By Leslie Dennis, Director of Scholastic Media Organizations
Photo by Mark Murray
Posted January 23, 2019
Brenda Gorsuch, this year’s SIPA Endowment speaker, has worn many hats during the time she has been involved with SIPA: finance chair, executive chair, banquet seating arranger and quiz bowl question creator.
Gorsuch advised the newspaper, online and yearbook at West Henderson High School, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. During her years advising, her publications received high honors consistently from SIPA, the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA).
“Brenda’s reputation proceeds her, and she is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever met and one of the humblest. As an adviser, she strived to make her students the best journalists and people she could and to affect change in the lives of others in the best possible way,” Director of Scholastic Media Organizations Leslie Dennis said. “Although Brenda has now retired, she will never leave scholastic journalism because she is part of it and has enhanced the education opportunities and affected countless students, journalists, and advisers.”
Gorsuch is one of the few people to be awarded the Dow Jones News Fund National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year (2004) and H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year by the Journalism Education Association (2013).
A firm supporter in SIPA’s financial independence, Gorsuch continues to work as the finance chair and understands the importance of the SIPA Endowment to that goal.
“Brenda serves a vital role in making decisions and crafting policies,” Dennis said. “She offers sage advice and guidance. When I started as scholastic press manager years ago, I did not understand budgets or maintaining a strategic plan. Brenda, however, has taught me how to manage our accounts and patiently answers questions, acts as a sounding board and responds to any request I have.”
Gorsuch will teach sessions at the 2019 SIPA convention and speak at the Saturday advisers luncheon. She joins previous distinguished journalism professionals David Knight, Mark Murray, Bradley Wilson, Mary Inglis and Beth Fitts as SIPA Endowment speakers.