<![CDATA[Southern California JEA - News]]>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:32:55 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[SoCal JEA, LA Times High School Insider to Host J-Day 2026 at CSU Northridge.]]>Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:16:16 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/socal-jea-la-times-high-school-insider-to-host-j-day-2026-at-csu-northridge SoCal JEA has partnered with L.A. Times High School Insider and CSUN Journalism Department on bringing back J-Day, the annual youth journalism conference at CSU Northridge, on Saturday, Nov. 8. News professionals will lead workshops, students can test their skills in media contests and small groups will meet for roundtable chats with reporters. Registration closes Friday, Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. Seating is limited so please register here ASAP! 
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]]><![CDATA[Los Al's Bella Kim is Runner-Up for CA Journalist of the Year]]>Thu, 22 May 2025 01:12:50 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/los-als-bella-kim-is-runner-up-for-ca-journalist-of-the-year
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Bella Kim of Los Alamitos High School. ( Photo Courtesy of Bella Kim)
​Bella Kim of Los Alamitos High School has been awarded a $500 scholarship by the Southern California JEA as runner-up for the 2025 California Journalist of the Year. 

Kim is set to attend Stanford University where she plans to study journalism. She was editor-in-chief of the Griffin Gazette for two years and won five Best of School Newspaper Online awards during her three years with the Gazette. As a freshman, Bella was a finalist and honorable mention in The New York Times' high school profile contest. She's also interned with The Youth Center and Spotlight Schools. 

In 2023, CalMatters and the Asian American Journalists Association selected her to participate in their summer program, JCal, and she reported for CalMatters' South Bay Youth Journalism initiative last year., Bella received a scholarship to represent California at the 2024 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C.
]]><![CDATA[2025 State Student Media Contest Recognizes Exceptional Scholastic Journalism]]>Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:07:55 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/2025-state-student-media-contest-recognizes-exceptional-scholastic-journalism
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SoCal JEA President Adriana Chavira welcomes students and advisers to the 2025 State Student Media Contest on April 5.
Over 200 high school journalists competed at the 2025 State Student Media Contests on April 5 at El Camino College. Thank you to our gracious hosts, Stefanie Frith and Kate McLaughlin of the El Camino's journalism department! We’re also grateful for our volunteer judges, speakers and proctors who made this event so successful.

To read the judging feedback on this year's entries, please click here !

Scholarships
Anastasia Efremova from Troy High School - Jolene Combs Scholarship
William Nelson, adviser at Norte Vista High - Jolene Combs Scholarship

Senior Scholarships
Dwight Bustrum Scholarship: Ambar Muro, Los Altos High School
Betty Rogers Scholarship: Uy Pham, Fountain Valley High School
Carol Hallenbeck: Haley Nguyen, Oxford Academy
Ted Tajima Scholarship: Gabriela Afable, Foothill High School

California All Stars: Podcast
Third place: Coach’s Corner - Harvard-Westlake Media 
Second place: Room 22 - Daniel Pearl Magnet High School
First place: The Goodland Podcast - Dos Pueblos High School

California All Stars: Broadcast
Third place: What’s Going On episode 9 - Van Nuys High School
Second place: The Royal News - El Camino Real Charter High School
First place: DP News - Dos Pueblos High School

California All Stars: Yearbook
Third place: California School of the Arts
Second place: Diamond Bar High School
First place: Walnut High School

California All Stars: Newspaper/magazine
Third place: The Hoofprint - Walnut High School
Second place: The Mirror - Van Nuys High School
First place: The Pearl Post - Daniel Pearl Magnet High School

California All Stars: Website
Third place: Northwood High School 
Second place: Brea Olinda High School
First place: Sunny Hills High School

Novice News: Honorable Mention
Jay Bruce, Northwood
Kyuwon Han, Sunny Hills
Moey Koey, Portola
Kenzie Laing, Oxford Academy
Laila Pike, El Camino Real Charter

Novice News: Excellent
Natalie Akins, Oxford Academy
Arwen Nagares, El Camino Real Charter
Katie Ngo, Fountain Valley

