Two budding journalists from Ankeny are the recipients of Iowa Newspaper Association scholarships.
Ava Tomlinson, a senior at Ankeny High School, has received a $1,000 Iowa Journalist Institute Scholarship scholarship to attend the University of Iowa. Joanna Guerrero, also a senior at Ankeny High School, received the $500 Carter Pitts scholarship and will attend Iowa State University.
Both helped revive the student newspaper, The Talon, which last week had its first print edition in 13 years.
“It means a lot to me to know that there are people who are in this industry that care enough to be giving that kind of money,” Tomlinson said in an interview with the Des Moines Register. “And, not to like toot my own horn, but it kind of puts it in perspective that I am pretty good at what I do.”
Tomlinson has been involved in track and field and softball and was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society, Key Club and Mental Health Awareness Club. She also was editor at The Talon.
She first got her start in journalism after English teacher Alissa Hansen encouraged her to enroll in an introductory journalism course her junior year.
“It has been an incredible thing to just witness her growth over the past three years,” Hansen said. “I usually have my standouts, and Ava was definitely one of those standouts.”
As time progressed, and Tomlinson fell in love with journalism, she figured out it’s what she wants to do with her career.
“By going out and writing these stories and doing these projects, I’ve been able to meet a lot of cool people who I never would have talked to before,” Tomlinson said. “I’ve been able to build relationships and just learn more about the world, like broaden my vision of the world.”
She will major in journalism and mass communications with a focus on sports and digital media at the University of Iowa.
Like Tomlinson, Guerrero had a similar path.
“I started with intro to journalism with no knowledge about journalism, and I absolutely loved it,” she said. “I just started writing stories, interviewing people around the community, my classmates, teachers, just anyone that would let me interview them and I would just write stories and it was fun.”
Guerrero has been president of Key Club, co-president of the Mental Health Awareness Club, vice president of the Student Council, a student ambassador, secretary for the National Honor Society and a member of the Spanish Honor Society.
Guerro will double major in journalism and mass communications and marketing. She hopes to work for the student newspaper the Iowa State Daily and intern at the athletics department.
Alongside Tomlinson and other members of The Talon, she said watching the paper grow and be in print has been rewarding.
“It was a great accomplishment. And, now that it’s out, it’s really amazing to see how everybody has really enjoyed it and come back with good feedback,” Guerrero said. “I see this becoming a tradition, to continuously publish at least one paper every semester.”
While working as the social media editor for The Talon this year, Guerrero has proven herself to be a great student journalist, with awards for her writing and stories published in the Ankeny Business Journal.
“She probably has one of the strongest work ethics I’ve ever seen in a high school student,” Hansen said.
Both Tomlinson and Guerrero came into journalism at the same time, when Hansen helped revive it, and have been there every step of the way since.
“It’s bittersweet for me to say goodbye to both of them because I wouldn’t be where I am without those two like by my side,” Hansen said. “It’s pretty exciting too, but oh my gosh, I’m so incredibly proud of them. They both have extremely prosperous futures ahead. I’m just so excited to see where they go.”
Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. You can reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.
