Jan Parks

Jan Parks - Teacher 1978

Jan was a charter member of Jefferson High School in 1970 when she and her journalism students created a student newspaper, the REBEL. The name was apropos, because Thomas Jefferson was a rebel as were the budding journalists at Jefferson. As faculty advisor, Jan believed that her students should exercise their freedom of the press. The newspaper, which Jan advised for 16 years, earned high awards from the National Scholastic Press Association including one Ali American Award.

In 1978, Jan also began advising the Jefferson yearbook, the REVOLUTION. Each yearbook was a gift from the journalism students to the students of Jefferson. These yearbooks chronicled the past school year and left students a history of the time they spent at Jefferson. The books were given high marks from the National Scholastic Press Association with several All American Awards. Jan advised the REVOLUTION for eight years.

Jan influenced many young journalists; some pursued journalism as a career. She believes that they learned and grew because they had an exciting news community, and they had to take responsibility for their own words and pictures. Jan recalls, "They learned from each other and from covering the news in a meaningful way. They made a difference at Jefferson and their experience on publications made a difference in them."