After being named a finalist for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Award, the Ledoian yearbook staff earned a Gold Crown at the spring conference in New York City Friday, March 21.
“It feels like our work that we put in is being recognized, and that we are being recognized for the work we do,” managing editor-in-chief senior Avery Faulkner said. “It’s challenging because this award it is for last year’s book, so it’s almost an entire year behind, so it’s delayed satisfaction, but it puts me back to remembering creating the book and the bonds and relationships we created when making the book.”
This is the third time in four years the Ledoian has won a Gold Crown, and according to CSPA, “the Crown Awards are the highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student publication for overall excellence.”
Photography editor senior Ian Black has been on staff for two years, and while he hasn’t been on staff as long as other students, he said this year he has put a lot of effort into the yearbook.
“I felt that I necessarily didn’t deserve that award because I was in the beginner class at the time,” Black said. “I’m really excited to get to share this with everyone. Being able to have this experience is truly remarkable, and I’m so thankful.”
Along with getting a new adviser, the program relocated to the Daniel Ninth Grade building and had a shift in leadership as last year’s editors graduated. Despite those changes, staffers said they’ve grown this year.
“We have been able to take the different challenges we have faced and build ourselves individually and as a team and continued growth overall as a whole,” Faulkner said. “The fact that this is my senior year has made it the most impactful on me. I’m recognizing all the work that goes into producing a yearbook, all the work that goes on behind everybody’s individual jobs. Being able to lead such a great team and creating a good product has stuck out to me.”
Of the 173 schools picked nationwide, only 16 won a gold crown, and Aledo was one of four Texas schools to earn the distinction.
“It was really cool to see the spread designs and pictures I took on the screen,” content editor-in-chief senior Ella Flowers said.
Flowers has been on yearbook staff for three years, and she is on the editorial board for news production for Bearcat TV like Black.
“It was definitely a challenge to learn how to work on all the things at once,” Black said. “I’m in Bearcat TV, I work on Cat’s Eye, and I’m working on yearbook. It’s honesty so amazing to see these pages come to life and people’s work shine through. People don’t realize it’s really a lot of work that goes into this. Like with photography, people spend hours going to events every weekend, I am glad I got to spend one last year with them being able to do all this awesome stuff, and I’m excited to for it to come out in May.”
Journalism adviser Cortney Wood joined the Bearcat Media staff this year, and she said she’s “impressed by their heart throughout all of this.”
“It’s such a hard class, and they’ve been incredible,” Wood said. “I’m proud of the work they’ve done. Their work is on display for all of Aledo to see, but when they go to conferences like this, they see that other schools around the nation know the ‘Aledo’ name. They strive to be like this staff and have this book.”
