Yearbook Chat with Jim

Crystal Kazmierski advised 24 yearbooks at Arrowhead Christian Academy in Redland, California. Twenty-two of them won Pacemakers and one of them was a Pacemaker finalist. The one year they didn't place was because they didn't enter. In this episode, host Jim Jordan chats with his longtime friend about her amazing career. Starting with how she came to yearbook, their conversation follows her career all the way to retirement in 2017.

In this special bonus episode, host Jim Jordan follows up with Courtney Hanks of University High School in Orange City, Florida. Recorded just days before the first big yearbook deadline of the school year, Courtney and her editors share the challenges they’ve faced so far, their plans for the rest of the year and share some background on how they got where they are. Jim will continue to check in with Courtney and her staff as the year progresses. Subscribe now to stay informed!

Andrew Young is the yearbook adviser at Woodland Junior High in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Despite only being in the role for a few years, he's an accomplished young adviser who leads his junior high yearbook class to create amazing, award-winning yearbooks. He believes that teaching younger students should not hinder you from producing an impressive product.

Recorded live at the JEA/NSPA Convention in Chicago, host Jim Jordan brings on guests Christy Porcelli, from H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, convention chair Brenda Field, from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois, and Dr. Bradley Wilson, with JEA. Listen in to learn fun facts about the panelists, and hear a bit about the convention and their yearbook stories.

Alyssa Boehringer entered the yearbook advising world with a bang. Her first year as adviser at McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas, The Lion yearbook won a CSPA Silver Crown award. Alyssa and Jim chat about the incredible work she and her students have done, how she manages to excel with less than three years of experience, and the incredible marketing videos she creates with her staff. We've posted bonus interview footage, images, and videos at walsworthyearbooks.com/blog.

Courtney Hanks earned her new nickname through her dedication to helping students understand what makes a great yearbook. This remarkable young adviser, from University High School in Orange City, Florida, earned a Silver Crown with the second high school book she ever advised. Courtney was named a 2018 JEA Rising Star, and is this month's Adviser of Note. You can read more about her at walsworthyearbooks.com/blog. Questions? Comments? Send them to podcasts@walsworth.com.

Two days into the 2018 school year, everything changed for yearbook adviser David Graves and the students and staff of St. Thomas' Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area, and their school was one of many affected by the record-setting flooding it caused. Jim first interviewed David before Hurricane Florence ever formed. Jim went back to David for more advice on schools affected in similar ways. David is offering his support. Reach him at podcasts@walsworth.com.

Lori Oglesbee is a force of nature. During her 34-year career, she served as a yearbook adviser in three different states. In the course of her notable career, she became a powerhouse teaching in writing, photography and design. In this episode, Lori and Jim discuss her life, writing, how a clumsy dance partner led her to yearbook, and how an elderly man's search for his high school yearbook impacted her life. Lori shares it all with her southern flair for storytelling.

Leland Mallett has been doing scholastic journalism since the seventh grade, even though what he really wanted was to build a waterbed. In this episode, Leland and host Jim Jordan discusses how he built his program from the ground up, the importance of going home at a decent time every night, and how he musters the energy for their annual lock-in tradition. Leland is Walsworth's August Adviser of Note, and you can learn more about him at https://www.walsworthyearbooks.com/blog/.

The first year as an adviser will be nerve-wracking for anyone, but if you're coming into a well-established, award-winning program it can be even more intense! Jim Jordan spoke to three first-year advisers who followed in the footsteps at legendary programs - including the young adviser who took over his program. 

In episode 5 of Yearbook Chat with Jim, Jim Jordan interviews Mike Simons, "the energizer bunny of scholastic journalism." Mike and Jim discuss their long-standing friendship, the moment Mike realized what he needed to do to make his yearbook program great, and why new(ish) yearbook advisers shouldn't be afraid to critique the yearbooks of other schools. They also discuss the freedom of the scholastic press, and Mike's role in securing it in New York. 

Walsworth's president, Don Walsworth, has been around yearbooks all his life. In episode four of Yearbook Chat with Jim, he and Jim Jordan discuss the company's humble beginnings in the Great Depression and the hard work that brought the company to where it is now, as one of the top five yearbook companies in North America.  Don and Jim also talk about family, college, the future of yearbook, and even Don's time as a professional golfer.  

In part two of Jim Jordan's interview with yearbook adviser Sarah Lerner, Jim and Sarah discuss what happened after the tragic Valentine's Day events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Sarah Lerner discusses how the events changed her staff and how they finished the book. She shares her thoughts on the importance of mental health care, mixing journalism and politics, and the national movement started by survivors.

In episode two of Yearbook Chat with Jim, Jim Jordan interviews Sarah Lerner, the yearbook adviser at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  The school was launched into the national spotlight after a school shooting on Feb. 14, 2018, left 17 people dead.  Sarah and her staff were tasked with creating a yearbook that honored those victims, but still showed the rest of the school and school year. This is part one of her interview, part two will be released July 26. 

The first year as a yearbook adviser can be a challenge. In the inaugural episode of Yearbook Chat with Jim, Jim Jordan hosts three yearbook advisers who just finished their first year. These advisers discuss the challenges, successes and surprises they experienced their first year. They share what they would have done different, what they’re proud of accomplishing, and give advice to fellow advisers preparing to start their first year of yearbook.