The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association has honored Grand Haven High School teacher C.E. Sikkenga with its 2019 Golden Pen Award.
Sikkenga was honored at MIPA’s Spring Awards event on April 23 in Lansing, along with hundreds of student journalists who won awards in the organization’s statewide scholastic journalism contest.
The Golden Pen is the highest award MIPA bestows on a student media adviser and has been bestowed continuously since 1952. Teachers must be nominated by their students, who assemble an extensive portfolio showcasing the teacher’s involvement in scholastic journalism activities and the impact he or she has had on current and past students.
The recipient is chosen by a committee of previous Golden Pen honorees.
“There is no one more dedicated or so wholly invested in student journalism than C.E.,” his students wrote in nomination portfolio a 56-page nomination portfolio showcasing Sikkenga’s contributions to scholastic journalism. “Every aspect of who he is is defined by his commitment to sharing the world of journalism with us, his students, and helping us learn and grow in the field.”
Sikkenga has advised Grand Haven High School’s student newspaper, The Bucs’ Blade, since 2000. He’s also been a long-time volunteer and leader within MIPA, serving as president from 2010-2012 and newspaper chair, supervising programs and contests for print and online newspapers, since 2012.
He’s also a frequent speaker at state and national conferences for student reporters and journalism educators.
Sikkenga began his journalism career as a Bucs’ Blade staffer from 1986-1988, when he was a Grand Haven student. In the time since, he’s continually work to improve himself as a teacher and to give back to the profession, wrote Dale Brinks, who spent 36 years advising Bucs’ Blade including as Sikkenga’s teacher. That work including working during the summer at the Grand Haven Tribune.
“Rarely do you meet advisers willing to go the extra mile to authenticate what they teach in the classroom,” Brinks said.
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1921 and housed in the Michigan State University School of Journalism, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization composed of scholastic journalism teachers and publications advisers and their students. MIPA is committed to promoting and recognizing excellence in scholastic journalism at all levels through education, training and support of student journalists and their advisers.