The following interview was conducted with Chelsea Schneider following her Student Journalist of the Year honor. Schneider's portfolio is in competition for the national JEA competition. JEA winners will be announced April 15. Click here to see the full press release of Chelsea's award.

Q: What attracted you to journalism inthe first place? Why the newspaper?

    I like newspaper staff because it is more writing orientated than yearbook. I signed up for Beginning Journalism as a freshman because I thought it would be an interesting class, but then it became so much more. Journalism has taught me so much more than how to write the perfect lead or design an eye-catching spread, it has taught me how to be a dependable and responsible person. I like meeting new people and finding out what makes them "tick."

Q: You seem to include"community" in your definition of news. As a student journalist,what's so important about covering community beyond your normal high school responsibilities?

   High school journalists have a lot of responsibilities and one of their major responsibilities is making sure they are an integral part of the society they live in. We have a responsibility to inform and help our fellow community members. Journalists need to go beyond the status quo and this can be in the form of understanding the importance of civic journalism or doing community service projects as a staff. Covering your community is a vital aspect of being a journalist.

Q: What lessons have you learned from being the editor of The Owl?

   I have learned how to relate to different types of people. I have learned that everyone perceives things differently and that my vision can be different than my staff members. I have learned that being an editor is a huge responsibility. Editors are only as good as their staff members. I can1t say enough for my staff members. They are what makes The Owl great.

Q: As you reflect on your career inhigh school journalism, does any one story (or series) stand out in your mind? Why?

     Yes, this year myself and two of my staff members wrote a story on domestic abuse which started out our "Breaking Free" series which also discussed students living on their own, runaways and juvenile courts. Our domestic abuse story started our products drive, and The Owl along with the Cub Reporter and North Star collected over 2,400 hygiene items to help victims of domestic abuse. When I started the interviewing process for the domestic abuse story, I felt compelled to do more than write the average feature. I wanted to change these people's lives for the better.

Q: What's the most difficult aspect of being a leader on the Owl staff and in your school?

   The most difficult aspect is making sure everyone is on task. The toughest part is right after an issue comes out, and you must start the process over again. This process includes making sure your writers are interviewing the correct sources and going for an interesting angle. Then you have to worry about photo assignments and design ideas. At Warren, the most difficult aspect I would say is the size. We have a very diverse student population and in order to be an adequate leader, you need to make sure your relate to different types of people.

Q: Do you think the work you've done injournalism has made Warren Central a better school? If so, in what way(s)?   

   I would like to think that Warren Central is a better place because of the work I've done through The Owl. I hope that I compelled people to take action through my writing and that I have changed maybe their perception on certain topics. The Owl's major goal is to make people think. I definitely know that The Owl is an important part of Warren Central, and I have strived throughout my years on staff to make the newspaper better for the readers.

Q: How has your adviser, Mark Haab,helped you develop as a journalist and as a person?

     I am so fortunate to have had the privilege of having Mr. Haab as my adviser. He's taught me so many skills that I can use both in the classroom and out of the classroom. H'1s taught me that I can never settle for anything less than my best and as hard as I try, no one can be perfect all the time. He's definitely pushed me intellectually. When I look back from the time when I was a freshman to now, I am a very different person. There's no way I would have ever been Journalist of the Year if it hadn't been for Mr. Haab. He's taught me all I know journalistically. He's stuck up for me and is a huge advocate for our rights as high school journalists. The greatest thing about him is that he really wants to see his students succeed not only in journalism but in life as well. I guess it is hard to convey in words all that he's done for me and the rest of my staff members. All I can say is he is an awesome person. I'm definitely going to miss him next year. He is the wind beneath my wings.

Q: Do you have any advice to otherstudent journalists who want to be leaders in their schools?

     Remember the newspaper is for your readers. When doing page planning or creating a design, make sure it is reader-friendly. Without keeping your reader in mind, the newspaper, yearbook or literary magazine as a whole is weak.