A Friend to Scholastic Journalism: Dan Sidwell Wins JEA Future Administrator Scholarship

Congratulations to adviser Dan Sidwell, from Freedom High School in Tampa, Florida. He was recently awarded the Future Administrator Scholarship from JEA. Sidwell is already an outstanding yearbook adviser and will continue to be a friend to scholastic journalism when he moves on to an administrative role. 

Where He Came From

Sidwell is in his eighth year of advising yearbook, newspaper, and teaching Journalism 1 at Freedom High School. He’s left his mark in the scholastic journalism world. 

Sidwell was named a JEA Rising Star in 2019. He was featured in season 3, episode 10 of the Yearbook Chat with Jim podcast. Sidwell’s staff was featured in a blog post about overcoming challenges when COVID was new.  They also did a Snapchat takeover with Walsworth in 2019. Sidwell’s editors-in-chiefs were featured in the Fall 2019 issue of Idea File magazine. 

Where He’s Going

JEA’s Administrator Scholarship awards $1,500 to advisers who intend to earn a secondary administrator’s license and move to an administrative role. 

In writing a recommendation for Sidwell, Mike Taylor, CJE, noted that it will be a loss to the classroom when Sidwell moves on. Taylor wrote that Sidwell’s ability to listen makes him an excellent journalism teacher and will make him an excellent administrator. 

“It’s always good when an admin is a friend to scholastic journalism. Students work hard to create their yearbooks. Advisers put in a lot of hours. Having people like Dan in admin roles helps them,” Taylor said. 

What’s Next

Sidwell’s latest achievement is a testament to his dedication and excellence as a scholastic journalism adviser. His ability to listen and engage with students and fellow educators has earned him a well-deserved reputation in the field. As he moves on to an administrative role, we believe Sidwell will continue to be a friend to scholastic journalism, supporting and advocating for the critical role of student journalists and advisers in shaping the future of journalism. Congratulations to Dan Sidwell on his well-deserved recognition and best of luck in his future endeavors!