Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Journalism Education Association

Introduction
The Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarships honor JEA’s longtime treasurer and recognize the nation’s top high school journalists. The competition begins at the state level; each state’s Journalist of the Year winner may advance to the national round. National recipients are announced at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. JEA sends scholarship awards directly to the recipient’s college or university account: $4,000 to the top winner and $1,200 each to up to five finalists.

Eligibility and entry route
- Contest entrants must first compete and win at their state’s JOY (Journalist of the Year) competition. Check your state’s submission process and deadlines with your JEA state director (a state deadline list is available on the JEA site).
- Applicants whose schools are outside the United States should submit to JEA’s global engagement director. At the judges’ discretion, up to three international portfolios (no more than one per country) may be selected to advance to the national competition.
- The applicant’s adviser must be a current JEA member.
- Applicants must be high school seniors (or the international equivalent).
- Note: All national JOY submissions must be digital.

Important timeline and deadlines
- Round 1: Follow your state’s deadline for initial entries (contact your state director).
- Round 2: State-winning portfolios forwarded to JEA are due by 11:59 p.m. CDT on March 15.
- After state judging, state directors may return the winning portfolio to a student for minor corrections recommended by judges before submission to the national level.

Recent updates
- Applicants are no longer required to have two years of scholastic journalism experience (many applicants will still have that background).
- JEA increased the number of national finalists to five and raised finalist scholarships to $1,200 each; the top award is now $4,000.

How to apply to the national competition
State winners must complete the JEA online application for national consideration. Before beginning the online form, prepare all materials—there is no save-and-return option. Required uploads and inputs include:
- Transcript (PDF)
- Three letters of recommendation (PDFs)
- Résumé (PDF)
- Personal narrative describing your journalism experience (PDF)
- Contact information
- URL to an online portfolio that showcases your work

Portfolio preparation and organization
Candidates should host a digital portfolio (provide a stable URL) and organize their work to align with the JOY judging rubric. Recommended portfolio categories:
- Reporting and Writing
- Editing, Leadership and Team Building
- Design
- Broadcast Journalism
- Photojournalism
- Web and Social Media
- Law, Ethics and News Literacy
- Marketing and Audience Engagement
- Commitment to Diversity (work relevant to diversity may alternatively be embedded in other categories)

Portfolio artifacts and reflections
For each work sample included, provide a concise reflection that addresses:
- Evidence of publication or use (if applicable)
- Contest placements (if any)
- A brief explanation of the assignment, your role, challenges you faced, and why you selected the piece for your portfolio
Reflections should be easy to read and are typically under 100 words.

Recommendations and resources
- Review the JOY rubric and watch the Portfolio Polish video series to help prepare stronger submissions.
- Advisers should direct prospective applicants to the JEA JOY webpage for tools and guidance intended for both state and national contests.
- If resources on the site are unclear or missing, email the JOY Coordinator so the materials can be improved.

Final notes
- Double-check your state procedures before submitting to ensure you follow local requirements in addition to national guidelines.
- Prepare documents in advance (write narratives and résumés in Word/Google Docs, convert transcripts and letters to PDF) since the online form cannot be saved mid-progress.