Each year, the Pennsylvania School Press Association (PSPA) invites senior student journalists to submit a comprehensive online portfolio for consideration as the Pennsylvania Student Journalist of the Year. The portfolios showcase the seniors' talents and accomplishments during their careers as high school journalists. The winner moves on to compete in the national Journalism Education Association Student Journalist of the Year competition. 

PSPA proudly announces Kaitlyn Ho, Editor-in-Chief of The Panther Press at Strath Haven High School, as the 2026 Pennsylvania Student Journalist of the Year. Of the multiple entries that PSPA received, Ho's submission stood out specifically because of her commitments to her staff’s well being, continued improvement of the school’s publications, and her high standards of accountability for ethical student journalism.

Ho notes in her portfolio, "The relationship between people and the news has never been more fraught. The only way to rebuild it is for us to prove we can be trusted, and it starts here, in schools. That is our responsibility as a student publication—the interactions students have with our paper, positive or negative, can define their relationship with news for the rest of their lives." 

In her required letters of recommendation, supporters for Ho wrote: 

• “Kaitlyn is a culture builder at Strath Haven because of the questions she asks and her eye toward serving and improving the community she lives in. In her time at Strath Haven, Kaitlyn consistently demonstrates professionalism and respect because she exudes that when interacting with people. Her perspective is valued not because she is a student editor, but because she brings unique insights to discussions that veteran educators might not always consider.”  Mr. Andrew Benzing - Principal, Strath Haven High School 
• “Kaitlyn believes at her core, and with an idealistic maturity beyond her years, that journalism can provide a 'voice for the voiceless.' As I watch her lead our newspaper this year as editor-in-chief, I see each interaction and decision driven by this perspective. When she leads the Editorial Board, every member knows their contribution is valued. When she runs a staff meeting, she spends just as much time interacting with individuals and coaching them on the value of their own stories than she does leading from the front of the room. And when she is pitching the stories to which she will commit her own time and curiosity, Kaitlyn always chooses work that will make a difference.”  Ms. Kate Plows - Adviser, The Panther Press 

Ho will move on to the Journalism Education Association’s contest where she will represent Pennsylvania. She will also be recognized at the Student Journalism State Finals at Penn State University on March 16, 2026. 

###

Contact Information 
Meghan Adams  
PSPA Executive Board Member  
Co-Awards & Social Media Chair 
[email protected]

We're just one month away from Finals! Here's everything you need to know:
LINK: 2026 PSPA Student Journalism Contest Finals

The master document linked above is organized in Google Docs by tabs. All documents are contained within and can be accessed by following the steps below. While all documents are separated by tabs, all documents within may be downloaded or printed together.

• Accessing Tabs: Click the Show tabs & outlines icon (document symbol) in the top-left corner to open the navigation panel. Then, you can access individual pages by clicking the links in the Table of Contents, clicking the links in the tabs menu, or scrolling through each document and clicking the name of the next page to advance.
• Rubrics: While you can scroll through each of our 16 rubrics, you can also navigate directly to a particular rubric by opening the outline underneath the Rubrics tab. Simply click the three dots next to Rubrics, and select "Show outline."
  
  

Please share this link/doc with your students. If you have any questions regarding the contests, please contact Paul Fantaski (PSPA Contest Chair) at [email protected]. For any Penn State-related questions, please contact Emily Clevenger at [email protected].

Minor details about the day's itinerary are subject to change; however, any/all changes will be reflected in the Google Doc linked above, so be sure to refer to it for the most up-to-date information.

We can't wait to see you in Happy Valley!