Novice News: Superior
Alaisha Singh, Oxford Academy
Antra Shah, Walnut

Sports Photography
8th place: Chloe Lin, Northwood High School
7th place: Alex Salcedo, Daniel Pearl Magnet
6th place: Kaitlyn Ma, Portola High School
5th place: Andrew Le, Northwood High School
4th place: Yousuf Ahmad, Diamond Bar High School
3rd place: Louis Tsai, Diamond Bar High School
2nd place: Aarya Halankar, Oxford Academy
1st place: Lochlann Yung, Portola High School 

Feature Photography
10th place: Miriam Santos, Oxford High School
9th place: Jason Jao, Foothill High School
8th place: Noah Lam, Diamond Bar High School
7th place: Valerie Sanchez, Daniel Pearl Magnet
6th place: Nico Bronson, El Camino Real Charter
5th place: Elizabeth Choi, Diamond Bar High School
4th place: Ruby Ross, Portola High School
3rd place: Katie Leem, Sunny Hills High School
2nd place: Steve Lu, Walnut High School
1st place: Harini Rameshbaba, Portola High School

News Photography
8th Isabella Sanchez, Oxford Academy
7th Sophie Blanc, El Camino Real Charter
6th Millie Kwon, Oxford Academy
5th Fatima Shaikh, Irvine
4th Rebecca Margolin, El Camino Real
3rd Kailey Yeo, Northwood
2nd Genesis Cuellar-Figueroa, Daniel Pearl
1st Benjamin Recinos, Daniel Pearl

Broadcast
3rd Sua Lee Sunny Hills
2nd Taye Sangkhae El Camino Real Charter
1st Breanna Mai, Lindsey Ung, Tracy Huynh Fountain Valley

Newspaper Layout
4th Gia Khang Nguyen, Fountain Valley
3rd Sruti Allani, Portola
2nd Luna Bouhairi, Northwood
1st Candice Tran, Fountain Valley

Yearbook theme development
3rd place: Lauren Gilder and Kirra Dequina, El Camino Real 
2nd place: Yunny Jang and Claire Ko, Portola High School
1st place: Kendra Hung and Qian Yue (CoCo) Wang, Diamond Bar High School

Yearbook layout design
4th place: Emily Chan and Minh Ngoc Le, Fountain Valley High School
3rd place: Eliza Lotterstein and Hadley Preston, El Camino Real Charter
2nd place: Connor Hsiao and Selina Wang, Portola High School
1st place: Tristan Hsieh and Justin Zhao, Walnut High School

Critical review
8th place: Viviana Morales, Granada Hills
7th place: Kaley Samilan, El Camino Real Charter
6th place: Sydnee Cho, Oxford Academy
5th place: Aimee Pan, Northwood
4th place: Serenity Li, Sunny Hills
3rd place: Taryn Schlz, Walnut High School
2nd place: Catherine Li, Portola High School
1st place: Nathan Perera, Oxford Academy

Editorial cartoon
10th place: Daryna Hriaznova, Daniel Pearl Magnet
9th place: Isabel Mora-Manzo, El Camino Real Charter
8th place: Bailey Lewis, El Camino Real Charter
7th place: Eva Kim, Oxford Academy
6th place: Hyunjung Lee, Northwood High School
5th place: Kristin Intal, Daniel Pearl Magnet
4th place: Katelyn Cheung, Walnut High School
3rd place: Chanel Capa, Northwood High School
2nd place: Joanna Joo, Sunny Hills High School
1st place: Claire Liu, Portola High School

Sports writing
10th place: Nina Krish, Portola High School
9th place: Yewon (Ellie) Hong, Diamond Bar High School
8th place: Aidan Lia, Daniel Pearl Magnet
7th place: Allison Ha, Diamond Bar High School
6th place: Alyson Cerna, Van Nuys High School
5th place: Yena Oh, Sunny Hills High School
4th place: Kasey Lee, El Camino Real Charter
3rd place: Ruhi Samudra, Portola High School
2nd place: Raelle Tiong, Northwood High School
1st place: Lauren Kang, Sunny Hills High School 

