Kansas Collegiate Media is honored to announce Kristy Nyp, journalism teacher and publications adviser at Manhattan High School, as the 2026 Jackie Engel Award winner for excellence in scholastic publications advising.
Now is her 15th year advising student publications at Manhattan High School, Nyp has built a culture of excellence in her programs. Her students enjoy consistent success, earning local, state and national honors for their work. While the awards impressed the committee, they noted much more depth to the program Nyp has built.
“Nyp obviously teaches the fundamentals of good storytelling and quality journalism, with a strong commitment to helping her students tell the important stories in their school,” Amy DeVault, Kansas Collegiate Media president, said. “But it is also clear that her students learn to communicate, collaborate, innovate and meet deadlines. She challenges them to grow and lead, helping them build a strong foundation for whatever life after high school brings.”
In Nyp’s program, students who work for the Mentor newspaper, the Blue M yearbook, online and video production work together and often meet at the same time. Varsity Yearbooks representative Barry MacCallum, who visits her classroom and sees firsthand how her students work, said this not only teaches the convergence that students will experience in the professional world, but that it also builds strong student leaders.
“Managing the exciting, productive chaos is more than one person can handle, so Nyp creates student leaders from the get-go,” MacCallum said. “Editors truly are the leaders of their staffs under Nyp’s guidance.”
Linda Puntney, retired director of the Journalism Education Association, said Nyp learned from a great mentor, Ron Johnson, at Fort Hays State University and incorporated much of what she learned from Johnson into her teaching career.
“A love of language; the understanding of the importance of journalism, especially student journalism, and a vigorous approach to accuracy are all part of what she teaches every day,” Puntney said. “She has worked professionally and incorporates lessons learned in those experiences into her nearly three decades of classroom teaching and advising.”
Puntney said Nyp encourages students to cover issues that concern them, whether it’s a cell phone policy or a student demonstration outside the school.
“The decisions, including content, belong to the students, but the guidance, the education and the passion behind those decisions belong to Nyp,” Puntney said.
In addition to a busy load teaching and advising the publications staffs, Nyp sponsors Quill and Scroll and helps with the CTE effort at Manhattan High. She goes out of her way to coordinate scholarship opportunities for her students. Her commitment extends to mentoring future journalism teachers, too.
Jared Shuff, publications adviser at Lawrence Free State, student taught with Nyp at Manhattan High.
“It’s been nearly four years since I student-taught for Kristy, and I’m thankful every day I had such an amazing mentor to guide me,” Shuff said. “Now, I’m honored to call her a colleague and friend. She is so deserving of the Jackie Engel Award.”
Nyp has served scholastic journalism across the state through her service as a board member for the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, including serving as board president from 2019–2021.
Barb Tholen, KSPA’s executive director, said Nyp’s service makes her a perfect recipient of this honor.
“Kristy is an exemplary educator who always welcomes future teachers to her classroom, inspiring and preparing the next generation of journalism advisers. She’s thoughtful, encouraging and always up to help with a challenge,” Tholen said.
Nyp will be honored by both Kansas Collegiate Media and the Kansas Scholastic Press Association in Lawrence on May 2.
About Jackie Engel
Jacquelynn “Jackie” Engel was a long-time journalism educator, serving as journalism teacher and publications adviser at McPherson High School from 1966-1987. She then served as executive secretary of KSPA, with headquarters at the University of Kansas, until 1989. During that time, she was instrumental in passage of the Kansas Student Publications Act in 1992.
Jackie taught hundreds of high school journalists through her publications, classes, workshops and conferences. She was a state director for the national Journalism Education Association, which honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. She earned the Gold Key from Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association.
About Kansas Collegiate Media
Kansas Collegiate Media is the state organization serving student publications at colleges across the state. Our membership includes student publications at community colleges and at 4-year colleges and universities, including both public and private. We support student journalism at all levels and are proud to sponsor the Jackie Engel award in recognition of the incredible work of high school journalism teachers across the state.