Mikaela Rabizadeh opinion editor
Highlights took its its craft from the classroom to the Southern California Journalism Education Association (SCJEA) State Write Off in Long Beach on Saturday, March 18.
Each of the seven students participated in one of the qualifying categories: news, sports, opinion and feature, with one competitor in photography.  Every participant from Highlights placed in their individual categories against the best writer in Southern California. When judged as a collective publication, Highlights earned first overall for their website in a mail-in competition submitted months prior called “California All Stars”.
“The competition is a great way for students to get feedback and to be recognized,” Highlights adviser Gaby Herbst said. “They were competing against the best of the best in every region and to place within their categories was very impressive.”
As senior Brian Harward brings his high school journalism career to a close, he appreciates events such as the SCJEA competition, where he can bond with his fellow staff members.  Harward was one of the top scoring journalists of the Highlights team, placing second place in the sports write-off.
“I was proud of our staff because each one of us succeeded in our event and we all came out to do what we know best,” Harward said. “It was the last journalism competition I would attend and it was a great note to leave on.”