair