Journalist of the Year

Prepare your entry for the Georgia Stilwell Dunn Ohio Journalist of the Year scholarship competition now!

Deadline to enter for this school year is February 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

Seniors: showcase your work and get recognized for your dedication to journalism!  Each year, Ohio names one student as the Ohio Student Journalist of the Year.  Recipients of the award receive a $1000 college scholarship; their portfolio also gets submitted to the JEA Student Journalist of the Year competition for the chance to win additional scholarship money.

Advisers: not sure how to instruct your students on the JOY portfolio submissions? Check out the online instructions to help you and your students prep for success. 

The Ohio winner will be formally recognized at the state convention awards banquet in April. However, because the deadline to submit for the national Journalist of the Year competition is in March, the Ohio JOY winner will be notified in late February.

Interested in competing? Start now!  Entrants need to create a digital portfolio of journalistic work with links to student work in the 9 categories outlined by JEA (reporting and writing; editing, leadership, and team building; web and social media; design; broadcast; photojournalism; law, ethics and news literacy; marketing and audience engagement; and commitment to diversity). For more direction, view the JEA Rubric and tips for polishing your portfolio.

Your official submission must include a link to your digital portfolio, plus the following items emailed as attachments. Please do not put personal information (such as student address) in the online portfolio.

• Official high school transcript or a counselor’s statement including journalism classes taken, grades and current GPA. Student should be a high school senior and should have an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

• Action photo of applicant involved in some aspect of student media, and an extended caption written for that photo. If there is more than one dominant subject in the photo, please use location of candidate (left, right, etc.).

• Three letters of recommendation from those who know the applicant well and understand the impact of the journalistic experience on the student’s life

• Personal résumé.

• Self-analytical essay: Students should write with passion and make an impact on the judges because this essay functions as the applicant’s one-on-one interview with the judges. Essay should not exceed two pages in length

Email submission material, including a link to the student online portfolio and the required attachments, to Julieanne McClain, JEA’s State Director, at [email protected].

For more information on how to enter, visit the JEA website.