The Journalism Education Association has named Staples High School senior Julian Clarke the 2012 Connecticut Student Journalist of the Year.
Julian Clarke: “His journalism delivers a level of sophistication well beyond his years.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Julian, 17, was selected after a committee examined a portfolio of his work that it said demonstrated leadership, tenacity and, most of all, stellar writing skills that made him a standout candidate for this statewide honor.
“Julian’s journalism delivers a level of sophistication well beyond his years, particularly his skilled and appealing writing style. His talents and work are very impressive and should trigger a bright future,” the JEA judging committee said.
Julian is the managing editor of the school newspaper, Inklings. His leadership helped proper Staples print and Web platforms to win Gold and Silver Crown awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and an All-American Award from the National Scholastic Press Association.
“He understands that the success of a story depends not on how many SAT words he can work into it, but on how many people he can talk to before it’s time to sit down and write,” Sports Illustrated senior writer Austin Murphy said.
Staples Principal John Dodig commended Julian’s work for his ability to recognize the unique challenge of running a student publication as well as Julian’s responsible handling of sensitive issues in a story about possible elimination of Honors and Advanced Placement classes.
“In a school such as ours where student expectations for college are so high and high-stakes, the mere discussion of eliminating AP and Honors classes divides people into two very vocal and passionate groups,” he said. “The article was informative, held no punches and was well received by the staff and student body.”
The Connecticut chapter of the Journalism Education Association said it is proud to put Julian forward as the best the state can offer in scholastic journalism. He will now go on to represent Connecticut in the National High School Journalist of the Year competition.
The Journalism Education Association is an independent national scholastic journalism organization for teachers, students and advisers with more than 2,000 member educators nationwide.
