Scholarship winner Travis Mejia of Midlothian (Texas) High School taking a picture.

PRINCETON, N.J. — The 2009 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year and four Distinguished Advisers were recognized last fall for their talents as educators. This spring DJNF awards $3,000 in scholarships to talented graduating seniors at their high schools.

The 2009 Teacher of the Year Writing Competition winners were selected through writing contests organized Christine Chang by the honored teachers at their high schools in April and May.

The top scholarship recipient is Christine Chang of Palo Alto (Calif.) High School, where Paul Kandell, 2009 Teacher of the Year, teaches and advises Verde news magazine. Christine will receive a $1,000 scholarship to attend Smith College, Northampton, Mass. She covered the launch of a social media platform for recording and uploading audio clips. The service, called Lexy, is cell phone-based. Her winning story was posted online.

Winners of competitions conducted by 2009 Distinguished Advisers will receive $500 scholarships.

Andrew Mallin to attend MissouriAlex Mallin of Oak Park High School, Kansas City, is enrolled at the University of Missouri, Columbia. His adviser Christina Geabhart arranged a talk by publisher John Beaudoin of the Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs Journals on the future of newspapers.

Travis Mejia of Midlothian (Texas) High School will attend the University of Texas at Arlington. He wrote about eroding journalistic standards in a competition organized by his adviser Carol Richtsmeier. The featured speaker was Ed Timms, a veteran reporter for The Dallas Morning News.

L.C. Chandler Jr. of St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, who will attend the University of Missouri, Columbia, submitted a portfolio of his reporting for The ReMarker where he became sports editor. His adviser is Ray Westbrook.

Julia Gabbert of Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Mo., plans to attend Webster University, St. Louis. Julia reported on remarks by 25-year-old journalist Kalen Ponche on the demands a changing industry will place on aspiring journalism majors. Her adviser is Aaron Manfull.