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Dante Hoyos

Hannasch has always been interested in sports journalism and this year at The Journalist of the Year (JOY) awards, he attended every sports journalism speaking session.

Stillwater senior and Editor-in-Chief of The Pony Express, Justin Hannasch has recently been recognized for his excellence in the field of high school journalism. After being nominated to compete in the Minnesota State Journalist of the Year (JOY), Hannasch was named among top in the state for journalism and received an honorable mention for his hard work and commitment to journalism.

Hannasch is known by many of his teachers as a very bright student with character traits that will help him in all academic ventures.  “Justin is a very conscientious student who learns because he enjoys to learn and not just because he has to,” newspaper adviser teacher, Rachel Steil said.

The Journalist of the Year contest is an annual nationwide competition that rewards scholarships to students who show profession in the field of journalism. The competition starts at a state level and winners from each state then move on to compete at a national level. In each state one winner will be chosen for first place and receive a scholarship reward of $3,000, up to eight other students will place, and the runner up will receive a smaller prize of $850.

For many, receiving an award can be a nerve-racking experience, but Hannasch chose to view it in a positive light. “I’m actually really glad I did it. It was a good experience and I was really surprised to be placed among all of those good journalists, it was really an honor,” Hannasch said.

Not just anyone can qualify to be considered for this award, it takes hard work and commitment to the field of journalism.

“I’ve been interested in writing since junior high,” Hannasch said. “I have always wanted to be a sports journalist, which made the subject so appealing to me.”

Hannasch plans on majoring in business and then attending law school. Despite the fact that he is not pursuing a career in journalism, Hannasch will surely have opportunities to utilize his journalism skills on a near daily basis.

“Dedication is one of the most important things in journalism,” Hannasch said. “The more passionate you are with your writing, the more readers will get the message you are trying to get across. Journalists tell the world what’s happening so in a sense they rule the world.”

A $3,000 scholarship and national recognition can help anyone in the long run, but what really benefits Hannasch are his skills in journalism that he has honed over the past few years of his academic life.