The Minnesota High School Press Association has presented its 2010 Journalism Educator of the Year honor to Lori Keekley of St. Louis Park High School and adviser to the Echo newspaper. Keekley was recognized during the newspaper class at the school on May 24, 2010. She has been teaching at St. Louis Park High School since 2002.

Selection criteria for the award include teaching/advising preparation, experience and ability; relationships with students and others; contributions to the profession; promoting appreciation for journalism and as a career; and support for the First Amendment.

The newspaper program at St. Louis Park has long been among the top in Minnesota and in the nation. The Echo is an avenue for free expression for students and a vehicle showcasing outstanding reporting, writing and design both in print and online. Recent awards for the staff of the Echo include Second Place in the Best of Show contest at the national convention in Washington, D.C., in November 2009. In 2007, the paper was a finalist for the top national award, the Pacemaker, from the National Scholastic Press Association, and in 2006, it earned a Gold Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Individual students have also earned numerous honors.

One of her colleagues, Laurie Hansen of Stillwater Area High School, the 2008 Journalism Educator of the Year, nominated Keekley for the award. “It has been satisfying and exciting to share time with a person of her caliber and talent, and I am merely one teacher of many who has had the privilege of working with her.” Other journalism teachers from around Minnesota shared the praise for Keekley.

Keekley is an accomplished educator and recently earned certification as a Master Journalism Educator through the Journalism Education Association. She teaches editorial leadership at the summer workshop sponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association at the University of Minnesota. She has also taught workshops and convention seminars around the nation.

Keekley holds a master’s degree in journalism education through the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, where she was a copy editor for the newspaper and editor in chief of the yearbook. She taught high school journalism for three years in Indiana, before joining the staff of the National Scholastic Press Association in Minneapolis as its director of national contests and critiques from 1998-2000.

Congratulations to the students selected as the 2010 MHSPA North Star Editors, North Star Journalists and Distinguished Journalists. The MHSPA North Star Awards recognize student journalists who have excelled as journalists, leaders and scholars.

North Star Editors served on their publication’s staff for at least two years, including one year in an editorial position, and achieved at least a 3.75 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

North Star Journalists served on their publication’s staff for at least one year and achieved at least a 3.75 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Distinguished Journalists served on their publication’s staff for at least two years and achieved at least a 2.75 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

2010 North Star Editors:

Alana Patrick, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Anne Hart, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Devon Sandberg, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Katie Sauer, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Laura Gengler, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Leah Sorensen, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Liga Krievans, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Mackenzie Pacovsky, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Maddie Butler, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Molly Placeway, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Rosalind Mowitt, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

2010 North Star Journalists:

Allison Wang, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Breanna Schlegel, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Brigid Kelly, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Edward Xie, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Holly Johnson, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Jennifer Gardner, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Lyly Nguyen, Columbia Heights HS, Columbia Heights, Minn.

Meera Goswitz, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Mollie Day, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Rachel Kinney, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Rebecca Xu, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Rob Wietecha, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

2010 Distinguished Journalists:

Alex Wieber, Columbia Heights HS, Columbia Heights, Minn.

Amy Palmby, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Andrew Melroe, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Anna Eskola, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Anthony Sicoli, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Ashley Engstrom, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Averi Haugesag, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Ben Paulus, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Brian Patten, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Cristina Anfang, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Gabbi Stienstra, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Genevieve Cossette, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Grace Haugen, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn.

Hayley Trace, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Iman Jafri, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Jordan Wipf, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Joseph Goldfarb, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Joseph Nelson, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Julia Mitrenga, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Katelyn Schnobrich, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Katrina Harper, Columbia Heights HS, Columbia Heights, Minn.

Kelly Uhrich, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Lauren Panzer, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Libby Kruse, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Liz Hawkins, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Madeline Karon, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Maggie Ellis, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Marissa Hernandez, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Matthew Mittelsteadt, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Melinda Mataya, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Nadja Leonhard-Hooper, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Naja Harvey, Orono HS, Long Lake, Minn.

Nicholas Sinn, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Nicole Trummer, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Rachel Wilensky, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minn.

Samantha Anderson, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Scott Sikich, Eastview HS, Apple Valley, Minn.

Lauren Dezenski of Eden Prairie High School has been named the 2010 Minnesota State Journalist of the Year. Dezenski and 35 other State Journalists of the Year were recognized at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Portland in April. All 36 students competed for the National Journalist of the Year award. A listing of all state award recipients can be found here.

Laurie Hansen, director of the Journalism Educators of Minnesota and judging coordinator of this year’s Minnesota Journalist of the Year contest, provides the following report:

Lauren Dezenski, editor-in-chief of The Eyrie at Eden Prairie High School is the Minnesota State Journalist of the Year. Dezenski has been involved with The Eyrie since her freshman year, but her first paper, she said, dates back to the time her family’s sink clogged and overflowed, and she felt compelled to tell the story to her family members. The then-third-grader grabbed her gel pens and started her reporting career.

Dezenski knew she wanted to be a journalist from that early age. She said instead of pretending with her playmates, she preferred listening to adults. “Their conversations were infinitely more interesting, plus I always learned new information.” She wanted to be the one people went to for information. Dezenski said what validates her as a journalist is when “the staff feels the same passion for journalism that I do and is successful because of it.”

Dezenski plans to study journalism and political science, and she wants to focus on covering politics. Her dream career is to be the White House Press Secretary, and she also plans to pursue an editorship of a major publication or magazine.

In addition to her duties as editor-in-chief, Dezenski also has a weekly column Generation E.P. in the Eden Prairie News.

The second place winner was Chelsey Falzone, co-editor-in-chief of the Pony Express newspaper from Stillwater Area High School. Third place honors went to Alexandra Schwalbe, editor of The Crier at St. Francis High School and Katie Rawls, copy editor for the St. Louis Park High School Echo received Honorable Mention.

Photo: Courtesy/Dezenski, pictured center