ODYSSEY Media Group Managing Editor Peter Atchley speaks to the OMG Production class in Room 231 on Feb. 13. Atchley has been a member of the OMG since his freshman year and has found resilience during his career. “The first major turning point (for me) was at the end of my freshman year when I was asked to become the Viewpoints Editor. The following year was a massive challenge for me and became my toughest year. I am so proud of myself for being able to stick it out,” Atchley said. “The year (after) felt like a reward for my hard work. That year, I became the first (OMG Diversity and Representation Editor,) and I won (Georgia) Junior Champion Journalist, something I had no idea was even on the table for me.” Photo by Miriam Silk
The Georgia Scholastic Press Association presented the 2026 Georgia Champion Journalists on March 13, honoring three ODYSSEY Media Group students.
Peter Atchley, ODYSSEY Media Group Managing Editor and Clarke Central High School senior was recognized with the title of 2026 Georgia Champion Journalist on March 13. This award from the Georgia Scholastic Press Association recognizes the top high school senior journalists in the state. Atchley will now represent the state in the Journalism Education Association’s National Journalist of the Year Competition.
GSPA received 11 senior portfolios, which were scored in the following categories: Reporting and Writing; Editing, Leadership and Team Building; Web and Social Media; Design; Broadcast Journalism; Photojournalism; Law, Ethics and News Literacy; Marketing and Audience Engagement; and Commitment to Diversity.
“It’s truly been a pleasure to watch Peter grow up in real-time during the course of his career.”
— David Ragsdale,
OMG founder and adviser
Through these scorings, Atchley was also recognized as Georgia Junior Champion Journalist on March 3, 2025. While winning the award junior year came as a surprise, it gave him a confidence boost to expand on his portfolio and understanding of what needed to change to win his senior year.
“Winning Champion Journalist (feels) like recognition for everything I have dedicated my last four years to. I have put in so much effort and work into being the best I can, so winning feels incredible, especially when journalism can be such a thankless job. As Champion Journalist, I get to represent the state of Georgia at the national level, which is an honor within itself,” Atchley said.
Atchley has worked within the OMG since his freshman year under the guidance of OMG founder and adviser David A. Ragsdale, who has seen Atchley’s growth firsthand.
“It’s truly been a pleasure to watch Peter grow up in real-time during the course of his career,” Ragsdale said. “He’s become a backbone member of our organization and someone I count on daily.”
Atchley, who will receive a plaque and $1000 prize for his accomplishment, is one of the many former ODYSSEY students to win Georgia Champion Journalist. He joins Isabel Bryan Barks (2009), Kinsey Clark (2011), Carlo Nasisse (2012), Jenny Alpaugh (2014), Tiernan O’Neill (2016), Sophie Fernandes (2017), Lucia Bermudez (2018), Elena Gilbertson Hall (2020), Owen Donnelly (2021), Molly Harwell (2024) and Wyatt Meyer (2025). Clark, Nasisse and Meyer went on to be finalists for the Journalism Education Association’s national Journalist of the Year competition.
ODYSSEY Media Group Sports Editor Liya Taylor (middle), then-OMG Social Media Coordinator, holds the Visual Artist of the Year award presented to her by 2025-2026 OMG Managing Editor Janie Ripps (left) and 2025-2026 OMG Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer (right) at the 2025 ODYSSEY Media Group Awards Banquet on May 4. Unlike many of her classmates, Taylor joined the OMG Production class in her freshman year rather than going through the introductory Journalism I course, and she has seen her growth in that time. “I’ve become a much better writer and journalist, but also I’ve become a much better leader, which is something I’m super proud of,” Taylor said. “I’ve gotten to experiment with a bunch of different types of journalism like writing, social media work, online stories, photography and even broadcast, which has been really exciting (and) challenging and gave me a new appreciation for these forms of journalism.” Photo by Grady Dunston
GSPA also recognizes the Georgia Junior Journalist of the Year, for which 11 submissions were received from across the state. This year’s award was presented to CCHS junior Liya Taylor, the OMG Sports Editor. In addition to her recognition, Taylor will receive a $750 prize for the work she put into her portfolio.
