Nancy Smith, a teacher at Lafayette High, has received the Journalism Education Association (JEA) Lifetime Achievement Award. Smith has been a journalism adviser for over 30 years and currently manages the journalism program at Lafayette, including the Lancer Feed news service, Image newsmagazine, and Legend yearbook. She has also served as the National Student Media Contests chair.
Smith’s students have been recognized at state and national levels. Many of her former students have pursued careers in journalism, as noted by Emily Jorgensen, a journalism adviser at Marquette High.
Smith and other Lifetime Achievement Award recipients will be honored at the Spring 2024 National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association (NSPA/JEA) Convention, scheduled for April 4-6 in Kansas City. At the previous convention, Lafayette students won national awards under Smith’s guidance.
Morgan Stoermer, a senior at Lafayette and the editor-in-chief of Legend, commended Smith’s ability to nurture her students’ potential and her dedication to the journalism community.