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Allie Langness

Seniors of the Pony Express proudly stand together with their awards from the MHSPA convention. "The feeling for your work being honored is marvelous and it makes me thankful to work with Mrs. Steil and the rest of the Pony Express staff!" Jordan Fulin stated.

Stillwater staff and students have always taken pride in their school and achievements, which is a very long list. On the list includes the school newspaper, The Pony Express, with a staff of nearly 100 students that dedicate their school and personal time to create an award winning newspaper. This team, lead by advisor Rachel Steil, won international first place in the Quill and Scroll.

The Quill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that focuses its awarding on high school writers and newspaper publications. 14,104 schools across the globe participate in the Quill and Scroll. After another successful year has passed, the Pony Express has been awarded first in the Quill and Scroll, this time, however it’s truly special as it marks the Pony Express’s 15th year of winning. This award is the highest honor given in the Quill and Scroll and is something that is viewed very highly by colleges and communities.

Not only does the staff take pride in the award winning newspaper, but the members of Pony Express also understand the honor of the award and feel proud of their efforts to truly make the newspaper as powerful and effective as it can be. Hours of work are put in every month to deliver a well read paper.

“It makes me very proud to be a part of the Pony Express. I witness how much hard work and dedication goes into the paper. It’s an honor that we won and I definitely think we deserved it. All the hours after school really pays off,” senior Editor-in-Chief Jordan Fulin said. Fulin’s junior year she worked as a layout editor, but this year is a hard-working Print Editor-in-Chief, who is devoted to the entire process that goes into making the Pony Express the best it can be. “Overall I have put in a lot of time. Writing is my passion so I’m proud to be a part of the Pony Express,” Fulin said.

In order for the Pony Express to win international first place, judges must evaluate all aspects of the newspaper, both print and online, including curriculum and budget. Based on these elements the newspaper is then ranked. Steil has worked at SAHS for 17 years, of those 17 the Pony Express has won the Quill and Scroll 15 times. Steil has dedicated her work to creating the best setting for the success of her students by letting them grow and learn in a safe and professional environment.

“We are a 100 percent student-produced publication; as a result every single aspect of what is put out to our community is created entirely by students. Even when we make mistakes, they are teachable moments for students to grow and improve. I consider my role as adviser is to provide a strong curriculum, but also to guide, support and empower students to be powerful journalists,” Steil says, “We have one of the largest high school newspaper programs in the state, and as a result, we’re publishing much larger volumes of content each month. Students are taught how to find good news ideas and how to structure stories based on the highest standards of press law and good journalism ethics.”

The Pony Express has given hundreds of students a chance to grow in writing and work ethics like never before. The intense application process and endless before and after school work prove the drive of the committed students. Along with first place internationally, these students are impacted with the knowledge that their hard work and writing pays off. Students feel empowered by the effects that their writings have and continue to pursue writing dreams through the Pony Express.

“I remember Mrs. Steil sent out a group message about it. As I read the message I instantly started smiling. The feeling for your work being honored is marvelous and it makes me thankful to work with Mrs. Steil and the rest of the Pony Express staff,” Fulin said. Senior Sam Begin, Editor-in-Chief for the Pony Express said, “The Pony Express is a fun experience, but definitely a challenging one. The fact that the newspaper is an award-winning publications only pushes me to work harder to keep up that reputation.”

Every year a new group of juniors join the creative team of the Pony Express, even though they are aware of the demands of time and level of sophistication involved in creating a highly ranked paper. They understand the work they are about to put in and excitedly enter a world of journalism with the knowledge in the back of their mind, that they are working for a newspaper nationally recognized by the Quill and Scroll, an honor not taken lightly by any members of the Pony Express.

“The pride I have in telling people that the newspaper I contribute to is nationally recognized is a feeling like no other. Filling in the shoes of the juniors last year will be a challenge I’m looking forward to,” junior Sports Layout Editor Bennett Friedrich said.

With the involvement of Stillwater community and the legacy of 15 years, Rachel Steil and SAHS have created something incredible for students to grow and expand their knowledge and dreams. For 15 years the Quill and Scroll has recognized the talent and efforts of the Pony Express and how it changes writing for teenagers and gets them involved in the community, and also teaches them lessons to carry on through college and a newfound passion. Winning international first place in the Quill and Scroll has boosted the program and students to bigger and brighter things.

“Newspaper is my passion and I am so pleased when I see students get excited about the work they do in my class,” Steil said. “Many of my students go on to pursue some type of communications degree in college and knowing that I had a role in that path is rewarding.”