The Pitch’s Editor-in-Chief, senior Seyun Park, was named 2025 Maryland Student Journalist of the Year by the Maryland-D.C. Scholastic Press Association (MDCSPA) on March 4, making it the second year in a row that a WJ student has received this honor. Park will be recognized for his achievement at the University of Maryland’s J-Day Conference on April 4 and will go on to compete in the National Journalism Education Association (JEA) Student Journalist of the Year competition as Maryland’s representative.
Park has been a member of The Pitch since his freshman year. During his time serving WJ’s student newspaper, he has climbed the ranks from staff writer to editor-in-chief, The Pitch’s highest position.
“I always knew that I was going to join The Pitch, even from middle school,” Park said. “I think it goes back all the way to fourth grade with my love of writing and news and having that knowledge that I was gonna go into [journalism] in the first place.”
Centering his work around local news, Park has contributed to over 100 articles and multimedia projects for The Pitch, winning him several individual honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.
“It seemed like [writing] came really naturally to him,” AP Lit teacher Alexia Remy said. “From the jump, I remember reading one of his first essays, and it was very clear that he was not just a good writer skill-wise, but he was really good at creating complex ideas.”
Park summarized his work in an online portfolio, which he submitted to MDCSPA for their Maryland Student Journalist of the Year competition.
But the contest measured more than just content quality. Candidates were required to submit their resume, transcript, three letters of recommendation and a written personal narrative. Judges then scored candidates in categories such as leadership, team building and commitment to diversity.
In his narrative, Park highlighted the leadership skills he developed during his junior year, when he was appointed to the position of print editor-in-chief. Being a junior leading many seniors, especially in the absence of Newspaper Adviser Wendy Borrelli, was challenging for him. But Park rose to the occasion.
“Everyone on staff has their strengths and weaknesses, and Seyun understands that and helps them use their strengths and improve their weaknesses,” The Pitch’s Print Managing Editor, senior Elli Karistinou said. “I think that’s one thing that really makes him a good leader and kind of sets him apart from other candidates.”
Park also speculates that the diversity of his journalism helped him beat out senior journalists from across the state.
“I think I had a really wide range of experiences,” Park said. “I took photos. I made videos. I wrote, I led, I was a good editor. I made pages. I had experience in news law. So, all of these things combined, I think, put me above the echelon of candidates who are really strong in one category.”
Park has already submitted his application for the National JEA Journalist of the Year competition, which includes an applicant from each state and will recognize five finalists and one overall winner. The finalists will receive a $1,200 college scholarship, while the overall winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship. The results will be announced on April 26.
No matter the outcome, Park knows he has left his mark on The Pitch and the people who care about it.
“I’d like to think that I’ve had some semblance of an impact, at least on the culture of The Pitch and the way that people think about The Pitch,” Park said. “I’d like to think that I’ve encouraged other people to nurture their passions in the way that I have, and encouraged people to go out and do things that they might not have done originally, especially in the environment of The Pitch.”
