The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association today honored Mia Lin of Clague Middle School as the state’s — and the nation’s — top middle school journalist. Lin was selected as the first winner of MIPA’s Aspiring Young Journalist Award and represented Michigan in the national Journalism Education Association’s version of the contest, which she also won.
Lin, of Ann Arbor, is the editor-in-chief of the newspaper club at Clague Middle School, where she works with media adviser Sara-Beth Badalamente. Lin’s parents are Susanna Lin and Jules Lin.
“Mia Lin has developed a portfolio of work that rivals that of many high school student journalists,” said Jeremy Steele, executive director of MIPA. “Her passion for journalism is infectious, and she has led Clague’s student newspaper to be a model for middle school programs.”
MIPA’s Aspiring Young Journalist contest recognizes Michigan’s top middle school student journalists. This contest honors work from junior high/middle school students and is designed to encourage them to continue to pursue journalism in high school. To enter, students must assemble a portfolio of their journalistic work from middle school. Students must be in their final grade of middle school to enter.
MIPA also recognized three runners-up for outstanding middle school careers in journalism:
- Roshan Desai of Bloomfield Hills, Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for Boys (parents: Snehal Desai and Sheena Desai; student media adviser: Christina Hammitt)
- Lakshya Jaiganesh of Ypsilanti, Clague Middle School (parents: Uma Jaiganesh and Jaiganesh Velan; student media adviser: Sara-Beth Badalamente)
- Cole Muran of Traverse City, Traverse City East Middle School (parents: Melissa Muran and Brett Muran; student media adviser: Jody Mackey)
“We were highly impressed with the quality of work produced by all four of these students,” Steele said. “Any high school would be lucky to have them work in their media programs next year.”
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.