Before starting ODYSSEY, Taylor loved the language arts, but didn’t know if journalism would suit her skills and interests.
“Becoming Social Media Coordinator my sophomore year was really eye-opening and it made me value social media journalism and online journalism in a way that I hadn’t before,” Taylor said. “That year, my growth as a leader, and as a writer is a huge reason why I won, because not only did it build my social media and online portions of my portfolio, but the growth I experienced as (an) editor and leader is the main story arc of my personal narrative.”
For Ragsdale, Taylor’s work within the OMG has been one of consistently pursuing growth opportunities to better herself and the overall production of valuable coverage.
“One of the beauties of working with Liya is her willingness to take on additional leadership tasks beyond her assigned duties,” Ragsdale said. “Her hard work, both in sports and in social media, has allowed us to expand our coverage to present greater depth of reporting at CCHS and in the larger Athens community.”
Taylor, who will receive a plaque and a $750 prize, is the most recent addition to CCHS juniors designated as Junior Champion Journalist. Former CCHS juniors to receive the award include Clark (2010), Alpaugh (2013), Aaron Holmes (2014), O’Neill (2015), Fernandes (2016), Johanna Hall (2017), Ana Aldridge (2018), Gilbertson Hall (2019), Donnelly (2020), Audrey Enghauser (2021), Maya Clement (2023), Meyer (2024) and Atchley (2025).
ODYSSEY Media Group Digital Editor-In-Chief Lea D’Angelo poses with Interscholastic Press Association Director Dr. Nina Brooke with an award for the OMG Website, titled All-Southern Online on March 8 in Columbia, S.C. D’Angelo credited her success in the program and in the Georgia Junior Champion Journalist competition to past OMG mentors. “I could not have done this without the people who have supported me. There are so many people over the course of my time in ODYSSEY who have taught me so much and supported me in so many ways,” D’Angelo said. “I would not be in the position I’m in or able to do any of the things I’ve accomplished (without them).” Photo by Grady Dunston
Along with the Champion and Junior Champion, GSPA also recognizes the Georgia Junior Champion Journalist runner-up, which was awarded to CCHS junior Lea D’Angelo, the OMG Digital Editor-in-Chief. D’Angelo will receive a $500 prize.
D’Angelo came into the OMG as a student who loved reading and writing, but did not have previous leadership and digital media experience.
“My work has become more versatile since I started ODYSSEY. I joined because I liked writing and I was confident in it, and that’s definitely an area I’ve grown. I’ve learned so much about multimedia and broadcast and all the things that come with the website, like code and leadership,” D’Angelo said. “Writing is something I get to go back to often and (I) try to find as many opportunities to explore as I can, but (ODYSSEY’s) also really cool to explore so many other aspects of storytelling.”
Ragsdale recognizes the growth and transformation D’Angelo has manifested during her years in the OMG.
“One of the things I admire about D’Angelo is that this work never came easily. She faced her fears directly and took on challenging work,” Ragsdale said. “She has worked purposefully to develop the courage essential to do our work.”
“My work has become more versatile since I started ODYSSEY. I joined because I liked writing and I was confident in it, and that’s definitely an area I’ve grown. I’ve learned so much about multimedia and broadcast and all the things that come with the website, like code and leadership.”
— Lea D’Angelo,
Digital Editor-in-Chief
D’Angelo follows previous runners-up Emma Kissane (2011), Austin DeFoor (2013), Louise Platter (2014), Kevin Mobley (2015), Julie Alpaugh (2016), Valeria Garcia-Pozo (2018), Mackenzie Caudill (2019), Natalie Schliekelman (2021), Kaija Gilbertson Hall (2022), and Anna Shaikun (2023).
For Ragsdale, who founded the ODYSSEY 23 years ago, the continued recognition of CCHS journalists in both the state and national Journalist of the Year competitions is noteworthy.
“To consider that in 2003 none of us knew much about scholastic journalism, but that we shared a mutual vision for sharing the stories of our community, it’s very encouraging to see what ODYSSEY and iliad kids are capable of,” Ragsdale said. “This program has produced 54 finalists and runners-up. That’s not something you hear about every day. Together, we aspire, and together, we achieve.”
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