Senior Evelyn Sanchez today was named the top 2018 international high school journalist of the year by Youth Journalism International. Sanchez is the first Ben Davis student to win this prestigious award.

“I don’t know what to say,” Sanchez said after hearing the news of her award. “This is beyond belief.”

Sanchez serves as online editor for the Spotlight staff this year after being news editor last school year. She was a yearbook photographer her sophomore year and also serves as a reporter/anchor for BDTV news.

“She is a great multi-media journalist,” Spotlight adviser Tom Hayes said. “She has all the talents to be a great professional journalist should she continue in that direction.”

Sanchez plans on majoring in journalism at Indiana University. She was nominated for this award by Hayes.

“She’s always been the kind of student who likes to help make us better,” Hayes said. “This is pretty special and she is very deserving.”

Sanchez was one of several award winners in the 2018 Youth Journalism International contest.

Other winners include senior Abby Speitel (honorable mention news story), senior Katie Kelley (honorable mention feature photo), junior Mira Squire-Wiley (honorable mention first person essay), junior Reeya Patel (second place editorial writing), the Spotlight staff (second place team reporting),  junior Alyssa Toner (honorable mention cartoons), and 2017 graduates Ryan Eggers (second place sports writing) and Anthony Aguilar (second place news photography).

This follows a weekend when the Spotlight and Keyhole staffs combined to win 14 awards from Ball State University during its annual High School Journalism convention.