Two years ago, Bryant High School senior Kaylee Anderson set her sights on one goal: becoming Journalist of the Year. βI realized this is something I really want to win,β Anderson said. βBut since I first read about it, it's always been something like in my mind that I've been working for.β That bold vision guided the next two years of her high school career and ultimately led to her earning the honor, a recognition awarded to outstanding senior journalism students across Arkansas.
The process, according to journalism adviser Justin Turner, is demanding. βThe process of entering the Student Journalist of the Year contest is huge,β Turner said. βYou have to compile so much information. You build your own website.β Students compete against βthe best students from any other school in Arkansas who enter,β making the recognition even more significant. Knowing what it would take, Anderson spent the last two years intentionally building a portfolio that reflected every aspect of her work. βBecause I've known about it for so long, I've been working to get stuff in every category,β she said, making sure she had strong examples in everything from laws and ethics to design, photography and broadcast.
Turner said Andersonβs brave willingness to push beyond her comfort zone is what helped her succeed. βWhen she realized, hey, broadcast is a part of this package, broadcast is part of your score, she didn't just say, 'I want to kind of dabble in broadcast,'β he said. βShe signed up for sports mediaβ¦ Other kids might dabble. She goes head first because she knows that's what it takes.β Anderson said that decision was intentional. βMy biggest area of focus is like design and photography,β she said. βBut I wanted to be able to do more than that. I want to be able to do a lot of great stuff with a big skill set.β Her teachers say that drive, along with her storytelling ability, made her one of Bryantβs best. βShe's really great at diving into the student body and not just taking the surface level, but finding those stories underneath it,β Turner said.
Graphic design teacher Lindsay Fell said Andersonβs character is just as impressive as her talent. βSheβs going to speak up for what she believes in, and sheβs not going to be swayed by peer pressure,β Fell said. βIf thereβs a job that needs to be done, you can count on Kaylie to get it done.β Fell added, βIβm incredibly proud of Kaylie. I canβt think of anyone that would be more deserving of this award.β For Anderson, the recognition is the payoff for years of dedication. βAll of the hundreds, endless hours Iβve spent creating designs, interviewing people, writing stories, taking photos at events, getting broadcast stories, and learning new skills and challenging myself,β she said. βItβs like that has all been so worth it.β Her journey is a true example of what it means to be Bold, Brave and Bryant.