Jamie Kleinerman, at just 17 years old, already has helped advance the freedom of the press in Romania and Hungary.

JAMIE KLEINERMAN

A journalist, honors student and Silver Knight nominee at Palmetto Senior High School, Kleinerman recently completed a project that will allow Quill and Scroll, the international journalism honor society, to flourish in two formerly totalitarian nations.

"For some time now, our class has been in contact with students in Hungary and Romania," Kleinerman explained. "The students there read the Panther, our student newspaper on-line, and wrote letters to the editor commenting on the war in Kosovo and its effect on their lives.

"There's a big struggle in their countries to try to develop a free press and there's a special focus on educating student journalists about how to develop a free press, because they're the next generation.
"Last summer, one of the students came to Palmetto during the summer and worked with our student newspaper staff to put together one issue," Kleinerman said. "She stayed with my family and we discovered we had a lot in common."

Kleinerman thought that starting a chapter of Quill and Scroll would be an important first step to advancing the freedom of the press in Sorana's homeland. So Kleinerman contacted the organization's headquarters and made the arrangements.

"But there were chartering fees, and they just couldn't afford them, so I went to several local businesses who donated the fee," Kleinerman said. "We created a Pen Pals group also, pairing a Palmetto student with one of their students."

The Palmetto Pen Pals pay the annual dues and maintain an active correspondence with the Eastern European student journalists.

"They really crave a connection with other student journalists, especially Americans," Kleinerman said. "They like to talk about similar interests and activities, and to learn how to build a free press. So much of the news there is still influenced to portray a certain message.

"When they received their membership certificate, they were so excited. It's really a wonderful thing to know that I was a part of that," said Kleinerman, who is the editor-in-chief of Palmetto's award-winning student newspaper.

A writer since an early age, Kleinerman first became interested in journalism at middle school.

"Being editor of my school paper is one of my fondest memories of high school," she said. "Our advisor tells us that it's important to be passionate about what we do, and all of us in the newsroom staff share the same passion. It's a great feeling of teamwork."

Kleinerman recently received the good news that she has been accepted into Duke University.

"It's been my lifelong dream to attend Duke University and now that dream has come true."