Meet the 2023 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference Scholars
The 2023 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference class includes 51 high school juniors representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These scholars were selected from among a record number of more than 200 applicants.
More than half of this year’s class (53%) are students of color, and 69% are women.
Many are active in their school journalism programs, including 15% who are editors-in-chief of their high school publications. Several have been published in or interned for state and national publications, including:
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- WHYY (Philadelphia)
- VTDigger (Vermont)
- NPR
- Education Week
- Time for Kids
- PBS NewsHour
The class includes winners of the New York Times Personal Narrative and Student Editorial contests.
These students’ work in journalism has featured personal stories of mental health, race and culture, gun violence, literature, education, student press freedom, veterans, incarcerated writers and many more issues of importance to young people and their communities.
In addition to journalism, this year’s Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference scholars include students who have found success as an accomplished pianist, interned for a state representative, testified before Congress, achieved Eagle Scout status, played competitive tennis and been Model UN delegates. Members have participated in a wide range of charitable, civic and volunteer efforts in their communities.
Each of the selected students for the 2023 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference exemplifies Al Neuharth’s call to “Dream. Dare. Do.”
Hear from the 2023 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference Scholars
Class of 2023
Alabama
Venecia Lewis
Alaska
Haleigh Bolton
Arizona
Samuel Luba
Arkansas
Katherine Henry
California
Elise Spenner
Colorado
Evianna Hall
Connecticut
Christina Vega
Delaware
Isabella Lehr
District of Columbia
Naomi Breuer
Florida
Riana Mahtani
Georgia
Sydney Martinez
Hawaii
Shane Kaneshiro
Idaho
Kara Skiles
Illinois
Tomas Moran
Indiana
Malak Samara
Iowa
Wesal Haroun
Kansas
Joaquin Davila
Kentucky
Treiston Collins
Louisiana
Alyvia Pierson
Maine
David Rush
Maryland
Paige Plater
Massachusetts
Talvin Dhingra
Michigan
Isabella Jacob
Minnesota
Orion Kim
Mississippi
Iris Xue
Missouri
Serena Liu
Montana
Henry Jagodzinski
Nebraska
Anthony McGill
Nevada
Max Grinstein
New Hampshire
Kelly Egan
New Jersey
Jiwoo Lee
New Mexico
Louis Herndon
New York
Laila Guzman Griffin
North Carolina
Nadia Armenta
North Dakota
Hannah Sarkilahti
Ohio
Kyle Smith
Oklahoma
Nicolette Berlin
Oregon
Zoe Toperosky
Pennsylvania
Tanisha Agrawal
Rhode Island
Darrien Giuliano
South Carolina
Jordan Davis
South Dakota
Reese Duncan
Tennessee
Margot Ross
Texas
Eshaan Mani
Utah
Indiana Plant
Vermont
Hannah Cunningham
Virginia
Clare Kirwan
Washington
Minoo Jang
West Virginia
Jeremiah Hurd
Wisconsin
Leah Beyer
Wyoming
Emma Johnson
About the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
The annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference for high school juniors returns to the nation’s capital June 24-29, 2023.
The program was established in 1999 to honor Al Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum and USA TODAY. The conference is designed to inspire and encourage students to pursue journalism. Today, there are more than 1,400 “Free Spirits” including journalists working for The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, ESPN and network-affiliated TV stations.
Free Spirits have been described as people who “dream, dare, do.” Those are words that conference participants demonstrate each day, and they are the program’s motto.
“A free spirit can also be a risk-taker, a visionary, an innovative leader, or a courageous achiever who accomplishes great things beyond his or her circumstances,” said Neuharth, who died in 2013.
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