Top LT Journalist :::
LT’s Schiffman earns top journalism award
Lyons Township High School senior L. Schiffman is one of just 102 high school
students from across the United States selected to participate in the annual Al Neuharth Free
Spirit Scholarship and Conference program in Washington. Each of the winning students is interested
in pursuing a career in journalism and has qualities of “free spirit.”
Schiffman serves as Lion newspaper editor-in-chief and anchor for LT News on LTTV. Next year
she will major in journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is a
member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Math Honor Society. She is a member of
Speech Team, publicity chair for Theatre Board, International Thespian and member of Operation
Snowball. One day she hopes to write for the New Yorker.
Two top students will be selected to win a scholarship of $50,000 each. The other 100
students will receive $1,000 scholarships each. The top winners will be announced at a Free Spirit
ceremony at the National Press Club later this month.
Applicants were required to provide samples of their journalistic work and write an essay on
free spirit. Scholarship winners — two from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia —
were selected through a competitive process.
Schiffman submitted several pieces she wrote for Lion. Her essay was about her experiences
with leadership, self expression and individual rights and freedoms throughout her life, from being
student council president in 5th grade to her experiences with Lion and her political interests and
involvement.
The scholarship winners will be brought to Washington to receive their awards and participate
in a journalism conference, which culminates with attendance at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the
Year Award ceremony. The conference is packed with seminars, workshops and sightseeing
opportunities. At the event, students will have the opportunity to meet Tim Russert of Meet the
Press, columnist Betty Baye, and Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today.
Schiffman says, “I’m really excited for our tour of NBC, the Media Ethics seminar, and just
getting to meet so many like-minded and inspiring young people from around the country.”
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