FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2024
The Indiana High School Press Association is honored to recognize North Central High School senior Salsabil Qaddoura as the 2024 Indiana High School Journalist of the Year. A three-person panel selected Qaddoura out of an impressive group of nominees from various regions across the state. The judges also recognized three finalists for the 2024 award — Madeline Degenhart from the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center, Adanna Mbanu from Zionsville Community High School, and McKenzie Vitale from Noblesville High School.
Qaddoura’s entry earned the top honor because it showcased her passion for, and dedication to, journalism by presenting a multitude of artifacts for each category of the scoring rubric. Her website provided evidence of quality work from all aspects of the field, leaving no doubt the NCHS News anchor and social media editor is more than worthy of this award. And at 16 years old, Qaddoura is the youngest journalist of the year winner in IHSPA history.
“The candidate’s work is exemplary, an outstanding portfolio from front to back,” wrote Lisa Renze-Rhodes, contest judge and former manager of Ball State University Unified Media. “(She) has a great future ahead.“
It was Qaddoura’s observations on news gathering, and the role it plays in society, that stood out to the second member of the judging panel, former JEA state director and retired student media adviser Nancy Hastings.
“I was swept away by her personal narrative insights into journalism and America,” Hastings wrote. “Salsabil is a strong news writer, with good insight into research and reporting.”
What stood out to Indiana High School Journalism Institute Director Teresa White was Qaddoura’s commitment to utilizing her platform for the good of the community, specifically her social media series that gave voice to students who suffered from microaggressions.
“Salsabil’s ‘Dear World’ features directly support her mission to use journalism to help people talk across differences,” White wrote in her evaluation. “She is quite an amazing student.”
North Central High School Director of Student Media Tom Gayda wrote in his recommendation letter Qaddoura doesn’t just focus her efforts on material aimed toward societal change. Her work ethic is apparent in every assignment, regardless of subject matter.
“As part of our program the last two years, Salsabil has outworked many, relishing in deadlines and creating content that attempts to make the school (and world) a better place,” Gayda wrote. “While Salsabil can tackle the serious topics, she also isn’t above having fun with her stories, too. Salsabil can be found at a basketball game waiting to interview the coach after the game or in the studio interviewing the new principal for the entire school to watch.”
And yet with all of this responsibility in her student media program and an academic drive that allowed her to skip two grades, Qaddoura still finds ways to devote time outside of the classroom to those issues she finds meaningful. One such initiative was the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Youth Violence Prevention Fellowship, an annual program designed to elevate the voices of young leaders in the community.
Program director Jake Brosius wrote in his recommendation letter that everyone involved benefitted from Qaddoura’s presence.
“Throughout the five years that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Fellowship has existed, Salsabil Qaddoura can be counted among the most memorable, insightful, and passionate Fellows,” Brosius wrote. “During the program, she consistently found opportunities to connect complex subjects, drawing on a broad base of her own knowledge and the information she garnered from our many speakers. Her contributions elevated the conversations we had, benefiting not only herself, but the other Fellows in the program.”
Even after the fellowship ended, Qaddoura remained involved in the prosecutor’s office Youth Programming Committee and utilize her journalism skills on topics from gun violence to cyber security.
“Furthermore, (Qaddoura) productively utilized the networks within our office to research Miranda Rights, conducting interviews with myself and Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears,” Brosius wrote. “Her questions were discerning, and in combination with her camera work, she developed an expansive presentation, addressing both the origin of the topic and its impact on current legislation in Indiana.”
Of course, none of this comes as a surprise to her adviser. This is just who Salsabil Qaddoura is.
“Salsabil is a 16-year-old wunderkind, graduating this spring. She shows a maturity many kids in their 20s would struggle to possess,” Gayda wrote. “You’d be stretched to find such a dynamic, meticulous student journalist to deserve this honor.”
As the state’s winner, Qaddoura earns a $1,000 scholarship from IHSPA, and $250 will be awarded to the three finalists. Qaddoura will also serve as the Indiana nominee for the JEA national journalist of the year award where she’ll will be eligible for up to $3,000 in scholarships. JEA will name the national winner and runners-up Saturday, April 6 during the spring national convention in Kansas City.
Indiana Journalist of the Year Results
Winner: $1,000
Salsabil Qaddoura,
North Central HS
“She outshines her older peers without the fact she skipped one grade in middle school and is graduating high school a year early. She shows a maturity many kids in their 20s would struggle to possess. Salsabil shines in all her endeavors. Outside of journalism she is a fierce advocate for a variety of issues, not afraid to speak her mind in places such as the statehouse or on the local news. Salsabil is a doer.”
—Tom Gayda,
NCHS Director of Student Media
“I can specifically recall one exchange where Salsabil was asked to answer her own question about the causes of youth violence and think more deeply in search of the roots of the problem. Without hesitation, she began combining topics such as trauma, food insecurity, poverty, and lack of education, conveying the depth of her understanding. Following this breakdown, another Fellow brought up a competing viewpoint, emphasizing the importance parents play over the environmental factors in the lives of youth. Salsabil intelligently incorporated this additional factor in her reply, saying that the parents of the youth in question were likely also subjected to the same aspects in their own development, perfectly capturing the generational influence of poverty and violence.”
—Jake Brosius,
Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Director of Youth Programming
Finalists: $250
Madeline Degenhart,
Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center
“I take immense pride in serving as Madeline’s instructor in the Media Communications and Broadcasting program at the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center (SICTC). In my years as a media educator, Madeline stands out as a student with the complete package — she possesses drive, determination, maturity, and a strong desire for success. From the start of the year, Madeline impressed me with her maturity and confidence, showcasing a genuine thirst for learning and technical skill development. Her exceptional work and commitment have made her one of our program’s standout leaders, consistently going above and beyond expectations. Madeline’s self-discipline and leadership qualities make her an ideal candidate for any opportunity. Her work ethic and character are exemplary, and she fearlessly tackles any task, no matter the complexity. She is not only a role model in adhering to rules but also encourages her peers to do the same.”
-Jo Beth Bootz,
SICTC Media Communications and Broadcasting Instructor
Adanna Mbanu,
Zionsville Community High School
“Adanna has demonstrated her passion for shedding light on important issues through her work, such as reporting about how state and national government actions impact teenagers. She does so with a thoughtfulness and thoroughness not often seen at the high school level. Adanna has an analytical viewpoint, but she shares her thoughts and ideas with compassion. Adanna has also impressed me with her independence and determination in seeking out new opportunities in the world of journalism, such as attending a variety of summer workshops and serving as the Indiana High School Press Association student board vice president. As a leader, she often seeks advice and uses sound ethical judgement to guide others in their work. Through her efforts, Adanna has made The Harbinger a better publication, helped her audience become more aware of important issues, and encouraged her peers to take risks and achieve excellence.”
-Lauren Wagner,
ZCHS Student Media Adviser
