Inglemoor’s Nordic News has a Winner in Photo Editor Fiona Lamason

Kathy Schrier • March 20, 2026

Fiona Lamason, senior at Inglemoor High School, was honored as Washington’s Outstanding Journalist at the WJEA spring conference at Central Kitsap High School on March 7

The photography editor for the Inglemoor Nordic News, senior Fiona Lamason, was named the WJEA Outstanding Journalist / Lu Flannery Scholar at the Washington Journalism Education Association state conference, Saturday, March 7 at Central Kitsap High School.

New to Inglemoor after moving from Mexico during her sophomore year, Lamason joined the Nordic staff as a junior. “I instantly felt at home in our newsroom,” she said in her personal statement. “The buzz of news topics, sports coverage, and ambitious editorials piqued my interest.”

In the next year and a half, Lamason went from newbie to photography editor, section editor and prolific writer with a presence on every page of the paper.

In her letter of support, Nordic staff member Shyam Haritham wrote of “…Fiona’s natural problem-solving ability and journalistic mindset, as she resiliently pushes through setbacks… making her an extremely versatile reporter, as she’s written in all sections of the paper, even winning a Best of SNO award for her feature article on one of our teachers.” [School Newspapers Online is a national web hosting service for school papers.]

Nordic News adviser Joanna Little wrote how Lamason’s “willingness to show up, document important moments, and support the broader mission of student journalism speaks to her strong sense of responsibility, teamwork, and professional ethics.”

The $2,000 Lu Flannery Scholarship is funded by a bequest from long-time journalism teacher and WJEA treasurer, Lu Flannery, who asked that the award recognize one Washington state senior who has made significant contributions to their journalism program. The money will go directly to the college or university that Lamason will attend, to be deposited into her student account.

Lamason plans to major in journalism, communications, and media production, with a minor or BFA in photography. “Her long-term goals—to use media as a tool for social and environmental advocacy, to highlight environmental injustice, and to work with mission-driven organizations—are thoughtful, realistic, and aligned with the values she already demonstrates in her work,” said Little.

About the Contributor

Kathy Schrier, Executive Director

Kathy Schrier, MJE, is executive director of the Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA). In 1997, she returned to the classroom to teach journalism and advise student media, after running a small Seattle graphics and publishing company for several years. She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1975) and a Masters in Education from Antioch University, Seattle (2004.) Schrier worked at the Washington News Council as assistant to the director from 2005 to 2014. For her work on the effort to pass Student Press Rights legislation in Washington state, she received the the JEA Medal of Merit in 2007 and in 2008 she received the NSPA Pioneer Award. She was also honored to receive the Dorothy McPhillips Award in 2007, WJEA’s top award. Her dream to see Student Press Rights legislation pass in Washington state finally came true in March, 2017, when Gov. Jay Inslee signed Washington’s “New Voices” Student Press Rights Bill into law.