Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills City Schools
Students from Vestavia Hills HIgh School show off awards they received from the 2026 Alabama Scholastic Press Association state convention in Tuscaloosa
The Vestavia News Network, Muse literary magazine and Pillar online newspaper from Vestavia Hills High School students recently brought home some top honors at the Alabama Scholastic Press Association State Journalism Convention in Tuscaloosa.
The Muse literary magazine and The Pillar online newspaper both earned the All-Alabama ranking, the highest distinction awarded to scholastic journalism programs in the state.
VNN also received All-Alabama for social media content and a superior rating for its daily morning broadcast.
Several VNN students also received a Student Production Award Emmy nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast Chapter for their feature story, “Vestavia Hills Celebrates 25 Years of Doughboy Tradition.”
Those students are Libby Soong, AK Atkinson, Kathryn Ellis and Ella Taylor. Emmy winners will be announced at a ceremony in Atlanta on March 21. Watch their story here.
Other ASPA award winners from Vestavia Hills High School were:
First Place:
- Hayden Perry – Creative video
- Noah Oswald – Editing and on-site social media
- Namira Rubaiyath – Literary magazine poetry
Second Place:
- Noah Oswald – Creative video
- EK Simpson – Web sports photo
- Caroline Bishop and Kathryn Ellis – Web feature photo (tie)
- Caroline Bishop – Broadcast feature story
- Stella Atkinson – On-site editing
- Caroline Lawton – On-site feature photo
Third Place:
- Tessa Spurling – Broadcast news story
- Harrison Gilder – Web sports photo
- AK Atkinson – On-site news anchor
- Christina Lao – Literary magazine art (single piece)
- Caroline Bishop – On-site feature writing
- Jada Holliday – On-site social media video
Honorable Mention:
- Kathryn Ellis – Broadcast sports story
