Clarke Central High School Class of 2026 alumnus Peter Atchley, ODYSSEY Media Group adviser and founder David A. Ragsdale and CCHS Class of 2026 alumna Samaya Ellis (from left to right) pose for a photo on May 23, just prior to the Class of 2026 Commencement ceremony at Aikens Ford Arena. Atchley and Ellis were named as two of 468 Individual Award finalists by the National Scholastic Press Association on Sept. 10. “Pete and Ellis being recognized for their respective pieces says so much about them as individuals and about the culture they helped to shape during their four-year careers,” Ragsdale said. “Both of those stories took immense dedication and trust in teammates during the editing process. I’m very proud of these two and all of our OMG finalists for a job well done.” Photo courtesy of David Ragsdale
CCHS students were named among 468 finalists for National Scholastic Press Association Individual Awards.
The National Scholastic Press Association named 468 finalists in Individual Awards competition on Sept. 10. The NSPA Individual Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of individual students and small teams of journalists.
Students from the ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine students were among the finalists in 12 categories, reflecting work in multimedia journalism, reporting, photography, editorial writing, social media, design and creative writing. The winners will be announced at the NSPA Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Orlando.
“The quality of the work submitted in the NSPA Individual Awards is incredibly strong,” NSPA associate director Gary Lundgren stated in a press release. “These contests are highly competitive and it is a huge honor to be named a finalist and a winner.”
NSPA names 10 finalists in each competition. During the awards session at the national convention, five winners and five honorable mentions will be recognized. The first-place winner in each contest receives a plaque, while all other finalists receive certificates.
2025-2026 iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel collects the Fifth Place Certificate in the Literary/Speciality Magazine Cover Individual Award competition on Nov. 16, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn. on behalf of Class of 2025 Clarke Central graduate Olivia Hendershot. The iliad was recognized for Literary/Specialty Magazine Page/Spread by CCHS senior Finley Sleppy and Creative Writing by CCHS senior Liya Taylor in a Sept. 10 NSPA press release. “I’m just incredibly grateful that Margo gave me the opportunity to design for ‘Eudaimonia.’ That experience allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and be challenged in a way I hadn’t previously,” Sleppy said. “I always really liked that spread and once it was edited and finalized, there was a piece of me that really hoped it would be recognized, so I’m glad it was.” Photo by Grady Dunston
Among the OMG students recognized were current University of Georgia freshman Peter Atchley and current University of North Georgia freshman Samaya Ellis, who were both commended for their writing acumen. Ellis’ blog focused on her upbringing and was a labor of love for the writer.
“Hearing that my blog was recognized as a national finalist was incredible. With guidance from other ODYSSEY staffers, I was able to pour my heart into the piece and finally tell my story,” Ellis said. “I hope that my blog can help others feel seen and encourage them to share their stories, as well.”
Atchley’s year-long investigative story on the issues surrounding the student parking lot at Clarke Central High School went through multiple revisions and required enterprising journalism and persistence.
“News writing has always been a struggle for me. The style just didn’t come naturally. It took me a lot of time and hard work to create a story like “Parking Problems” because of the depth of storytelling required, so to be up for an award with that story is an honor,”
— Peter Atchley,
2025-26 ODYSSEY Media Group Managing Editor
“News writing has always been a struggle for me. The style just didn’t come naturally. It took me a lot of time and hard work to create a story like “Parking Problems” because of the depth of storytelling required, so to be up for an award with that story is an honor,” Atchley said. “That story is a testament to my dedication to the ODYSSEY and my dedication to telling stories that matter even when they were difficult and took over a year to tell the right way. I’m so grateful to Lea D’Angelo for helping so much on this story and packaging it into the multimedia masterpiece that it is.”
D’Angelo, the OMG’s programmatic Editor-in-Chief, was recognized in six categories, including Multimedia Journalist of the Year. D’Angelo’s dedication to creating and packaging digital journalism has been a mainstay of her career, says OMG founder and adviser David A. Ragsdale.
“D’Angelo takes this work as seriously as anyone I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach,” Ragsdale said. “Her passion to do well for colleagues, our school community and the world of scholastic journalism is pretty unparalleled.”
