Kelsey O’Connell, editor-in-chief of The Bulldog Tribune and a senior at Stone Bridge High School, is the Virginia High School League’s 2010 Student Journalist of the Year and Charles Savedge Scholarship recipient.

“Kelsey put together an impressive package,” said VHSL Director of Activities Lisa Giles. “She clearly demonstrated her gift for writing, and her personal essay revealed that she has the kind of determination and tenacity that it takes to achieve goals despite road blocks and red tape.”

O’Connell was the unanimous choice of a three-person selection committee composed of college journalism educators and a professional journalist.
O’Connell has been involved with high school journalism since she was a freshman.

As a sophomore and junior, she served as managing editor of the The Bulldog Tribune, which was the only Loudoun County school paper to achieve VHSL’s Trophy Class ranking in 2008-09.

“I believe Kelsey’s redesign is the major reason the paper earned a trophy,” said Stone Bridge High School newspaper adviser Jo Ellen Sholl.

As a senior, Editor-in-Chief O’Connell supervises section editors and staff writers and will help train new staff members in newspaper layout and design by leaving them with a PowerPoint teaching tool that she created.

O’Connell maintains a 4.09 grade point average and has been accepted by James Madison University and Elon University.

The Charles Savedge Scholarship/Student Journalist of the Year Award is named in honor of the celebrated publications adviser who was affectionately known as “Mr. Yearbook.”

This award began in 1991. Jason Roop, editor of Style Weekly magazine in Richmond, was the first recipient. Each year, VHSL member schools may nominate one candidate for consideration.