2023 High School Contest

Congratulations to the 2023 Julie Hoffman Memorial Best of the Best Award winner - Darshini Shankar, Rose Clark, Tsion Daniel and Jane Martens, HiLite Newsmagazine, Carmel, Indiana

FOR A LIST OF PREVIOUS JULIE HOFFMAN MEMORIAL BEST OF THE BEST AWARD WINNERS, CLICK HERE. 

PRESS RELEASE - 2023 HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST WINNERS

2023 NFPW National High School Communications Contest winners: 

Editorial

First place –Southwest Career & Technical Academy Editorial Board, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, Affirmative Action — If Ended, Then Mend It
Second place - Vivian Zhu, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Challenging the Court of Law
Third place – Justin Ha, Granite Bay High School, Granite Bay, California, GBHS Shouldn’t Remove Content From the English Curriculum
Honorable mention – Maggie Hoppel, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Indiana V. Education; Jaya Khullar, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, A Question for the Culture.

Opinion

First place – Isabella Xu, The Nueva School, Los Altos, California, Figure skating's expiration date;
Second place – Lizzy Sidman, Kaneland High School, Elburn, Illinois, The Reasons for Self-Defense Classes.
Third place – Anna Diorio, Inklings News, Westport, Connecticut, The damaging effects of: ‘I’m just teasing.’’
Honorable mentions – Maggie Hoppel, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Blood Money; Jack Baker, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Supreme Court should uphold affirmative action for college admits; Rhys Hals, Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Competitive culture breeds college elitism.

News Story

First place – Jessy Gone, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, Stay Positive Dawgs
Second place – Bailee Conway, Bellwood-Antis High School, Bellwood, Pennsylvania, Covid's lingering effects: Test scores fall with the rest of the nation, but improvements are in place
Third place – Bhakti Patel, Midway High School, Waco, Texas, Better ID Than Sorry
Honorable mentions – Ainsley Meyerson, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Memorial Soccer Game; Elise Fisher, Granite Bay High School, Granite Bay, California, Parents protest current English curriculum content at recent Site Council meeting.

Feature Story

First place – Audrey Marvin, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Student rises above behavioral struggles and redefines stereotypes
Second place – Joey Kauffman, The Haverford School, Haverford, Pennsylvania, Controversy swirls around fan section nickname
Third place – Vanessa Moreno, McHenry Community High School, McHenry, Illinois, At the center of ‘the drug triangle’
Honorable mentions – Katherine Heitmann, Sophie Henschel, Campbell Wood and Lyda Cosgrove, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas, The Experience and Evolution; Lyanne Wang and Melina Nath, Acalanes High School, Lafayette, California, Learning to Weather the Storm of Mental Illness; Kimberly MacDonald, Sparkman High School, Huntsville, Alabama, One Donor at a Time.

Sports Story

First place – Michael Messele, East Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte, North Carolina, Hohm swims his way to UNC commitment
Second place – Jacob Hawn, Bellwood-Antis High School, Bellwood, Pennsylvania, Referee shortage sweeps the state
Third place – Ivan Ijzerman, Grace Gormley, and Takumi Weimann, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, California: Taking a Gamble?
Honorable mentions – Talia Moskowiz, Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut, Report highlights impact of wealth inequality on state championships in Connecticut; Claire Steinbrook, Southport High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, Pep it up; Ally Seevers, Millard South High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Bye Bye Backflips; Ella McIntyre, Mav Media, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Varsity Volleyball Ends Season in State Finals; Kelly Liu and Shannon Moser, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Embodying Perfection; Kendall Cope, Sparkman High School, Huntsville, Alabama, Junior Triathlon Athlete Turns Champion.

Columns or Blogs

First place – Isabella Xu, The Nueva School, Los Altos, California, Must-read books from 2022
Second place – Karis Chen and Lydia Tong, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas, ‘She’s not going anywhere’
Third place – Audrey Poynter, Greenwood High School, Greenwood, Indiana, It's time to normalize getting help
Honorable mentions – Teagan Lynch, Millard North High School, Omaha, Nebraska,Twisted Reality; Greer McAllister, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Real Life; Kyla Davidson, Sparkman High School, Harvest, Alabama, Senior Talks Mental Health.

Review

First place – Hidaya Fatao, East Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte, North Carolina, Teens relate to HBO's Euphoria, not corrupted by it
Second place – Danielle Shumar, Ben Davis High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, Johnson has another hit on her hands
Third place – Kashvi Nagpal and Camden Wright, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Spooky Specials.”
Honorable mention – Evan Zimmerman, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Puppets on Broadway.

