Mariner High School Journalism Teacher Honored for Supporting Student Press Rights

Kathy Schrier • March 20, 2026

Mariner City News editor-in-chief Aisha Sallah (left) and adviser Lauren Salcedo hold the WJEA Fern Valentine Freedom of Expression Award.

Lauren Salcedo, journalism adviser at Mariner High School, received the Fern Valentine Freedom of Expression Award at the Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA) state conference, Saturday, March 7 at Central Kitsap High School.

This award goes to a WJEA member who has advocated student free press rights in Washington State. The award includes a check for $500 to be spent at the adviser’s discretion and is presented in the interest of promoting fair, accurate, responsible and uncensored scholastic journalism. The award is not presented annually; rather, it is given only when an adviser meets the criteria.

Why this is the “Valentine Award”: Fern Valentine, who retired as journalism adviser at Auburn High School in 1994, gained prominence serving on the National Journalism Education Association Press Rights Commission for over 20 years. Valentine led multiple attempts to pass student press rights legislation in Washington state, until the measure finally became state law in 2018. She personally funds this award to encourage teachers to uphold the principles of the First Amendment in their school newsrooms.

Salcedo, adviser of the Mariner City News, is the 2026 winner because of her dedication to keeping the Mariner student press free and uncensored and by building a program that stresses responsibility and ethics, while addressing topics that are important to the school community.

Student editor Aisha Sallah said in her letter of support, “Ms. Salcedo has never once ever attempted to censor us, defending the Mariner City Newspaper from even suggestions about shying away for more serious topics. Since my Freshmen year, the newspaper has written stories regarding various happenings in our world.”

In her personal statement, Salcedo said, “I always start my journalism courses with lessons on press rights and journalism ethics. The first amendment is posted at the front of the room and students are encouraged to memorize it. They know the SPJ Code of Ethics and they explore the state of press freedom around the world. They are aware of their rights and are proud to represent Mariner City News as an established forum for student expression.”

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.