Editor’s note: The following post is abridged from the front-page story that ran in the Colorado High School Press Association newsletter, February 2010.

Dianne Gum

by Kelley Bruce Robinson
CHSPA Newsline Editor

Dianne Gum and Katy Gray were selected to receive Medals of Merit from the Colorado High School Press Association. Both are mentors in the JEA Mentoring Program.

To be eligible for a Medal of Merit, nominees must be active publication adviser for a minimum of 20 years, at least eight years in Colorado, a member of CHSPA and have contributions over extended period of time that have been of an extraordinary nature to scholastic journalism in the state.

Gum advised the Lion’s Roar at Littleton High School (Centennial, Colo.) for 13 years and also served as CHSPA executive director for three years.

Gray, who has been teaching since 1970, is the adviser of Post Script and Pawstonian at Moffat County High School (Craig, Colo.).

Katy Gray

Both have been active in CHSPA for a number of years, working as presenters at CHSPA events and fostering student press rights at home.

Gum and Gray will receive their Medals of Merit at the Scholarship Gala event in Fort Collins on May 8. The gala will be held at the Lincoln Center and will honor Gum and Gray and the 2009 Friends of Scholastic Journalism. The event will also raise funds for CHSPA scholarships.

Both Gum and Gray were selected to be members of the first JEA mentoring group, which began mentoring in the 2008-2009 school year.