Arnold, Staub named Rising Stars by JEA

Overland Park, Kan. (Jan. 27, 2015) – Emily Arnold, CJE, from Haltom High School in Haltom City, Texas; and Allie Staub from Westfield Middle School in Westfield, Ind. – both Walsworth Yearbooks customers – were among those chosen as 2015 recipients of the Rising Star Award from the Journalism Education Association (JEA).

Arnold is in her fifth year as the yearbook adviser and journalism teacher at Haltom, where she has helped the Buffalo yearbook program expand its coverage, adopt a more journalistic style and get more creative in its sales and marketing efforts.

Staub advises The Scrapbook yearbook at Westfield, where she also teaches art. In her four years as the adviser, the Westfield staff has earned numerous national awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).

“Journalism teachers and student media advisers work behind the scenes, and this recognition from JEA is a nice reminder to them, their colleagues, their students, their administration and their community that good things are happening because of the talents, ambition and work ethic of this educator,” said Mark Newton, JEA president.

Each year, JEA recognizes advisers with up to five years of experience who show promise as up-and-coming advisers. Nominations for the Rising Star Award can come from scholastic press associations, publishing companies, fellow teachers, students and parents. This year the JEA recognized 11 advisers:

• Lindsay Benedict, McLean (Va.) High School
• Claire Burke, CJE, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Md.
• Erin Castellano, Clayton (Mo.) High School
• William Caulton, Avon (Ind.) High School
• Annie Gorenstein-Falkenberg, CJE, Arvada (Colo.) West High School
• Stephen Hanf, R.J. Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem N.C.
• Matthew LaPorte, CJE, Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas
• Emily Arnold, CJE, Haltom High School, Haltom City, Texas
• Kristen Scott, Kealing Middle School, Austin, Texas
• Allie Staub, Westfield (Ind.) Middle School
• Suzi Van Steenbergen, CJE, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad, Calif.

Each Rising Star winner will be presented with a plaque during the adviser awards luncheon at the upcoming JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention, April 18, in Denver.