Editorial/Opinion writing
10th place: Emily Dissanayake, Irvine High School
9th place: Seowon Han, Sunny Hills High School
8th place: Isabella Huang, Sage Hill School
7th place: Kennedi Ngo, Foothill High School
6th place: Audrey Lee, Oxford Academy
5th place: Rachel Yoon, Oxford Academy
4th place: Aashna Dialani, Sunny Hills High School
3rd place: Lucy Kim, Northwood High School
2nd place: Andrew Gregory, Fountain Valley High School
1st place: Aishwarya Ramasubramanian, Northwood High School 

Feature writing
10th Nandita Bussa, Oxford Academy
9th Amy Jeon, Northwood
8th Ezra Caber, Granada Hills
7th Aidyn Kinchen, Van Nuys
6th Alice Ahn, Portola
5th Haley Nguyen, Oxford Academy
4th Aubrey Bertino, Mission Viejo
3rd Madison Thacker, Van Nuys
2nd Elise Chen, Walnut
1st Ashley Liau, Irvine

News writing
10th place: Kevin Lee, Sunny Hills High School
9th place: Irene Park, Sunny Hills High School
8th place: Samantha Posa, Granada Hills High School
7th place: Sohum Sarwate, Northwood High School
6th place: Justin Pak, Sunny Hills High School
5th place: Jenny Marquez, Daniel Pearl Magnet
4th place: Celine Park, Oxford Academy
3rd place: Allison Kim, Sonora High School
2nd place: Stephanie Hwang, Portola High School
1st place: Audrey Herrera, Harvard-Westlake  

Yearbook Sweepstakes
2nd: El Camino Real Charter
1st: Portola High School
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Newspaper Sweepstakes
3rd: Oxford Academy
2nd: Sunny Hills High School
1st: Northwood High School

]]><![CDATA[California Adviser Teach-in Will Return to Cal Poly]]>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 03:58:48 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/california-adviser-teach-in-will-return-to-cal-poly
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Advisers listen to a presentation at the 2025 California Teach-In at Cal Poly SLO on Jan. 13, 2024.
JEANC, SCJEA and the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Journalism Department will host California high school media advisers at the Adviser Teach-in on Jan. 18, 2025. 

"Building Journalism" is the 2025 theme, and we'd love to have you as part of our program. Have something fresh and new you're using in your classroom? Have your students discovered new tools to create content for publications? What strategies or best practices do you want to share about teaching and advising scholastic journalism? We're especially interested in topics centered on DEI issues and how to build a more inclusive program, and/or how to diversify your content and reach underserved populations.

Propose a 30-minute or 50-minute session here! We would love to have you speak at our 2025 event. Note that all participants, including speakers, must be registered attendees and are required to fill out the registration form.  

The Teach-In will be a day filled with professional development from advisers and journalism professionals, networking and lunch. Interested in presenting a session? Complete the speaker form here by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1. Note that all participants, including speakers, must register and are required to complete this registration form.

Teach-in registration is $75. Please note that billing/invoices will come from JEANC, and all payments will be made to JEANC. We will send you an invoice via email in December.

Scholarships Available to Early-Career Advisers.

The Southern California Journalism Education Association is looking for advisers to honor for their accomplishments with their high school journalism staffs with the following scholarship. Scholarships may not exceed $350 and will be awarded to teachers with fewer than five years of advising experience. Your school must be a member of SoCal JEA to qualify. Deadline to apply is Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m. More details here.
]]><![CDATA[SoCal JEA Hosts 150 Student Journalists at Annual JDay]]>Sat, 02 Nov 2024 17:58:40 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/socal-jea-hosts-150-student-journalists-at-annual-jday
About 150 Southern California students learned journalism skills and networked with professionals during the 32nd annual JDay at Cal State Northridge on Oct. 26, 2024.

Students also competed in wiring, photo and video contests and attended two workshops before listening to keynote speakers in the afternoon. The event was organized by Southern California Journalism Education Association, Los Angeles Times High School Insider and CSUN Department of Journalism.

Special thanks to event sponsors CalMatters and Society of Professional Journalists, Greater Los Angeles chapter. SoCal JEA is also deeply grateful to our guest speakers for supporting contests and workshops, as well as the judges.
]]><![CDATA[SoCal JEA to Host Wake Up Call 2024]]>Wed, 04 Sep 2024 03:02:24 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/socal-jea-to-host-wake-up-call-2024Picture
Wake Up Call 2024 is our half-day conference meant to inspire and awaken your scholastic journalism program from those summertime snoozies! Students MUST be accompanied by an adult if the adviser can not attend.
 
