The 2023-2024 edition of The Creek, Caney Creek High School’s yearbook, has been named a winner of the National Scholastic Press Association’s prestigious Pacemaker Award, the highest national honor for student journalism.
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NSPA announced just 22 winners in its annual Pacemaker competition Saturday, honoring the “best of the best” among more than 17,000 high school yearbooks produced nationwide each year. Only 50 Texas high schools and just three Conroe ISD schools have ever earned a Pacemaker Award.
“Awards don’t mean everything, but it is certainly an honor to be among the school publications that we have modeled many of our own practices after,” said Stephen Green, who advises both publications alongside Leigh Anne Treistman. “I’m more proud of these students than any words could possibly describe.
“It’s hard to overstate how difficult this competition is because you’re not only facing Texas schools, but the best of the best from around the country and some international schools. This is a testament to the drive and passion from the Caney Creek Student Media staff members who toil away behind the scenes, often thanklessly, to tell the story of this school.”
The NSPA Pacemaker is one of the oldest and most respected awards in scholastic journalism, dating back to 1921. In the yearbook competition, judges evaluate entries based on strong visual and verbal storytelling, excellence in design, coverage, writing, photography and overall concept.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” NSPA Executive Director Laura Widmer said. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
Dr. Terri Benson, principal at Caney Creek High School, pointed out that The Creek self-publishes, which means the staff prints directly through a printer and not a traditional yearbook company. For that, Benson said she is immensely proud of the staff for being acknowledged for its professionalism and dedication.
“Their creativity and hard work have truly captured the spirit and excellence of our school community,” she said. “This national recognition is a testament to their commitment in displaying the student experience at Caney Creek High School. This yearbook staff has set a high standard of excellence — and we are thankful for them.”
Judging is done by two teams of three experts, who review and discuss each entry over several days. Winners are determined by consensus, not by a scoring rubric.
The Creek yearbook was selected for its innovative design, student-driven storytelling, and ability to capture the experiences of Caney Creek’s student body. Treistman notes that staff members dedicate hours and hours of time outside of school simply to make a better place for their peers.
“Staff members are the kind of journalists who will shoot for five hours, write for three, edit for an hour and then offer to help someone learning how to photograph a campus event for the first time,” she said. “They are scrappy, tenacious, and resourceful. When the whole world is complaining about poor work ethics, all I can think about is a group of high school kids up all night, producing meaningful stories and quality spreads.”
Other Awards
The yearbook also received a Silver Star from UIL’s ILPC, All-American honors from NSPA, and First Class honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The CCHSCompass.com news website also earned a Silver Crown Award from CSPA — another prestigious journalism award, and one of only four Gold Stars from ILPC.
As a staff, Student Media photographers were named No. 3 in the state for photojournalism and portrait photography, No. 2 in commercial photography, and the state champions in sports photography during the ATPI Top Program school portfolio contest. Overall, Caney Creek ranked fourth-best photography program in the state.