Student journalist wins scholarship

The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association honored six journalists this spring -- including Brianna Pitstick of Kaneland -- in its 11th annual Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year Scholarship competition.

A total of $1,800 was awarded, including $1,200 from NINA, $200 each from the Daily Herald and Daily Journal of Kankakee and $100 each from the Kendall County Record Newspapers and the Sun-Times News Group.

NINA judges were impressed with Pitstick's work as a reporter, copy editor and editor of The Krier, the school newspaper. Judges also took note of Pitstick's work as an intern at the Elburn Herald.

Pitstick, who finished third, plans to attend Northern Illinois University as a journalism major with a focus on magazine journalism. She received $200 from NINA and $100 from the Daily Herald.

Rebecca Krase of Deerfield finished first, and William Carey of Beecher was second.

Kaylan Ramella of Rosary High School in Aurora earned an honorable mention. Ramella was editor of Rosary's yearbook, which won first place in a national competition at Columbia University.

NINA established the scholarship competition to recognize outstanding achievement by students in print and/or online journalism. Judges selected the winners from among 36 applicants from northern Illinois.

NINA and its member papers have awarded $14,900 in scholarships since 1997.