CSPA Workshop celebrates 75 years of student journalism education

Dozens of alumni attended the California Scholastic Press Association’s 75th anniversary celebration at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on July 18 to celebrate the workshop’s eight decades of student journalism education.

The event honored the history of the workshop and recognized late and longtime board members for their service.

  • Workshop chairman emeritus Larry Welborn (’65) and workshop alumnus Bill Rempel (’65) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Counselor Sean Campbell (’24), counselor Sophia Winston (’25), counselor Anika Kapasi (’24), board member Ellie Smith (’13), alumnus Mohi Andrabi (’16), board member Kellen Browning (’15) and counselor Summer Hu (’23) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop alum Jennifer Fisher Golden (’87) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop president and chairman Todd Harmonson (’85) speaks to attendees at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Board member Art Aguilar (’65) is honored by board member Cam Inman (’88) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026.
  • Board member Art Aguilar (’67) speaks to attendees at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop instructor James Harvey at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Board member and instructor Kellen Browning (’15) speaks to attendees at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop instructor James Harvey celebrates his father, longtime instructor and board member Steve Harvey, with workshop vice president Rich Hammond (’94) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Board members Ellie Smith (’13) and Gwendolyn Wu (’13) speak to attendees at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Board members Laura Nelson (’07), Rich Hammond (’94) and Jessica Davis Smelser (’04) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop student Cian Kelly interviews alumnus Blair Helsing (’71) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • CSPA student Eleanna Swartz of Carlmont High School interviews workshop alumnus David Ferrell at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • CSPA student Magdalena Knettle of Davis High School interviews workshop alumnus Janis Carr (’78) at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026.
  • Board member Art Aguilar (’67) speaks to student Eleanna Swartz during the anniversary program. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop alumnus Bill Rempel (’65) speaks to workshop student Harlow Hamilton of Davis High School at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Alumnus Zeb Welborn (’98) speaks to a 2026 workshop student at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop students, including Betty Kaldas of Fountain Valley High School, attend CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop alumna Olivia Brandeis (’22) celebrates CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop student Maya McComb and board member and instructor Laura Nelson (’07) celebrate the workshop’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)
  • Workshop alumnus Scott Duke Harris and workshop student Shaan Parikh of the Menlo School at CSPA’s 75th anniversary in San Luis Obispo in July 2026. (Iris Neevel/CSPA Workshop)

Chairman emeritus Larry Welborn led a discussion about the organization’s history and founders, president and chairman Todd Harmonson was inducted into CSPA’s Hall of Fame and vice president Rich Hammond was nominated to be the workshop’s next president.

Attendees at the anniversary event shared fond memories from their time at the workshop and how it helped them in their careers. Students from this year’s workshop, who were wrapping up the first week of classes when the celebration took place, also interviewed older workshop alumni.

Welborn, CSPA’s chairman emeritus and a retired legal affairs reporter for the Orange County Register, attended the workshop in 1965. He met his wife, Annie, at the workshop.

During his talk, Welborn recounted how CSPA began as a boys-only sports journalism workshop in 1951 under the auspices of publishing giant William Randolph Hearst. The publishing baron had sought to have his newspaper, the Los Angeles Examiner, lead the coverage of high school prep sports in Southern California.

Hearst tasked Ralph Alexander, his track-and-field writer for his newspaper, to gather high school boys who could cover sports at their schools and train them at a journalism workshop—which was supposed to be a one time event—at Cal Poly. 

The workshop continued under the leadership of Alexander and his wife Millie and began admitting girls in 1965. Now, the workshop trains students not only in sports journalism, but also in breaking news reporting, politics, feature writing, interviewing, public relations, broadcast and other subjects. Students also engage in discussions about journalism ethics and career paths. 

Dozens of CSPA graduates have gone on to work in journalism, including as foreign correspondents and at major publications including The New York Times Company, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, CBS News, the Associated Press, POLITICO, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and POLITICO.

Applications for CSPA’s 2027 summer workshop will open in January.

— Anika Kapasi, CSPA counselor

CSPA Workshop celebrates 75th graduating class

Twenty-four high school students graduated from the California Scholastic Press Association’s 2026 journalism workshop on July 24.

The cohort joins several generations of CSPA alumni, many of whom returned to Cal Poly on July 18 for the workshop’s 75th anniversary.

During the 13-day workshop, students learned from industry professionals, reported on mock breaking news scenarios and explored potential careers in journalism.

Students gained a diverse range of reporting and writing skills, learning to cover politics, entertainment, sports and technology beats and producing their own television news broadcast. Students also participated in classes covering libel law, public records and public relations, among other topics.

At graduation, five students were recognized for the highest overall scores based on graded reporting and writing assignments.

