For the sixth year in a row, Wingspan has been nationally recognized as a recipient of the National Scholastic Press Association’s Online Pacemaker Award, one of the highest honors for high school publications in the country. 

“Winning this award reflects how hard the staff and editors have worked all year and it’s cool to see that recognized, especially since it’s on the national level,” editor-in-chief Aaron Boehmer said. “I’m just really proud of everyone and everything we’ve accomplished this year, despite all of the challenges that have come our way.”

Often referred to as the Pulitzer Prize of high school journalism, the NSPA Pacemaker is awarded to high school publications based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art, and graphics.

“I’d say that the main thing that sets us apart is that we don’t view ourselves as just a high school newspaper, but rather a real daily paper,” Boehmer said. “We put in the same effort and structure as say, the community impact or the Dallas Morning News, with deadlines and goals, prioritizing both quality and quantity.”

This year marks newspaper advisor Brian Higgins’s sixth year leading Wingspan, and the sixth Pacemaker won under his leadership. 

“I don’t really think about winning pacemakers in previous years because every year is a brand new slate, brand new staff, brand new situations arise,” Higgins said. “So every year that we’ve been fortunate to win one, I cherish it immensely because each year is its own individual accomplishment and so I’m just super proud of the staff. Especially in a year like this where absolutely nothing has been normal.”