Journalism Students Win Awards in Nashville

Kent Denver’s journalism program had an amazing showing at the National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville last week. Nineteen KDS students attended the multi-day convention, which drew over 5,000 attendees. Of those attendees, 1,668 students competed in various contests, earning more than 650 awards—seven of which were awarded to Kent Denver students.

“Attending the convention has been something I wanted to do for months now. I am really passionate about journalism, and the opportunity to learn from others in this community was extraordinarily appealing,” said Anna ’28, who cultivated her passion for journalism as one of the founding members of the middle school newspaper, The Scoop, before joining The Advocate in Upper School. “The experience was even more productive than I had imagined—I came away inspired by my seminars and motivated to create change to improve our own publication.”

Read below for a full list of student awards, along with additional reflections from student attendees.

Student Awards

Superior
Max ’26: Editorial Writing

Excellent
Tatum ’28: News Editing/Headline/Current Events

Honorable Mention
Jacob ’28: Press Law and Ethics
Eve-Marie ’27: Commentary Writing
Taylor ’27: Sports Writing
Anna ’28: Review Writing
Duncan ’26: Graphic Design: Illustration

Student Reflections

“I attended the National High School Journalism Convention because I love to learn, and I love journalism, so it seemed like a natural fit. I attended it once before, last year, and received an honorable mention, but was not successful in the competition this time around. The conference is exciting for me, as a student and journalism enthusiast, because it truly is an opportunity for learning for the sake of learning. I wasn't being graded (outside of the competition), I just got to enjoy lectures and performances from experts in the field. The classes I attended this year solidified the concept that storytelling and journalism are synonymous. I also heard a lot about how, regardless of my age, I can contribute to the industry in some way right now, and my work will matter, which is something that is really exciting to hear as a young person, as it is usually the case that we just have to wait our turn. My favorite seminar was actually a bit unconventional; I attended a songwriting class called "Live from Nashville." I am not a songwriter, but I was curious, and it turned out to be a very rewarding experience. The musicians discussed how songs and journalism are actually quite similar, as they both serve as a means of storytelling. I was surprised at how similar the songwriting process is to writing; it's unpredictable, but also extremely rewarding when you look at a finished product that you've created."
—Kendall ’27

“At the convention, I participated in fascinating sessions on topics like leadership training, success in college newsrooms, and narrative storytelling. It was especially neat to hear from local Nashville journalists, who coached us on article angles and conducting in-depth interviews. I was very excited and proud to receive an award in Editorial Writing! It was motivating to be amongst so many other aspiring journalists and gain skills that I can take back to Kent and The Sun Devils' Advocate.”
—Max ’26

“I attended the National High School Journalism Convention to improve my writing skills for The Advocate. This year, I am in the first year of the new English 10 Journalism class, and as a result, I have become more invested in The Advocate than I may have been before. It has pushed me to become a better journalist. So, when the opportunity to attend this national conference and learn from both professionals in the field and from other schools with similar experiences arose, I took it. The experience was incredible; being with 5,000 other students who share the same passion for reporting the news and growing their skills as journalists is excellent. I attended several seminars on a wide range of topics in Journalism, from how we can use Generative AI in writing to how to be a good leader; there was so much to take away from the conference. As part of the conference, there were competitions that we all participated in. Mine was an exam on Press Law and Ethics. I had studied diligently in the weeks leading up to it, and so receiving an honorable mention (the top 10 students received such an award) felt good, as it showed that my effort had paid off. However, for the conference as a whole, although it was primarily about personal growth, I was there with my team, and we were able to bond with each other. I also had the opportunity to get to know some of the other team members better during the trip. The Advocate program is excellent because we can work together to write, design, and publish the news, and report and share it with the community. Each of us has a unique and vital role, and together we can create something incredible.”
—Jacob ’28

“Being a member of Kent Denver's journalism team feels like being a part of a curious community always eager to learn more about our student and faculty achievements. We push each other to tell stories that are truly representative of our special school.”
—Daisy ’26

“I wanted to attend the convention to gain the opportunity to learn more about journalism, so I could grow as a writer. I also wanted to attend because it was a great opportunity to compete as a sports writer at a national level. It was a really cool and eye-opening experience because I had the opportunity to learn how to become a better writer and leader through the seminars I attended. On top of that, it was cool to do the contest because it was challenging to write an article in under an hour, but it was really fun. It was a really rewarding feeling to win an award because it made me feel like the hard work I've done for The Advocate has paid off. It was especially cool that I won the award at a national convention.”
—Taylor ’27

“I wanted to attend the JEA/NSPA Conference in Nashville because I was excited to meet other high school sports photographers from around the country and see their different styles and ideas. Being able to choose my own seminars, mostly focused on sports photography and leadership, was really helpful for me as the new head of photography for the Kent Denver Sports Network. It has given me inspiration for how I want to be a leader for KDSN next year, and what I can do to improve my photography for next year! I love being in KDSN, capturing important moments from Kent’s games and meets, and getting to see them on the KDSN Social Media. The trip was a great chance for me to grow as a photographer while also getting to know new people and connecting more with the Kent group.”
—Sophie ’27

“I wanted to attend the convention because next year, I am looking for a higher leadership role in The Advocate, and I knew that attending this conference and the seminars would grow my leadership and writing skills. The experience was amazing, I was able to attend many seminars and get great notes from them, and I was able to get to know people in The Advocate, as well as KDSN, that I wouldn't ordinarily talk to much. It's a great experience being a part of the journalism team at Kent. It is a community outside of classes that allows you to meet other people at the school and really figure out if journalism is right for you. The community is also very supportive, and you can get help with just about anything if you need advice or are not sure what to write about. Starting The Scoop in middle school was definitely the start of my interest in journalism. I had randomly joined an elective that one of my best friends was in, and that turned into being something that I love and will definitely continue throughout high school and possibly into college, as well.”
—Tatum ’28

“I always love going on school trips like this, as it is a way to not just learn more about the subject matter, but also to connect with those who have the same interests as you. It was a great experience with plenty of great seminars over the span of Friday and Saturday, and tons of free time to be around everyone. I was surprised to learn that I earned an award, as I had thought I didn't do my best work on the submission; however, upon receiving the news, I felt both confident in my own abilities and determined to do even better in the future. Being a part of The Advocate in general is a great experience, mostly because of the connections you make. While it is nice to see something that you create being put out in the world, it's even better to know that you worked together with many other people to make it happen.”
—Duncan ’26

"I wanted to attend the National High School Journalism Convention because I wanted to learn more about journalism from a broader community of experienced journalists so that I could further develop my writing. The experience was eye-opening. We were free to attend any seminars we desired and do as we pleased in our free time, which helped develop my independence. Being part of a journalism team makes me feel very accomplished because every month we create an issue that we all worked together to create, and we produce something different every time. This experience is different from being a part of a sports team because it enhances my creativity and covers news in our community."
—Addison '28