Eleanna Swartz of Carlmont High School notched this year’s highest score, winning first place. Eliza Khan of Acalanes High School placed second, followed by Noah Beroukhim of Palisades Charter High School in third. Josie Perlov and Cian Kelly, both of Redwood High School, placed fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Beroukhim also received the Ralph and Millie Alexander Award. Named after CSPA’s founders, the award recognizes the student who demonstrates all-around excellence in and outside of the classroom.

Abby Zarahn of Burlingame High School received the Stan Kelton Award, which goes to the student who best unites their cohort. 

Harlow Hamilton of Davis Senior High School received the Jay Berman Award, which is presented to the student who excels in covering a range of topics, from sports to criminal trials to features. 

Iris Neevel of Red Bluff High School received the Gil Chesterton Award for her range of demonstrated skills in television, photography and print journalism.

Congratulations to this year’s CSPA graduating class. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

Dates and tuition for the 2027 CSPA Workshop will be announced in the fall.

— Summer Hu, CSPA counselor

CSPA’s tour of KSBY-TV featured on evening news

The California Scholastic Press Association class of 2026 appeared on the evening broadcast of KSBY-TV, the NBC affiliate for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, after touring the station to learn about its media and sales operations.

The station welcomed two dozen students attending CSPA’s two-week journalism workshop on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus. A longtime CSPA tradition, the tour of the news station resumed last year after a break for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meteorologist Vivian Rennie led the segment of the tour focused on news reporting. She showcased KSBY’s broadcast studio and gave students the opportunity to read off the station’s teleprompter and practice presenting weather forecasts on the CGI green screen.

Local sales assistant Colleen Rhatigan explained the important role advertisement sales play in operating the news station. Students learned how journalists report independently when advertising partnerships finance the station.

The tour was featured on KSBY’s evening news program and on social media.

— Sophia Winston, CSPA counselor

CSPA Workshop celebrates 72nd graduating class

The California Scholastic Press Association on Friday welcomed its 72nd group of workshop graduates.

During the 13-day journalism workshop that ended July 21, students completed a wide range of classes taught by volunteer instructors who work in journalism and media.

Classes included fundamentals — such as news writing, reporting and editing — as well as courses on journalism ethics, public relations and the role artificial intelligence could play in the industry’s future. 

Students completed the workshop’s signature classes, including covering testimony from a real criminal trial and reporting on a simulated natural disaster. Students also produced a television news broadcast, learned the ins and outs of public records laws, and learned specialty beats, including entertainment, politics, business and sports reporting.

Instructors provided hands-on feedback on all written assignments, as well as grades. Sara Eyjolfsdottir of Carmel High was the top scorer of the 2023 class, followed by Rajiv Venkatesh of Homestead High and Summer Hu of The Bishop’s School.

Named after the founders of the workshop, the Ralph and Millie Alexander award is given by CSPA instructors to the student who displayed all-around excellence in and out of the classroom. This year, Hu won the Ralph and Millie Alexander award. 

Ellie Keum of the Dwight-Englewood School received the Stan Kelton Award, given to a student who best embodied the spirit of the workshop. The Jay Berman Award, given to a student who excelled in multiple topoics, was awarded to Zaynah Shah of Amador Valley High.

Congratulations to all of our new alumni for completing the workshop. Welcome to the CSPA family.

Dates and tuition for the 2024 CSPA Workshop will be anounced in the fall.

Applications open for 72nd CSPA Workshop

The California Scholastic Press Association high school journalism workshop is returning to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in summer 2023 to welcome its 72nd class.

Applications for the residential workshop, planned for July 9-21, are open now. Click here to access the online application.

Students will be selected on a rolling basis, with the first notifications of acceptance going out in late March. We will continue to accept and review applications after the April 30 deadline for as long as seats remain available. Some applicants may be added to a waitlist due to the high volume of applicants.

The cost of the workshop is $2,250. Need-based financial support is available for accepted students. However, it is recommended to apply early if you are interested.

Have questions? Check out our FAQ page.

CSPA celebrates 71st annual graduating class

After a two-year hiatus, the California Scholastic Press Association’s annual summer journalism workshop for high school students returned to the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in July 2022.

The 71st annual workshop was the first to be held in person since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit held online workshops in the summers of 2020 and 2021.

The 2022 workshop had a shorter schedule than usual due to pandemic precautions. Over nine days, students completed 20 reporting, writing and multimedia assignments. They participated in mock breaking news exercises, polished their reporting and writing skills and learned from professional journalists.

It wasn’t all work, either: Students watched classic journalism movies, showed off their skills at a talent show, visited the San Luis Obispo farmers’ market and formed lasting friendships.

All 18 students from California and Nevada graduated at the end of the workshop, joining the long list of CSPA alumni, which includes numerous journalists at news organizations around the country.

Macy Li of Fremont Union High School earned the highest score across all assignments, while Chloe Liversidge of Polytechnic School in Pasadena was honored with the Ralph and Millie Alexander Award for all-around excellence.