South Forsyth Senior Named Top High School Journalist In State

CUMMING, GA -- Alyssa Freyman, Editor-in-Chief of The Bird Feed at South Forsyth High School, has been named the 2019 Georgia Champion Journalist by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association and the Journalism Education Association. The award recognizes the top high school senior journalist in the state.

The winners were selected from a pool of 12 candidates, each with portfolios packed with academic achievements and journalism accolades. Portfolios were scored in the following categories: candidate background; news-gathering; writing; editing; design; multimedia broadcast; photojournalism; web; law and ethics; leadership and team building; news literacy; entrepreneurship; and candidate reflection.

The nomination of Freyman included comments about her “marked leadership, endearing personality, and true dedication to excellence.” In addition to her role with The Bird Feed, she is actively involved in a variety of extracurricular endeavors, including National Honor Society and DECA. She is the recipient of a Journalism Honor Roll award from the National Scholastic Press Association for her dedication as a NSPA member. Freyman is also involved in her community where she volunteers regularly at Meals by Grace, providing food for those in need. She is advised by Clori Rose-Geiger.

Entrants must be seniors, maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have at least two years of journalism experience and be planning to major in journalism in college. Entrants must prepare a comprehensive portfolio showcasing their journalistic work and include an official transcript and three letters of recommendation.

Freyman will receive a $100 prize and was recognized at the GSPA Workshop and Awards on April 9. She also moves on to represent the state in the Journalism Education Association's National Journalist of the Year competition.