News or Feature Photo

First place –Riley Eck, Shawnee Mission East High School, Fairway, Kansas, Tireless Fun
Second place – Cayden Gu, Palo Alto Senior High School, Palo Alto, California, Spirit Week – Sophomore class dance
Third place – Chenyao Liu, Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana, Photo for story on stigma, perception of African-American Vernacular English

Sports Photo

First place – Kelly Montague, Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, They Can't Stop What They Can't Catch
Second place – Mason Smith, Auburn High School, Auburn, Alabama, Game Winning Touchdown in the Final Four
Third place – Cecilia Gerard, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Making Waves
Honorable mention – Amy Luttrell, Greenwood High School, Greenwood, Indiana, Fighting for the Ball; Tess Hubbard, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri, Turkey Day Game Nov. 24, 2022.

Cartooning

First place – Arcade Encarnacion, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, TRUMPCORE 2022
Second place – Cecilia Urbanski, Marian High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Proud to be an American
Third place – Aila Cashatt, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Carrying the Load.

Graphics/Photo Illustration

First place – Darshini Shankar, Rose Clark, Tsion Daniel, and Jane Martens, HiLite Newsmagazine, Carmel, Indiana, Do You Get Deja Vu?
Second place – Esther Chung, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, Cover for Lasting Legacies
Third place – Olivia Lake, Sparkman High School, Madison, Alabama, Serial Killers Should Not Be Admired
Honorable mention – Lacey Groover, Northern Lehigh High School, Slatington, Pennsylvania, The Words Come Flooding Back; Alexis Cobb, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, Black History Month Cover.

Single Page Layout

First place – Jennifer Huang and Kelly Liu, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Pencils Down
Second place – Lily Groover, Susan Gilsbach, and Avery Diaz, Northern Lehigh High School, Slatington, Pennsylvania, The Slate front page
Third place – Sydney Fuehringer-Rolles, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Bow Tie Boys
Honorable mention – Darshini Shankar, HiLite Newsmagazine, Carmel, Athlete Spotlight: Pole vaulter, junior Julia Dong steps into varsity, looks forward to track season; Adya Burdick, Shawnee Mission East High School, Overland Park, Kansas, All About the Music.

Double-truck Layout

First place – Bria Howard, Sparkman High School, Huntsville, Alabama, Creating Confidence
Second place – Timothy Bui, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Coaching Off-Court
Third place – Alexa Leiting, Millard South High School, Omaha, Nebraska, The Hubbub Surrounding Grub
Honorable mention – Chenyao Liu, Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana, "SOUR" Discography; Lily Daniel and Brooke Hudacek, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, Off the Slopes.

Environment

First place – Kaila Chun, Kylie Tzeng, and McKenna Rausch, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, The Place We Call Home
Second place – Anna Olp, Kaneland High School, Elburn, Illinois,  What climate change looks like in the midwest region
Third place – Madeline Phuong, Homestead High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana, The Reality of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Honorable mention – Cecelia Urbanski, Marian High School, Papillion, Nebraska, How far is too far? Resisting climate change; Steele Matthews and Gryffyn May, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Board Considers Solar Energy at Schools; Julia Barbati and Danielle Berdik, Shaler Area High School, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, Sustainability class helps preserve another green space; Nathen Going, Caesar Rodney High School, Camden, Delaware, Earth Day - Be Our Change; Rileigh Glassman, Sparkman High School, Harvest, Alabama, It Is Up To The People To Make Changes to the Environment; and Sama Lilo, Albuquerque School of Excellence, Albuquerque, New Mexico, "ICE STUPAS," Will it Help Mother Earth?

Radio or Podcast Prepared Report

First place -- Farhana Khan, Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, Delaware, Frozen at MPHS TCC
Second place – Carolina Cuadros, Carlmont High School, Belmont, California, Insulin Prices are on the Rise
Third place – Timmy VanEtten, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, Lunch Prices;
Honorable mention – Brody Heidemann, Gretna High School, Omaha, Nebraska, GHS NFL Playoff Predictions.

