The Journalism Education Association, the nation’s largest scholastic journalism organization in the country, announced Nevaeh Suit is the 2024 Arkansas Student Journalist of the Year.
Suit has been a member of the Bryant broadcast program throughout high school and serves as producer, reporter, and anchor.
“After three years of contributing in every aspect of the Hornet Media program there is nobody better to represent the state of Arkansas at the national level,” Michael Westbrook, Hornet Media adviser, said.
While Suit learned technical skills at the computer and behind the camera, the award recognizes other areas as well.
“Whenever I had to produce the entire sports show, while also being on deadline for a weekly and monthly show story each, I really had to use time management skills,” Suit said.
In addition to time management, Suit also learned how to talk with adults and interview new people.
“I’ve definitely grown in communication skills and opened myself more up as a person because I’ve learned to talk to people I don’t know,” Suit said.
Suit also had a hand in leading and teaching her peers.
“She is an extremely hard worker who brings a positive attitude to class everyday,” Westbrook said.
According to Justin Turner, Arkansas Journalism Education Association State Director, one of the things that stood out to the judge was Suit’s creation of an entirely new sports show for the school.
“It’s impressive for a student to be good at something their teacher makes them do. It’s beyond impressive for a student to take the initiative and create more work for themselves. She did it so she could make sure as many students as possible receive the limelight,” Turner said.
With her win, Suit will advance to the national level and compete to be named the nation’s Journalist of the Year in April.
To compete, Suit had to build a website portfolio showcasing her work over her time on the Bryant High School Broadcast team. Some of the categories of her portfolio included a personal narrative, reporting and writing, web and social media content, design, broadcast, and law and ethics.
“The Hornet Media program is a bright and shining star for Bryant High School,” Dr. Todd Edwards, principal, said. “Only in our third year and we are already winning state and national awards. The best part of Hornet Media is that it is an authentic example of what a student led program should look like.”