After senior Logan Day was named this year’s Texas Journalist of the Year on Thursday, March 5, in a surprise ceremony by Texas Association of Journalism Educators Contest Director Andrea Negri, Day will now be attending the JEA/ NSPA National Convention April 16-18 in Minneapolis, Minnesota – where he is also nominated for the National Student Journalist of the year contest.
Negri presented the award in the LGI to Day after Conroe ISD Board of Trustees President Misty Odenweller awarded Day with the student Texas Standard Award plaque given to students who show strong character traits and community contribution.
“When I saw her face (Negri), I immediately knew because I recognized her,” Day said. “I talked with her at journalism conventions, my heart dropped and I started shaking, my hands were shaking. It felt like a movie, this was so perfectly set up.”
The Texas Journalist of the Year honor has been awarded to one high school student, with Day making Conroe ISD history as the first to receive that honor. Day said he hopes this proves Caney Creek students are capable.
“(the award) Is valuable because it means that people care about my writing,” Day said. “I need to keep making it, right? Because people do care and it leaves an impact. I think it’s just proof to myself that I can leave an impact on the world with my journalism, and people do care.”
In August, Day jokingly told Student Media Adviser Stephen Green that he would apply to the JOY competition. Green created him a to-do list in response.
“I spent a long time just reading other people’s winning portfolios,” Day said. “Because I wanted mine to be perfect, right? I was looking at the national portfolios, too, because I want to win nationals.”
Texas has strong journalism programs, Green said any of the candidates could have won. He noted that the only advice he gave Day was what he has always said ‘We aren’t good because we win awards, we win awards because we are good.’
“Logan stands out because he truly, deeply, organically cares about journalism; it’s what he loves doing and has the knowhow to back it up,” Green said. “When you have that level of knowledge and passion, you feel it in the work. You can read his work and tell it comes from the heart.”
Josten’s sponsored a $1,500 scholarship to go along with his JOY plaque. The company sponsored the scholarship in memory of industry leader and scholastic supporter Bill Taylor. TAJE judges named Day’s portfolio the best in the state, with one giving Day 81 out of 80 points.
“This young man is NOT a student journalist – he’s a journalist (period),” one judge said. “Total immersion into media is a hallmark of this portfolio. Wow – What an impressive body of work! I enjoyed reading every section entry. You should be most proud of an outstanding scholastic journalism career.”
Day initially doubted he was going to win the JOY award but that the portfolio gave him a chance to learn about broadcasting and think more about other areas of journalism; stating the portfolio made him feel like he had rediscover himself.
“Honestly, it (the portfolio) felt more like a deep dive into myself and understanding why I do this,” Day said. “And I’m very grateful that I did because now I understand why journalism is so important to me. I knew it was before. I’ve always known it’s so important to me, but I understand why now.”
Although Day was awarded journalist of the year, he still admires the other portfolio applicants. Day said many portfolios were strong which made him nervous when thinking about who would win JOY.
“I hope (other applicants) know that they’re still great journalists and that I think that we’re all gonna go far,” Day said. “And I can’t wait to see who else is gonna be in the industry with me in the future, right? Like it’s exciting. I feel like all of these kids I’m around right now are gonna be my co-workers eventually, right? So, to actually win it means a lot. I mean, my entire high school career has led up to this.”
Day moved from Colorado to Texas during his freshman year two weeks after school had begun, starting off as a photographer. Day encouraged other students to take opportunities, adding that he discovered journalism by chance when his counselor Mrs. Savage put him in the class.
“My motto for myself when I moved to Texas was that I’m gonna take every single opportunity presented to me,” Day said. “I told myself I was going to hold myself to this new rule in my new home in Texas. And I was going to grow as a person.”
Day plans to continue his education as a journalism major at the University of Missouri or University of Texas at Austin. Day said he is grateful that he can bring the JOY title to Caney Creek.
“I’m so heavily dependent on journalism that it shaped who I am, and I’m grateful for it,” Day said. “I can’t wait to be a part of that in the real world.”
