On Jan. 28 while attending a school trip to Franklin College, Principal Brian Knight was awarded the ISHPA’s state Administrator of the Year award. However, today that honor has greatly expanded to the national level with Knight being named the Journalism Education Association’s Administrator of the Year.

“It’s an absolute honor,” Knight said. “It’s because of (publications advisers Mike Klopfenstein and Sam Hanley). They’re the ones that do the work and it makes it really easy to support the two of them when you have two people that are good at this role.”

According to JEA, the award is given to administrators who have demonstrated support and dedication to journalism education. Hanley says that he has done exactly that.

“The number one thing is that he trusts students to do the right thing…” Hanley said. “He has a long history of… just staying out of the way when it comes to student voice (and) when it comes to student press expression.”

Knight is not new to recognition. In 2019, he was named District Administrator of the Year. Two years later in 2021, he earned the title of District 7 Principal of the Year.

With each new title he earns, Knight says, the honor doesn’t fade.

Knight, however, acknowledges that he’s not solely responsible for the journalism award and that the newspaper and yearbook are what make it possible.

“To be able to get our school recognized on the national level and the student work that these two groups do,” Knight said, “I think it just shines more light on that excellent work.”