Despite the challenges of Covid, high school journalism students continue to produce quality work. Two of these dedicated reporters/editors, Hannah Kennedy from Homestead HS in Mequon, Wisconsin and Caeli Harman from Stoughton HS in Stoughton, Wisconsin,  persevered in their senior year and are the recipients of the 2020-2021 KEMPA scholarships. 

     Hannah Kennedy has always wanted to be a journalist and a storyteller. She signed up for Intro to Publications in her freshman year and never looked back. Even when she moved to Ireland with her family for her sophomore year, she decided to document her stay and captured much of her travels on video. Her passion for videography grew, and one of her goals is to be an international reporter creating documentary-style videos showcasing the diversity of our world. 

     On her return to the US, Hannah jumped right in where she left off at Homestead and began writing and videoing for the publications class. By her senior year, she was the Editor-in-chief of the Advanced Publications staff. Hannah’s adviser described her as a person with integrity and a worldly perspective with the ability to think outside of herself and view the larger picture. Hannah will be off to the University of Maryland-College Park in the Fall to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist and a great storyteller.

     The best way to describe Caeli Harman is that she is an artist who tells her stories through striking graphics and art illustrations. As a staff news reporter and head artist for her publication, Caeli’s adviser describes her as a journalist who brings something new to every news cycle. Whether it be her power of communication, skill at using graphics to tell a story, or her ability to connect to her readership, Caeli brings something fresh to their publication each time. 

    Caeli is a solid reporter from beginning to end. She starts by pitching a multitude of stories for each issue. When reporting for her stories, if she needs three sources she will gather ten. She coordinates the photography for many of the stories and most importantly seeks fair and full coverage.

    The hallmark of Caeli’s work is her creativity in her writing and her artwork. She has worked tireless hours creating graphics for her publication in a way that surpasses the article writer’s vision of the story. In her artwork she considers diversity, message, and story to create integral design pieces to promote the story. Caeli will be attending Taylor University to continue her career in the field of visual and written communication.