EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association today honored Phyllis Rose as the recipient of its 2015 John V. Field Award. The award recognizes a person who is not currently a student media adviser for their significant contributions to scholastic journalism in Michigan.
The award was first given in 1972 to John Field, who served as the executive director of MIPA for more than 20 years.
“Professional reporters and editors make a difference all over Michigan as help they teach students to be journalists and apply those skills throughout their academic coursework,” said Jeremy W. Steele, executive director of MIPA and a faculty member in the Michigan State University School of Journalism. “We’re tremendously proud to recognize the work of Phyllis Rose, who has had a tremendous impact on the learning experiences of hundreds of students throughout her career.”
Rose, of Vicksburg, helped coordinate the Kalamazoo Gazette’s Young Editorial Staff from 1989 to 2012, when it was discontinued. Through the program, Rose and the Gazette worked with 24 students each year from 12 to 15 southwestern Michigan schools. The students would meet occasionally and would write columns for the Gazette on various issues.
“Phyllis was an inspiration to my journalism students who participated in this program,” Gull Lake High School teacher Cheryl Jolin said in her nomination of Rose. “I called her for advice on more than one occasion, too.”
Rose, who is a freelance journalist, formerly was an English and journalism teacher at Comstock High School, where she advised The Roundup student newspaper.
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.