Caleb Swallows, a Puxico High School senior, was one of 10 Missouri high school media staff members named to the 2017 All-State Journalism Team, sponsored by the Missouri Journalism Education Association.
Winners were selected by a team of three out-of-state MJEA members with more than 75 years of combined experience between them as publications advisers of newspaper, yearbook and broadcast programs. Student journalists had to be nominated by their adviser, who must be a member of the MJEA.
Swallows is a member of the school newspaper and yearbook staff, the Tribesman and Puhicah Photo Editor. As a second year photography editor, he can be found at most of the school and community events, in the classroom assigning events to staff photographers or teaching them photography and editing techniques. Swallows is often sought out by administrators and faculty to ensure coverage of certain events not only in our district but also in other area schools. He is well-known in the community because of his quick turn-around time to post edited photos of an event that same evening.
His adviser Holly Poole said, "Not only is Caleb a leader in the journalism classroom, as a second-year photography editor, he has devised a system for cataloging and uploading photographs for our yearbook program, as well as taken on a "pet" project of "Humans of Puxico" that is highlighted on our Instagram account."
In his application, Swallows wrote, "I have made it important in my staff to cover the whole event from when they (students) get on the bus to getting off the bus when the event ends. I want the audience to feel like they experienced the whole trip with the students and I feel like people are getting that experience through my work."
The others are Emily Blunt of Richland R-1 High School, Rachel Adamson of Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Nick Horstmann is a senior at Lafayette High School, Alyssa Magrone attends Winnetonka HIgh School, Chase Meyer attends Francis Howell North High School, Tinh Nghi Ngo attends Staley High School, Ali Randazzo attends Kirkwood High School, Camille Respess is a senior at Clayton High School and Ethan Rodden is a senior at Timberland High School.
The All-State Journalism Team recognizes those students who have proven themselves to be indispensable to their respective school media, recognizing those students who are "most valuable players" -- those students whose leadership, energy, dedication, and expertise make their publications possible but whose main contributions often occur behind the scenes.
Each member of the All-State Journalism Team will receive a certificate and a special engraved pen.