We can’t wait to see you at Santa Ana College on Saturday, Sept. 28. Registration and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m., with our opening beginning at 9:00 a.m. We expect the event to conclude by 12:30 p.m. 

We have Jason Shepard, interim dean at Cal State Fullerton's College of Communications, delivering a keynote on student press rights.

Some of the sessions we have scheduled are on page design, using AI in your newsroom , elections coverage, breaking news like a pro and fair use & copyright infringement.

Costume contest: Prizes for both students and advisers in the following categories - best staff pride "costume" 

Cost: $8/person per member school; $13/person per non-member school. Membership: $30/school, per year.

Once you register here, you will receive an invoice within a couple of days. You can bring a check payable to SCJEA on the day of the event. Cash is always welcomed but please make sure you have exact payment. We are unable to accept credit cards or any electronic payments. 

No refunds are available, so please double check with your students that they are able to attend.

If you have any questions, contact us at SoCalJEA@gmail.com

Thank you,

Adriana Chavira
SoCalJEA President
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]]><![CDATA[SoCal Journalist of the Year 2021]]>Tue, 04 Jan 2022 20:19:36 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/socal-journalist-of-the-year-2021Picture
Congratulations to Itzel Luna on being the first SCJEA Journalist of the Year 2021. She was the highest ranking Southern California student among the portfolios submitted by student journalists in California.
Luna was the editor-in-chief of the newsmagazine at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. She was in the journalism program all four years of her high school career. Each summer, she participated in summer journalism programs or internships, including the Princeton Summer Journalism Program and KTLA Channel 5 morning news.
She is now a freshman at Stanford University where is is contributing to the Stanford Daily and a Cal Matters College Network Fellow.
In 2021, the SCJEA Board of Directors agreed to create a new scholarship that would award  $500 to the top JOY student from our member schools. The goal is to ultimately give additional JOY scholarships like our northern California counterpart, JEANC.

]]><![CDATA[Gary Metzker named JEA Friend of Scholastic Journalism]]>Tue, 04 Jan 2022 19:55:27 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/gary-metzker-named-jea-friend-of-scholastic-journalismPicture
In November 2021, Gary Metzker was recognized as one of three people named Friends of Scholastic Journalism. This is the write-up from the JEA website:

"A former journalist with several Pulitzer Prizes under his belt, Gary Metzker has been a full-time lecturer at California State Long Beach, since 2008, and he uses his wealth of knowledge and experience to work with scholastic journalists and their advisers across California. 
A mentor as well as a friend, advisers like Michelle Saremi appreciate how Metzker takes advisers and students under his wing, going above and beyond to help them succeed.
“He has driven up to Ventura County from Long Beach just to spend a few hours with my staff and help them with their use of white space or redesign their front page. The 405 traffic doesn’t even deter him,” Saremi said.
Metzker’s enthusiasm and passion for design are evident in all his interactions.
“Gary is more than a friend of scholastic journalism. He is a champion for it,” said Jessica Young, MJE, adviser at Orange Glen High School. “H'e’s a cheerleader, a coach, a die-hard fan and a participant, all rolled into one. I wish every community was as lucky as ours, to have a member like Gary Metzker.”'
]]><![CDATA[Mitch Ziegler named 2020 H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year]]>Mon, 26 Jul 2021 21:14:47 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/mitch-ziegler-named-2020-hl-hall-yearbook-adviser-of-the-year
Click on the video above to see why Mitch Ziegler is deserving of this recognition. 
Here is a story by JEA Awards Chair Erinn Harris that was published on JEA.org in January when the award recipient was announced.

In his 31 years as a yearbook adviser, Ziegler has become a legend in the field. Student press rights advocate, photography guru, local committee chair, writing coach, contest judge: there isn’t one area of yearbook that isn’t in Ziegler’s wheelhouse. 

In his own words, “Jeez, I love this.” 

