{"id":623643,"date":"2025-11-15T14:07:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T20:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/?p=623643"},"modified":"2025-11-15T17:11:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T23:11:28","slug":"2025-story-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/2025-story-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Story of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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NSPA honors top scholastic reporting & feature writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Story of the Year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

News Story \u2022 Feature Story
Sports Story \u2022 Editorial\u00a0\u2022\u00a0Opinion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov. 15, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Scholastic Press Association salutes the winners of its 2025 Story of the Year competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSPA\u2019s Individual Awards are among the top prizes in scholastic media, and the awards are a showcase of journalistic excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners were announced during the JEA\/NSPA Fall National High School Media Convention, on Nov. 15, in Nashville.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2025 Fall Convention Awards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2025 Pacemakers<\/strong>
Broadcast<\/a>
Newspaper\/Newsmagazine\/ Specialty Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 Individual Awards<\/strong>
Broadcast Story of the Year<\/a>
Cartoon of the Year<\/a>
Design of the Year<\/a>
Digital Story of the Year<\/a>
Photo of the Year<\/a>
Story of the Year<\/a>
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion<\/a>
Fred Ross Systemic Change Student Journalism Competition<\/a>
Local Climate Change Reporting<\/a>
Portfolio of the Year<\/a>
Best Use of Social Media<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nashville Best of Show<\/strong>
Individual Recognition<\/a>
Staff Recognition<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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News Story <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
Phoebe Morris
The Free Press
Free State High School
Lawrence, Kansas
Medicaid Cuts Impact Local Family<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Serena Liu, Vedanti Patil
The Horizon
Westwood High School
Austin, Texas
House Explosion Creates Community Commotion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Tai Caputo, Lily Rantanen
The Little Hawk
Iowa City High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Targeted<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Kristie Min, Lennon Riedie
Featherduster
Westlake High School (TX)
Austin, Texas
Professional Learning Communities to be Removed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Caitlyn Concepcion
The Sidekick
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas
Board Approves Pinkerton Consolidation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Ember Klein
The Free Press
Free State High School
Lawrence, Kansas
Scaling Back Staffing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney Ortiz
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood, Texas
Mayor Prepares as Kingwood Worries About Hurricane Season<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allie Hauke
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio
Crossing the Line<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zaid Naqvi
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
The Future of Press Freedom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C.J. Getting
Central Times
Naperville Central High School
Naperville, Illinois
Confidential Student Information Released in District 203 Data Leak<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Feature Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
Wyatt Meyer
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia
After Apalachee<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Charlotte Wissel
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Brooklyn Adams<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Matthew Hofmann, Linyang Lee, Doan Nguyen, Hilton Sampson
ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
Women Among Men<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Lydia Cruce
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Starboy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Dominic Niyo
The Pinion
McKinley High School
Honolulu, Hawaii
Murder Case Breakthrough 50 Years Later<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Emlyn McKinney, Wyatt Meyer
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia
The Weight of the Scale<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Chen, Anna Wu
The Tide
Richard Montgomery High School
Rockville, Maryland
The 30-year<\/a> <\/a>Reign of Laura Goetz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Hofmann, Linyang Lee, Hilton Sampson
ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
The Lonely Generation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tara Behbehani
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom
Christina Adane Elevates Youth Movement Through Advocacy, Art<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madison Thacker
The Mirror
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
Julian Pankowski Unscripted<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sports Story <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
Sofia Ball, Grace Rau
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas
No Question<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Wyatt Meyer
Odyssey Media Group
Clarke Central High School
Athes, Georgia
CHS vs. Apalachee High School Varsity Football<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Siena Codekas
The Wildcat
Brea Olinda High School
Brea, California
Championship Seasons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Isabelle Leofanti
The Stampede
Metea Valley High School
Aurora, Illinois
Safety Concerns Rise as Turf Field Deteriorates<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Abby Chong, Lauren Pinheiro, Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla
The Spoke
Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Field Hockey Wins State Championship for First Time<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Ella Mohr
