Community News

WHHS senior is named high school journalist of the year

Sarah Monoson

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 22, 2021

West Henderson High School senior Sarah Monoson has been named the 2021 Rachel Rivers-Coffey North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year, the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association announced.

Monoson is the co-editor-in-chief of the West Henderson school newspaper, Wingspan. Judges noted her clarity and expressiveness in writing and design, as well as the quality and variety of sourcing.
Alternates for Journalist of the Year were Cassie Honeycutt of First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, Ella Sullivan of Northwood High School in Pittsboro and Tierney Reardon of J.H. Rose High School in Greenville.
Honeycutt is the co-editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, Nighthawk News Magazine; Sullivan is the co-editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, The Northwood Omniscient; and Reardon is the co-editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, Rampant Lines.
Since 2001, the North Carolina Press Foundation (NCPF) has funded the annual scholarship award in memory of Rachel Rivers-Coffey, former N.C. Press Association president.
NCPF will award a $3,000 scholarship to Monoson. The three alternates will each receive $1,000.
The foundation will also award grants to the winners’ journalism programs. West High will receive $500. The three alternates’ programs will each receive $250.
Monoson will now represent the state in the National High School Journalist of the Year scholarship competition. Winners will be announced virtually at the National High School Journalism Convention.
The Rivers-Coffey state scholarships and awards will be presented during the N.C. Scholastic Media Institute, a summer journalism workshop open to students and teachers across the state.