Marina Qu named Virginia Journalist of the Year

TOP-NOTCH JOURNALIST

The Highlander’s Marina Qu wins Virginia Journalist of the Year

SHRUTHI MANIMARAN MANAGING EDITOR

Senior Marina Qu understood the power of journalism when she immigrated to the U.S. from China at the age of 13.

“When I came [to America], I knew the power and the impact that journalists can make on society, and also just as student journalists in our community, because we’ve seen what our locals have done,” Qu said.

Qu’s belief in the power of the press and willingness to work hard helped her earn the position of editor-in-chief of The Highlander this year, which led to her being named the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year by the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers. The application process for the highly coveted award involved submitting a resume, transcript, three letters of recommendation and a portfolio website detailing different types of journalism work she’s done during her time on the staff.

Qu’s initial reaction was excitement after The Highlander’s adviser, Lindsay Benedict, called her with the news.

“I called Marina and she had just seen [the news] one second before, too,” Benedict said. “We were both able to squeal together and be really excited.”

Despite this school year being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, school closing and virtual learning, Qu continued to report on what mattered most.

“It’s been such a wild news year with just constantly changing developments in Fairfax County and with our virtual learning and return to school plans,” Benedict said. “She’s really covered every step of that. She’s sat through dozens of hours of school board meetings and the superintendent’s press conferences.”

Qu’s articles are more than just relevant and timely—they’ve also enacted tangible change in the McLean community.

“[One article I wrote] was about overcrowding and the policies that the former board members were looking at at the time,” Qu said. “It’s really cool to see the policy progress throughout the years, because now we are actually having a boundary change. It was really great seeing the changes happen.”

One of the three people who wrote a letter of recommendation for Qu for the Virginia Journalist of the Year Award was former school board member Ryan McElveen.

“My motivation for writing a recommendation for her was that she interviewed me on numerous occasions for various articles, ranging from student activism and civic engagement to climate change issues,” McElveen said. “While working with her, it was very clear that she was very passionate about the work and very professional in how she handled her assignments.”

Fellow editor-in-chief senior Heran Essayas can also attest to Qu’s work ethic after working closely with her this year.

“We’ve been able to work really well together because she is so talented in the way where she knows exactly what to do,” Essayas said. “She’s always working toward that goal of making a successful magazine.”

Qu isn’t just a writer. Over her three years at The Highlander, she has been able to expand into art, photography and design.

“I definitely like the aspect of journalism where you can combine a lot of interests together,” Qu said. “The design aspect of journalism really allowed me to kind of use my creativity, but also put it on something that is more objective and more informative.”

Qu is looking ahead to a bright future at Harvard University next year, where she plans to write for the school newspaper and potentially pursue a career in journalism. No matter what she decides, Qu’s impact on The Highlander staff has been profound, and the effects of her leadership will be long-lasting.

“Marina’s had a large influence over so many different articles in The Highlander, just by really working closely with the reporters,” Benedict said. “She doesn’t do anything just for the credit or for the glory—she does it because she knows it’s important.”

SHE DOESN’T DO ANYTHING JUST FOR THE CREDIT OR FOR THE GLORY—SHE DOES IT BECAUSE SHE KNOWS IT’S IMPORTANT.”

- LINDSAY BENEDICT THE HIGHLANDER ADVISER

QU STEPS UP — Marina Qu steps up to the podium to ask the superintendent about overcrowding solutions at McLean High School for an article for The Highlander. She attended the McLean Community Center meeting with Principal Ellen Reilly, parents and students on March 5, 2019.