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2009 WINNERS

NINA President Pete Nenni of the Daily Herald presents the first-place award
to Emily Busse of Prospect High School.

High school journalists
earn scholarships

NINA honored five talented student journalists this spring in its 12th annual Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year Scholarship competition.

A total of $1,400 in scholarships was awarded, including $1,200 from NINA and $200 from The Daily Herald.

NINA also received a $100 contribution to this year’s scholarship fund from an anonymous donor.

NINA established the scholarship competition in 1997 to recognize outstanding achievement by high school students in the field of print journalism. In recent years, the competition has been expanded to include students involved in online journalism. Scholarships are presented to high school seniors who demonstrate the standards of honesty, integrity, attention to detail, hard work creatively and an understanding and commitment to quality community journalism.

NINA judges selected this year’s winners from a field of 30 applicants.

“Even with all of the changes now taking place in our industry, it’s very gratifying to see so many talented students interested in pursing a career in journalism. It’s a very positive sign for the future,” said John Etheredge, NINA scholarship coordinator.

And as in previous years, NINA judges found it difficult to choose the winners, Etheredge said.

“We’ve held the scholarship competition now for 12 years and each year the judges have enjoyed reading through all of the portfolios, but it’s always been a real challenge selecting the winners,” he said. “Many of the applicants are already producing professional-quality newspapers and articles. This year’s field of applicants was no different. We look forward to the day when we see these aspiring journalists working in our newsrooms.”

NINA and its member newspapers have awarded $16,400 in scholarships since starting the scholarship competition in 1997.

The scholarship committee extend its thanks to the NINA Board and the Northern Illinois University’s Department of Communication staff for their continued support and assistance with the program.

First place

Emily Busse

Prospect High School
Mt. Prospect

‘A gift for writing, storytelling’

In selecting Emily Busse as the 2009 Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year, NINA judges took note of her outstanding work as a reporter and editor for her student newspaper, The Prospector, and as a contributing news writer for The Daily Herald.

NINA judges were especially impressed with the versatility Busse showed in writing professional-quality editorials, columns, news articles and features.

NINA judges also took note of recommendations from staff and administrators at Prospect High School that were included in Busse’s portfolio.

Jason Block, Busse’s faculty adviser at The Prospector, wrote: “Emily has a gift for writing, and more specifically, for storytelling that leaves her readers looking forward to her next article. In my five years advising our publication, I have never had a staff member who has had such a loyal following of readers. …Without hyperbole, Emily is one of the finest writers and journalists I have had the pleasure of teaching.”

Kurt Laasko, Prospect principal, noted he has been interviewed several times by Busse and was impressed with her commitment to finding the truth.

“Her attention to detail and her concern for accuracy lead her to produce lucid pieces that never fail to illuminate the topics she explores,” Laasko wrote. “Indeed, you would be hard press to find a more competent or accomplished high school journalist.”

Previous honors won by Busse include a blue ribbon award for column writing from the Northern Illinois School Press Association; a first place award for column writing from the Illinois Women’s Press Association High School Journalism Contest; a blue ribbon award for feature writing from the Northern Illinois School Press Association, and a superior rating in a write-off contest held at the Journalism Educator Association’s annual national convention.

Busse plans to continue in her journalism education at the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism/Honors Program.

Busse received a $600 scholarship from NINA and $150 from The Daily Herald.

Second place

Maya Kosover

Evanston Township High School
Evanston

‘Her efforts are vital’

Kosover was selected for a second place award on the strength of her work as a staff member and editor for her school’s award-winning student newspaper, The Evanstonian.

NINA judges took note of Kosover’s work as a sports reporter and editorial writer.

In his letter of recommendation, Kosover’s adviser at The Evanstonian, Rodney Lowe, described her as a natural leader who immediately took charge in both his honors journalism class and while working on the paper.

Lowe noted, “Maya is involved in all aspects of newspaper production, including writing the covenant editorial that is read with particular interest by the superintendent as well as members of the school board. … Simply put: Her efforts are vital to what has now become a tradition—the success of the Evanstonian newspaper."

In her autobiographical essay, Kosover recalled how her mother forced her to take journalism as a sophomore.

“I complained, I begged, I nagged—anything to get me out of that class; I thought how boring it would be to writing for a newspaper,” she recalled. “My opinion quickly changed only after being in the class a couple of weeks.”

Kosover now eyes a career in the field. She wrote: “There is no doubt that I will become a journalist. As of now, I’m having trouble deciding whether I will focus on sports coverage or editorial writing. I would have no problem writing for a local newspaper or school newspaper, covering sports in the area. … Eventually, I want to be the one that controls what my publication produces.”

Kosover received a $400 scholarship from NINA.

Third place

Allison Mooney

Neuqua Valley High School
Naperville

A ‘complex, penetrating’ writer

NINA judges selected Mooney for a scholarship based on her work as an editor for Neuqua Valley’s student newspaper, The Echo, and as a teen columnist for a community newspaper, Positively Naperville.

NINA judges also took note that Mooney won “Best Print Journalist” and “Grace Under Pressure” awards at a University of Missouri Journalism School workshop last year.

In a letter of recommendation, Mike Rossi, an advanced placement English teacher at Neuqua, described Mooney as a rare student “who views education not as a means to an end, but an end itself.”

“As a writer, she is complex, penetrating, and incisive, consistently matching the profundity of her prose with an elegance of expression,” Rossi wrote. “It is easy to recognize that Allie is in love with words—not their mechanical or florid employment, but the art of selection and assembly.”

In her autobiographical essay, Mooney described the written word as “one of the most powerful things on this planet.”

She also wrote: “The field of journalism is facing new and powerful challenges. Finding new and creative ways to connect with people and tell a compelling story to improve understanding is crucial and I look forward to my career in journalism to do just that.”

Mooney has been accepted to attend the University of Missouri and Syracuse University. Her career goal is go work for a major newspaper or network.

Mooney received a $200 scholarship from NINA and $50 from The Daily Herald.

Honorable mentions

Corinne Chin, Glenbrook South High School, Glenview

Chin was honored for her work as editor-in-chief of The Oracle, the award-winning student newspaper at Glenbrook South High School. Judges took note of both the high quality of the paper and Chin’s work as a reporter and editor.

Jamie Sloan, Evanston Township High School, Evanston

Sloan was selected for an honorable mention based in large part for her work as an executive editor for The Evanstonian. Judges were especially impressed with editorials she wrote with her co-editor concerning two student dances at the school that are separated by race and wealth. She plans to become either a journalist or an educator.