Congratulations to Phalanx yearbook staff and sponsor Nicole Motahari, and to North Springs News and Spartan Scoop Podcast A/V sponsor John Wilkerson, on winning this year’s Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s Turnaround Award and First Year Teacher award, respectively.
GSPA Posted on its website:
The Turnaround Award recognizes a staff and an adviser who has significantly improved the quality of their product from the previous year.
Nicole Motahari has turned the North Springs High School Phalanx yearbook, which operated like a club, into a full-fledged yearbook journalism program.
According to a nomination letter, Motahari works in conjunction with staff as well as students to handle obstacles and editorial concerns. She has brought new energy and recognition to revitalize the program by supporting student creativity and growth (this year, one of her students received national recognition through NSPA’s Journalism Week Poster Contest). Staff members have turned their attention to local interactions and coverage, deeper interviewing and documenting school events and encouraging students to reach beyond the school.
The First Year Adviser Award recognizes a teacher with one to three years of experience who has made a significant impact on their student media staff.
John Wilkerson brought a wealth of talent from his own Emmy award-winning career as a sports broadcaster for various networks. Wilkerson also previously directed a semi-regular middle school broadcast show. After entering North Springs High School, he has already made his mark with strides in increasing the frequency of production of the North Springs News, now twice monthly, as well as encouraging a greater number of students to pursue their own film and AV projects. Wilkerson also took the reins of North Springs’ infrequent podcast program and created a series of ongoing podcast discussions called the “Spartan Scoop.”
One colleague said in a nomination letter that “Wilkerson is quick to respond to ideas from both students and staff, and he trusts his students to take care of their own tasks while checking in occasionally.”
Text from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association website:
2026 Achievement Award winners revealed — GSPA
Images from the GSPA Facebook site.
