The Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarships recognize the top high school journalists in the country. The contest begins at the state level. Winning portfolios from state Journalist of the Year competitions are sent to the national level, with winners announced at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Applicants are no longer required to have two years of scholastic journalism experience, though most will. Applicants must be a senior in high school or equivalent for international schools. Applicants from outside the United States should submit their entries to JEA's global engagement director. Three recommendation letters from those who know the applicants best and can speak to the significance of their journalism experience are required. Applicants must contact their JEA state director for instructions on state contest submission. The tools on the scholarship website were designed for use at state and national contests. Applicants should include examples that demonstrate their abilities as an editor or leader, even if they do not hold a formal "leadership position" on staff. Applicants may also demonstrate editing proficiency by "revisiting" and updating work from earlier in their journalistic career and providing a look at how they might handle the piece differently now that they are more experienced. There is no limit in the number of work samples that applicants may submit. Check the scholarship's website to know what each work example must be labeled with. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.