Puyallup High Senior Earns Statewide Journalism Recognition

Our job as journalists is to tell people's stories and to make sure everyone's voices are heard. It means a lot to me when people see stories and pictures about themselves. We are helping them see the side of them that they normally can't see.

- Lola Woodburn, Puyallup High Senior

Congratulations to Puyallup High School (PHS) Senior Lola Woodburn for winning the 2025 Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA) Journalist of the Year Contest!

WJEA is a non-profit organization supporting student media and journalism in Washington state. The organization's award and scholarship program recognizes a high school journalism senior who meets specific criteria, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA and involvement in student media for at least two years. In addition, award applicants must submit an online portfolio of their work. Woodburn's portfolio included examples of multimedia storytelling, as well as samples in social media, print journalism, and yearbook photography.

Along with her parents, PHS Principal David Sunich and representatives from the WJEA, Woodburn was surprised with the big news during her journalism class. She earned a $2,000 scholarship, becoming the third PHS Student to win the award, and the first since 2018.

 

Woodburn mentioned it felt great that her hard work paid off and that educators across Washington State acknowledged her journalism skillset.

"It feels fantastic," Woodburn said. "I put a lot of hard work into everything I've done. It's a culmination of so many different things I spent a lot of time on throughout high school. It's a positive thing to know that other people are seeing the work and recognizing it."

Woodburn expressed the importance of student journalism, mentioning that it gives students a platform to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas.

"Our job as journalists is to tell people's stories and to make sure everyone's voices are heard," Woodburn said. "It means a lot to me when people see stories and pictures about themselves. We (journalists) are helping them see the side of them that they normally can't see."

 

As the WJEA Journalist of the Year, Woodburn will represent Washington State as a finalist for the 2025 National Journalism Education Association (NJEA) Journalist of the Year. The recipient will be announced in Seattle at the 2025 National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association Spring National Convention in April.

Woodburn plans to attend George Fox University to double major in communications and business and participate in cross country and track.