High School in Northeast Fresno earns 2 national prizes for student paper

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A high school newspaper in Northeast Fresno is bringing the Central Valley national recognition. For a 6th year, The Feather Online has taken home two prestigious awards for high school journalism.

It may be a high school journalism class but to the staff of Fresno Christian High School's daily paper working The Feather is a full-time job. With most writers not even old enough to vote, the in-depth articles cover topics ranging from politics to social media.

"Teenagers are getting a lot smarter and I think, in terms of larger issues, we're all more aware of stuff now than perhaps in the past," said Rees Roggenstein, Editor-in-Chief.

"It teaches you responsibility and what to do in stressful situations," said Joshua CartJoshua Carter, Editor-in-Chief.

Sprinkle in a full schedule of AP classes for editors-in-chief Chloe Mueller, Rees Roggenstein, and Joshua Carter and you've got their day-to-day.

Carter said, "We still keep it going, and give several hours a day just to keep this running."

"It's a lot of work, I'm not going to lie. There have been sleepless nights, there has been one occasion where I actually did cry," said Roggenstein.

To say that hard work pays off is an understatement. The Feather staff are now proud recipients of two national awards for outstanding journalism. The NSPA's Pacemaker and CSPA's Gold Crown-- something only five other high schools were able to do.

"The words gotta be right. The angle of the photo needs to be right. It's an endless procedure to try to get them to see the next level," said Greg Stobbe, Feather Online Advisor.

Though it's a class, lecture stops after week two and practice goes into play. Teaching them early about the importance of working together.

"We usually take the time to actually go over their articles with them and edit them face-to-face so we get that connection," said Mueller.

A connection ensuring the success of the paper for years to come.

"A lot of my inspiration came from the older students, like the Editor-in-Chiefs when I was younger. So I think it's really important to take that role," Mueller said.

As for what's next-- they say the sky is the limit.

"Success doesn't have to wait until you're old enough-- these students represent that expertly. They've all learned skills that will help them throughout their years," said Roggenstein.