Five Cinco Ranch High School student journalists have been recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association – the largest association for middle, junior and high school journalists – in its 2020 honor roll. The students join a total of 1300 students across the nation in receiving the recognition according to a NSPA press release.

"These outstanding students excel in both the classroom and in their school newsrooms," NSPA Associate Director Gary Lundgren said. "The future of journalism is bright if these students are any indication."

Cinco Ranch’s Abigail Fosburgh, Celeste Hoover, Donovan Nichols, Esha Nigudkar and Avery Wang were all recognized for their efforts both as journalists and for academic excellence, the press release said. To be listed in the honor roll, students must serve at least two years in student media and earn a 3.5 or higher grade-point average.

Fosburgh serves as staff photographer for “County Line,” Cinco Ranch HS’s news website.  Hoover is co-editor of the publication while Nichols is news editor. Both Nigudkar and Wang work for the Cinco Ranch HS yearbook publication, “Panorama.”

Cinco Ranch High School Student Publications Advisor Ed Larsen said the students had all worked to gain the experience they needed and meet the prerequisites to be on the teams for their respective publications and he enjoyed working with them.

“The beauty of my job is getting to observe their growth as writers, journalists and student leaders during their entire high school career,” Larsen said.

Students take Journalism I or Photojournalism as a prerequisite for joining one of the publication classes, Larsen said. He said students not only gain valuable trade skills, but pick up interpersonal skills they’ll need in their adult careers.

“In addition to the significant work they publish, they also gain leadership skill sets as editors in our scholastic journalism learning lab and County Line editors serve on the KISD Superintendent’s Student Leadership Council,” Larsen said.

Each of the NSPA Journalism Honor Roll inductees receive a certificate and senior inductees are eligible to receive a scholarship, the winner of which will be announced in May the NSPA announcement said.

“Some of these students also end up qualifying for Texas UIL All-State Journalism status based on a point accumulation for (University Interscholastic League/Interscholastic League Press Conference/Texas Association of Journalism Educators) state Journalism competition and for serving in editorial leadership roles,” Larsen said. “That information will be announced in June.”