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Santa Barbara, CA — Laguna Blanca School proudly recognizes its student journalists and advisor Trish McHale for earning one of the nation’s highest honors in scholastic media: the prestigious Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA).
The Columbia Crown Awards, judged by media professionals at Columbia University, represent the highest level of achievement in student journalism. These national awards honor excellence in content, design, photography, and writing across print, digital, and hybrid publications at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels.
Laguna Blanca’s student publication, The Fourth Estate, earned the Gold Crown Award for its 2024–2025 hybrid edition (print and website), presented in 2026. This recognition places the school among the top student media programs in the country and marks its second Gold Crown, following its 2018–2019 win…