A U-High Midway editor has received an international honor for journalism.
News editor Taariq Ahmed was named Student Journalist of the Year by Youth Journalism International, a global organization recognizing excellence in student reporting. This award recognizes student journalists who demonstrate outstanding work in one or more areas of journalism — news, feature and opinion writing, photography and art.
Taariq has been on the Midway staff for three years. This year he was runner-up for Illinois Journalist of the Year, and in 2024 he was named to the All-State Journalism Team.
Taariq initially became interested in this award because of its openness, where any journalist had the opportunity to earn recognition. Motivated by this opportunity, he curated a portfolio and began reflecting on some of his work from 2024 before submitting it for consideration.
For Taariq, the award was not just a personal achievement but also a recognition of the collective effort of the Midway staff.
“I think this award was a really good testament to the work I was doing outside of school and also how great our team in school is and the kind of work that we’re all able to produce,” Taariq said.