Radio/Television Interview or Talk Show

First place – Patrice St. Jean, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, Student Activists;
Second place – Max Coughlin, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Full Court Press
Third place -- Gemma Calabria, Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, Delaware, GSA TCC
Honorable mention – Sofia Reyes, Ally Williams, Madds Dittmer, Tyree Anthony, and  Spencer Smith, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland, California, The Town Talks Season 2 Episode 2 Rafael Casal; Marcela Aju Mejia, Stamford High School, Stamford, Connecticut,  Getting to know our Superintendent.

Best Newscast: Radio or Television

First place – Nevaeh Robinson and Carsyn Hobson, Bryant High School, Bryant, Arkansas, Hornet News Now Episode 2 2022
Second place – HSETV staff, Grace Ballard, Molly Kellum, Halle Guiden, Meghan Haws, Kenneth Kay, Luke Dodd, Joshua Coulon, Kaiden Corliss, Hamilton Southeastern High School, Fishers, Indiana, HSETV Royal Rundown
Third place – Umanga Ghimire and  Emily Jasa, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Warrior Television Broadcast Package
Honorable mentions – Finnegan Courtney, Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut, On The Wreckord - Episode 6; Brendan Smith, Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, Delaware, Tiger TV | October 10th, 2022; and The Phoenix Times,  Albuquerque School of Excellence, Albuquerque, New Mexico,  The Phoenix Times SY 22 23 Opening Broadcast.

Video News Story

First place – Ellie Lakatos and Travis McGinnis, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, ‘GIRLS IN TECH’ Promotes STEM Careers
Second place – Alexis Gleim and Alex Foster, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Classroom Changes
Third place – Chelsea Jensen and Carsyn Hobson, Bryant High School, Bryant, Arkansas, Financial Reality Fair
Honorable mentions – Aneesh Tiwari, Palo Alto Senior High School, Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto Renames Columbus Day Holiday; Azam Hostetler, Joseph A. Foran High School, Milford, Connecticut, Holocaust Survivor Interview; Jadyn Paul and  Maddie McGee, Millard North High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Extra Extra On Stage; Ethan Petro, Caesar Rodney High School, Camden, Delaware, World History Pumpkins.

Video Feature Story

First place – Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh and Joyce Huang, Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Haven on TikTok
Second place – Aubrey Griffin, Donna Unger and McKenzie Vitale, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Ms. Mechanic
Third place – Linda Lin, Carlmont High School, San Carlos, California, Street Fruit: Peeling back the layers to the street vendor phenomenon
Honorable mention – Lydia Bruckner, Millard South High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Ready, set, march!; Presley Hudson, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Mr. Orr as Santa; Lea Ryndak, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, Sewing; and Nadine Akumiah, Padua Academy, Wilmington, Delaware, First State Delaware.

Video Sports Story

First place – Nate Locker and Kalel Fargo, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, Bigger Than Basketball
Second place – Nikhil Behal, Max Bonnstetter, Emily Neumann, Nelda Kerr and Mario Capitelli, Palo Alto Senior High School, Palo Alto, California, Long Shot
Third place – Trace Downs and Carter Maksymovitch, Noblesville High School, Westfield, Indiana, "It's Video Games, Man..."
Honorable mention – Joe Vermillion and Umanga Ghimire, `Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska,  Kicker Tristan Alvano reflects on high school career and looks toward future; Cordie Burt, Auburn High School, Auburn, Alabama, Tiger TV | Auburn Football vs Thompson Preview; Liv Timp, Wylie Crews, Mason Heller, and Owen Backer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri, Kirkwood vs Lindbergh. Boys Varsity Basketball Game.

Yearbook Layout

First place – Brooklyn Lul, Lexington High School, Lexington, Nebraska, Created to Create
Second Place – Katie Word, Sparkman High School, Madison, Alabama, Go Big Red
Third place – Sophia Scarpaci, Archmere Academy, Wilmington, Delaware, Halloween Page
Honorable mention – Jessica Cabanting, Hermoigne Sarmiento and Alexa Rondez, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, Let's Get Loud Weekly: SEA-KING Out Sea Monkeys; Kaylee Ostrowski, Freedom Area High School, Freedom, Pennsylvania, Hands-on learning.

Yearbook Photo

First place – Josie Torres, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee, Kansas, No More Waiting
Second place – Erica Williams, Sparkman High School, Madison, Alabama, Tuesday Night Lights
Third place – Jesse Navarette, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Best Show on Turf
Honorable mention – Gabby Theis, Dorchester High School, Friend, Nebraska, Baylor making a chemistry mixture.

Yearbook Copywriting