Special to the Transcript
Congratulations to WHS Junior Shannon Raneri for being selected to represent the state of Massachusetts at the 2024 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is an annual journalism scholarship program that takes place in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1999 to honor Al Neuharth (the founder of USA TODAY and The Freedom Forum), the conference is meant to encourage rising high school seniors to pursue journalism. These scholars are called “Free Spirits,” people who “dream, dare, do”, as the scholarship’s motto states. One student is selected from each state and the District of Columbia to attend the conference and discover what it means to be a Free Spirit in today’s world, where journalism is everchanging. Each scholar receives an all-expenses-paid trip to America’s capital in addition to a $1,000 scholarship.