On the Record
duPont Manual High School
Louisville, Kentucky
What Are You Losing?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney Ortiz
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood, Texas
Pushing  Through Pain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoey Perrine, Brenna Severson
The Mix
Monarch High School
Louisville, Colorado
Fallen Blades<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie Yang, Chris Jeon
Verde
Palo Alto High School  Verde
Palo Alto, California
Gently Down the Stream<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amelia Berkowitz
Inklings News
Staples High School
Westport, Connecticut
Underhanded, Undeterred; Wolff Turns Setback Into Success<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Editorial <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
Staff
The Mirror
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
The Yondr Pouch Has Become LAUSD’s Million-Dollar Failure<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Staff
Theogony
Alexandria City High School
Alexandria, Virginia
ACPS Is Set to Initiate a New Policy of Censorship<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Staff
The Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas
There Is No Way to Put This Nicely: We Should Be Ashamed<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Celine Chien, Tessa Ellingson, Ameya Nori, Ben Siegel, Celeste Zucker
M-A Chronicle
Menlo-Atherton High School
Atherton, California
Mary Beth Thompson<\/a> <\/a>Is What the District Needs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Avni Bansal
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
More Than a Check<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Staff
Theogony
Alexandria City High School
Alexandria, Virginia
The Lamentable State of ACHS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violet Newton
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
Saint Charles, Missouri
It’s Time for a Change to Knight Time<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoey Perrine
The Mix
Monarch High School
Louisville, Colorado
Vote for the Planet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan Tai
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
Students Should Be Allowed to Vote in FUHSD Board Elections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff
The Campanile
Palo Alto High School  Campanile
Palo Alto, California
Pause Ethnic Studies Requirement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Opinion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
Lillian Gray
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
The Human Toll of Political Lies<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Rawya Hazin
The Edge
Pleasant Grove High School
Texarkana, Texas
The Art of Pretension<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Sage McCarthy
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Soundtrack of My Life<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Annabel Hall
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Sunrise, Sunset, Philadelphia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Jeffrey Heng
The Spoke
Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Jeff’s Gist: I Hate Men<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Wyatt Meyer
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia
Letter From the Editor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Rothstein
The Communicator
Community High School (MI)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
You Have a Voice in This Election, Use It<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Uribe Estrada
C Magazine
Palo Alto High School  C Magazine
Palo Alto, California
The Color Complex<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Feinberg
The Prospector
Prospect High School
Mount Prospect, Illinois
Cultivating Religious Identity<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Yi
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Inclusion Under Fire<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Creative Writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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First Place<\/strong>
River Jennison
Menagerie
Lyons Township High School 
La Grange, Illinois
Pressure<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Second Place<\/strong>
Alyssa Gao
Silent Voices
Woodward Academy 
College Park, Georgia
1. Are You Supposed to Be Here Rght Now? Mark One.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Place<\/strong>
Via Campbell
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School 
St. Paul, Minnesota
Chapter 11<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fourth Place<\/strong>
Samantha Iglesias
Pawprints
H.B. Plant High School 
Tampa, Florida
The Plight of Music<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fifth Place<\/strong>
Samantha Lyons
Odyssey
James Bowie High School 
Austin, Texas
A Painting of a Pink Fairy Armadillo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honorable Mention<\/strong>
Henry Slaughter
Pawprints
H.B. Plant High School 
Tampa, Florida
Vignettes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeighna Diaz
The Pinion
McKinley High School 
Honolulu, Hawaii
The Dinner Table<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aashna Kapur
The Tartan
McLean High School 
McLean, Virginia
How to Fall to Pieces, Artfully<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ava Zhang
The Tartan
McLean High School 
McLean, Virginia
Life Measured in Bites<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenny Chu
Vibrato
The Hockaday School 
Dallas, Texas
Animal Blues<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NSPA honors top scholastic reporting & feature writing Story of the Year News Story \u2022 Feature StorySports Story \u2022 Editorial\u00a0\u2022\u00a0Opinion Nov. 15, 2025 National Scholastic Press Association salutes the winners of its 2025 Story of the Year competition. NSPA\u2019s Individual Awards are among the top prizes in scholastic media, and the awards are a showcase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623643"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":624130,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623643\/revisions\/624130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}