The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) has named 33 students from five Shawnee Mission high schools as finalists in the 2023 Individual Awards Competition.
Out of the 440 national finalists, the Shawnee Mission journalism team claimed nearly 10% of the awards presented.
Additionally, Amy Morgan, SM West journalism advisor was awarded the Journalism Education Association (JEA) Medal of Merit this year for her 20 years of service to the program through teaching and advising students all over the country during workshops.
Shawnee Mission student journalists will be attending a conference in Boston at the beginning of November, where the category yearly winners will be announced.
These recognitions are a great way for Shawnee Mission journalists to challenge themselves to do better, which ultimately results in even stronger publications, Morgan expressed.
“I think it is good for kids to be able to see what they are doing in a bigger sense, and participating in national conferences and contests helps them understand the impact of what they are doing,” Morgan added.
After hearing of the honor, SM South senior Ren Park reflected on how much teammates and design editors helped support publication success. “Working together is always great, it's important to work with your fellow staff members and make friends,” Park added.
Along with individual recognitions, two Pacemakers, the highest honor in student journalism, were given to the Shawnee Mission East Harbinger and the Shawnee Mission Northwest Passage.
“I was so excited when I found out that I was a finalist for NSPA but I was also in shock because I didn’t think anyone read the paper, I was only really writing it for myself. When I found out I could actually win an award I was so surprised,” Northwest Opinion Story of the Year finalist Sofia Ball said.
Below is a list of all finalists and categories placed in.
Multimedia Digital Story of the Year: Katie Murphy, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Interactive graphic: Aanya Bansal and Maggie Kissick, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Reporting: Greyson Imm, Shawnee Mission East High School. Alex Young, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
Portfolio of the Year Photojournalist: Macy Crosser, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Portfolio of the Year Writer: Katie Murphy, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Cartoon of the Year Comic Strip/Panel: Caroline Daniels, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Photo of the Year News Photo: Maggie Wells, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Photo of the Year Feature Photo: Kylie Chaplin, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Photo of the year Sports Feature: Teryn DeBey, Shawnee Mission North High School. Macy Crosser, Eva Berkley, and Maggie Wells, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Best use of Social Media Reporting: Mia Vogel, Paige Zadoo, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Best use of Social Media Promotion: Mia Vogel, Paige Zadoo, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Best Design of the Year Newspaper Front Page: Peyton Moore, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Best Design of the Year Newspaper Page/Spread: Francesca Stamati, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Best Design of the Year Newsmagazine Page/Spread: Maya Copaken, Noel Mohamed, and Ren Park Shawnee Mission South High School.
Best Design of the Year Theme Package: Laurel Hansen and Rylie Peterson, Shawnee Mission North High School. Marissa Buffon, Katie Burke, Brody Carlson, Danie Eaves, and Sydney Jackson Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
Best Design of the Year Informal Graphic: Laurel Hansen, Shawnee Mission North High School.
Best Design of the Year Yearbook Spread: Payton Cook and Laurel Hansen, Shawnee Mission North High School. Francie Garrison and Ella Yun, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Story of the Year Feature: Lily Coash-Johnson, Shawnee Mission West High School. Katie Murphy, Shawnee Mission East High School. Grace Logan, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
Story of the Year Editorial: Katie Murphy, Shawnee Mission East High School.
Story of the Year Opinion: Gage Chapman, Shawnee Mission North High School. Larkin Brundige and Katie Murphy, Shawnee Mission East High School. Sofia Ball, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.