As the NSPA announced the winners of the fall Clips and Clicks contest, journalism programs across the US celebrated their recognition. According to the NSPA, “honors current work among student journalists, and the fall-semester winners feature work produced from Aug. 1-Dec. 17, 2021.” 

The Dispatch placed in the top 12 winners, finishing with 33 points. From the Dispatch, four different students received national awards for their work. Sophomore Audrey Hagen received their first national award for their opinion story, placing fifth.

“I didn’t even know that I was entered in the contest,” Hagen said. “It’s funny because when I think of that story, I really don’t think it was that good. However, it does feel good to win a national award.”

Along with this, senior Sammie Thompson received a fourth place overall for her feature story. Thompson has been a part of The Dispatch throughout her high school career. 

“Winning this award was definitely a surprise because I’ve seen how good all the papers across the country are, so I knew the competition was going to be really hard,” Thompson said. “The fact that it is a national award is even more special being a senior, knowing that my hard work the last three years is paying off.”

Senior Reagan Zuniga and sophomore Kate Davis also received national recognition, with Zuniga getting a second and fifth place finish in photojournalism, and Davis receiving an honorable mention for a sports story. 

“The whole leadership team and Mr. Reeves has been very supportive this year to help us achieve these awards,” Thompson said. 

Reagan Zuniga – 2nd place Photojournalism 

Reagan Zuniga – 5th place Photojournalism

Sammie Thompson – 4th place Feature Story

Kate Davis – Honorable Mention Sports Story

Audrey Hagen – 5th place Opinion Story