The Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C. awarded Colin Wehrle ’27 in the annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference for 2026. One student from all 50 states plus D.C. are chosen, and students selected for the program receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. June 21-26 and a $1,000 scholarship to the college of their choice.
The program was established in 1999 to honor Neuharth, founder of The Freedom Forum and USA Today. The conference is designed to inspire and encourage students to pursue journalism. Today there are more than 1,500 “Free Spirits” including journalists working for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, ESPN and network-affiliated TV stations.
According to the Freedom Forum website, Free Spirits have been described as people who “dream, dare, do.”
“A free spirit can also be a risk-taker, a visionary, an innovative leader, or a courageous achiever who accomplishes great things beyond his or her circumstances,” said Neuharth, who died in 2013.
Previous West High Journalism Free Spirit winners include Shanza Sami ’26, Anna Song ’25, Wesal Haroun ’24, Maya Chu ’23, Hanah Kitamoto ’22, Marta Leira ’21, Anjali Huynh ’19, Isabelle Robles ’17, Lushia Anson ’14, Ashton Duncan ’12, Eleanor Marshall ’11 and Gordon Bourjaily ’06.
Wehrle is currently photo and sports editor of the West Side Story newsmagazine, and he will be co-editor-in-chief with Jake Beneke ’27 for the 2026-27 school year.