Even for those with a deep love of yearbook, COVID-19 presented significant obstacles in production schedules. However, the pandemic was yet another opportunity for yearbook students — and their advisers — to demonstrate the value of yearbook and 21st Century Skills.

“March 16, 2020, was emblematic of the ways journalistic yearbooks epitomize 21st Century Skills for students in college and their careers,” Ziegler said. “That day was the last day my students stepped foot on the Redondo campus for the year, and that day represents how they utilized creativity, critical thinking, flexibility and social skills to complete one of the best yearbooks in Redondo history.” 

Creativity, critical thinking, flexibility and social skills are all characteristics typical of Ziegler’s students, before, during and after the pandemic. 

“Though the three of us are currently working in vastly different fields,” Ziegler’s 2017 Editors-in-Chief Lauryn Alejo, Alysa Kataoka and Matthew Yonemura said in a recommendation letter, “the lesson and skills Ziegler has imparted upon us have significantly shaped our work ethic and outlook outside of the classroom. Despite the differences in our career goals, the leadership skills that Ziegler taught us have naturally translated to our respective pursuits. Ziegler set up his students for their futures beyond yearbook.” 

In order to advise yearbooks that consistently produce at the level of Ziegler’s staffs, one must be a lifelong learner, and Ziegler loves to learn. 

“In years teaching workshops to advisers at various locales across the country, I’ve never seen anyone as giddy about learning as Mitch Ziegler,” Bradley Wilson, Ph.D., MJE, said. “He just really enjoys getting out and trying new things, looking at things from a new point of view and having new experiences.” 

Anything Ziegler learns, he is ready and willing to share. A frequent presenter, podcast guest and volunteer, he has been a mentor to advisers and students around the country. 

“Thankfully, I met Mitch Ziegler during the summer of 2017, and in him, not only did I find an encyclopedia worth of knowledge, experience and wisdom, but my students and I also discovered an educator, guide and willing mentor,” Orange County School of the Arts adviser Courtney Harper said.

Year after year, advisers around the country look at The Pilot yearbook and wonder, “How does he do it?” 
Antelope High School adviser Pete LeBlanc, CJE, has the answer: “He is doing everything right. He empowers his students to run their own program, create their own book and execute their own vision. As an adviser, he points and prods in the right direction, giving them the space to take full ownership of their product. The power of the educational experience for Mitch’s students is among the best in the country, just like, and more importantly, than the actual yearbook.”

Ziegler was recognized formally this spring during the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention alongside the following Distinguished and Special Recognition Yearbook Advisers. Here is a video where Mitch delivered a speech. (Forward to 9 minutes into the video to see Mitch and other distinguished yearbook advisers were also recognized at this ceremony.)
]]><![CDATA[EL CAMINO REAL CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL ADVISER​  NAMED A 2019 JEA RISING STAR]]>Mon, 06 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.socaljea.org/news/el-camino-real-charter-high-school-adviser-named-a-2019-jea-rising-star
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JEA President Sarah J. Nichols awards El Camino Real Charter rHigh School newspaper and yearbook adviser Samantha Lasarow with the 2019 Rising Star award at the national high school journalism convention in Washington D.C. in November.
Samantha Lasarow, the newspaper and yearbook adviser at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills, was named a 2019JEA Rising Stars. She was among 12 recipients during the national high school journalism convention in Washington D.C. in November.

According to a Walsworth Yearbooks website, "Walsworth sales rep Michelle DiSimone, CJE, has observed Lasarow infuse her students with courage and confidence as they built up their journalism program.

A commitment not only to scholastic journalism but also the growth of her students as individuals makes Samantha a natural choice for this award,” DiSimone said. “With her background in publications at Stanford University and recent CJE certification, it was clear she was capable and had the knowledge to be successful, but the transformation in their student media seen under her leadership has been truly inspirational and beyond what we could have imagined.'"

At the awards luncheon, Lasarow acknowledged Jo Zimmerman, a retired adviser and former JEA mentor, for guiding her these past few years.

Lasarow is in her fourth year of advising the yearbook Corazon and the newspaper The King's Courier at El Camino Real Charter High School. She is also an SCJEA board member, 


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