The Freedom Forum Institute in Washington, D.C. awarded West Side Story staffer, Maya Chu ’23, as Iowa’s winner in the annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference for 2022. The program targets rising high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate qualities of a “free spirit.” Each year, the Institute honors 51 students in the country — one from each state plus Washington, D.C. — with a scholarship and enrollment in a journalism conference for scholarship winners.

The Freedom Forum Institute funds the scholarship and conference to honor Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, to promote the vital role of the First Amendment as a cornerstone of democracy and to inspire and encourage students to pursue journalism.

Previous WSS Free Spirit winners include 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.