At the 2026 SIPA Convention in Columbia, S.C., four individual awards were presented for outstanding contributions to scholastic journalism.

Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year Award: Chas Coker, Wando High School

Chas Coker is the principal of Wando High School and has been dedicated to promoting the freedoms and successes of Wando Student Media. Wando adviser Phillip Caston says it is “truly rare these days to find a principal in our state and in the South who exhibits such unwavering support, understanding and commitment to the excellence and success of scholastic journalism as Chas Coker does.” Coker has helped student journalists secure technology necessary for their publications, is an advocate for student press freedom, and recognizes the awards presented to each student journalist at Wando. Congratulations Mr. Coker!

Elizabeth B. Dickey Distinguished Service Award: Katrina Berry-Ivy, Tupelo High School

Katrina Berry-Ivy, adviser at Tupelo High School in Mississippi, is a former professional broadcaster who oversees WTHS Media at her school. She is known as an adviser’s adviser and has raised her broadcast class to exceptional heights. She has been named a JEA Distinguished Broadcast Adviser and Mississippi’s Broadcast Adviser of the Year. Her students are SIPA award winners and swept the broadcast category awards this year. Congratulations to Mrs. Berry-Ivy!

Leslie Dennis Heart for Diversity Award: Fannie Lou Hamer’s America 

This award, named in honor of former University of South Carolina Director of Scholastic Media Leslie Dennis, is presented to an individual or organization that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to promoting diversity, inclusivity and multicultural awareness through scholastic media. This year, the Fannie Lou Hamer’s America organization was awarded for its outstanding documentary and curriculum aimed at educating students about First Amendment freedoms. Visit their website to learn more about Fannie Lou Hamer and her legacy. Congratulations!

Joseph W. Shoquist Freedom of the Press Award: Staff, Theogony, Alexandria City High School  

The Joseph W. Shoquist Freedom of the Press Award was initiated in 1989 to recognize a SIPA adviser or staff for exercising First Amendment rights at the high school level. This year it was presented to the Theogony staff at Alexandria City High School in Virginia for their empowering story. After speaking out on issues such as the removal of popular administrators, Theogony saw pushback from district officials. They created a press freedom campaign and proposed a policy, “Voices Unbound,” to ensure their right to publish. The Theogony staff is a wonderful example of advocating for student press freedom in difficult times. Congratulations!