Conestoga senior earns journalism award

BERWYN » Ian Ong, a senior at Conestoga High School, has been named 2018 Student Journalist of the Year by the Pennsylvania School Press Association. Ong is currently the managing editor of The Spoke, Conestoga’s award-winning, monthly newspaper. Ong has been on the staff since 2014.

Being the Pennsylvania scholarship winner, Ong moved onto the National JEA SJOY competition along with 36 other state winners, this past weekend at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco, California. Ong was named a national runner-up and received an $850 Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarship. In addition to his recognition by PSPA, Ong was honored at the Pennsylvania News Media Association Student Keystone Press Awards in March. He received first place for his columns, first place for layout and design and second place for his cartoon/graphic illustrations. His design work helped The Spoke win second place in Best of Show at the National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association convention in Dallas last fall. Additionally, Ong received recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for alternate story form, combining narrative with data to tell the story of how much the school and students pay for their education.

“Being on the school newspaper has really paid off in a lot of ways. It’s allowed me to become more conscious of the community and it has also allowed me to develop my voice in writing. Receiving this honor means a lot to me because it’s the culmination of the four years of journalistic work I’ve completed at The Spoke,” Ong said.

Ian Ong