Resume & RecomMendations 

In February 2026, I was named California Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Educators Association. In April, I was selected as a top-six national finalist for Journalist of the Year. Both honors were awarded in recognition of the reporting, storytelling, leadership and engagement featured throughout this portfolio. 

“Ava is one of those students in the program who I’ve never had in class yet I’ve come to know, which speaks volumes about her ability to be out there and connect with people. She’s a part of this Paly tradition where people talk about how important it is to make sure that the knowledge, the skills and the abilities that they’ve learned and gained get passed along to people in the future. She is a perfect representation of everything that a journalist should be because she’s so talented and so passionate.

— Brian Wilson, Palo Alto High School journalism adviser of Madrono Yearbook, Viking Sports magazine and C-Mag, culture magazine