About Saylor Cuzzort
Alabama Journalist of the Year
Editor-In-Chief
Reporter
Al Neuharth Scholar
Quill & Scroll Honor Society
Student Journalist
For the past four years, I have produced successful journalistic reporting on stories across the board, created design elements including full pages, business ads and info-graphics, help run four social media accounts, led a staff of 29 to National and State recognition and transitioned our traditional broadsheet paper to a news magazine.
I have served as the business editor, spread editor and, most currently, I am serving as Editor-In-Chief of The Crimson Crier newspaper and website at Sparkman High School in Harvest, Alabama. With my student publication, I have created stories, page designs, business ads, multimedia packages, social media posts and info-graphics as well as led my staff in budgeting, writing quality stories and producing a paper. Outside of newsroom 127, I was recruited -on behalf of our award-winning journalism program- by Community Connections of Huntsville to create a brochure using my journalistic design and writing skills. Additionally, I humbly received the honor of being named the 2019 Alabama Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholar and was named the 2019-2020 Alabama Journalist of the Year.
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Outside of journalism, I am the captain of varsity girl's tennis team, a member of junior civitian, secretary of the Madison County Superintendent Advisory Committee, SGA Vice President, the Scream Team president, an Alabama Girl's State representative and was named the 2019 homecoming queen.Additionally, I volunteer at the Harvest Youth Club where I tutor and play with elementary students and The Downtown Rescue Mission- a organization I discovered through a news story I was assigned. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, eating cheese dip and shopping. I am always on the lookout for sales at my favorite boutiques and the next breaking story.
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Experience
From the time I fell in love with journalism as a freshman reporter to my current position as senior Editor-In-Chief, I have been invested in the idea of being a student journalist. Throughout every position, I have developed a complex understanding of how to write, design, pitch ideas and create stories on a diverse scale.
Technological Advancement
I have furthered my understanding of technology through social media management, posting stories on our website, creating videos and Adobe programs such as InDesign and Photoshop. I have worked to rebuild and reconstruct my program's social media presence with marketing skills to create a timely news source for our community.
Leadership Skills
Being one of the youngest in 2016 to one of the only seniors on staff for the 2019-2020 school year, I have had the opportunity to take my leadership skills to new heights. With each year bringing a new, diverse staff I have learned how to adapt to needs in the newsroom. One of these needs I saw to be transitioning from broadsheet to a news magazine.
Reporting
Early on I knew I had a sincere love for people. Whether it be volunteering or just carrying on a basic conversation, connecting with people is something that has always come naturally to me. It was not until I was introduced to journalism that I understood how I could use this gift to truly help others. In the past four years, I have written countless stories giving the voiceless a voice and telling the unknown stories of those in the hallways of Sparkman High School.
