I was a judge at the California Newspaper Publishers Association contest, where I and the two other judges at my table were responsible for reviewing newspapers in the category of general excellence. We were looking at small dailies, but we were also asked to choose four top high school newspapers.

These high school papers were from throughout the state, offering a wealth of styles, stories and opinions. Each was unique. The staff was diverse. Their voices were plentiful and the writing was honest and edgy. And it wasn't just me who was impressed by the stories I was reading. The other two judges were also voicing their enthusiasm with phrases like "Wow, this is really good," or "Check this out. Isn't this clever?"

It was just the right dose of professional caffeine needed after a long morning of reading stories from the adult community. Suddenly, I found myself chuckling over political cartoons and clever leads. Some of the writing was very esoteric; other writing was absolutely right on point. Some were even brutally honest.

The maturity that these young writers demonstrated in the issues and topics they tackled made the editorial pages and stories come alive. These students broached subjects that many adults are not sure how to handle—sexually transmitted diseases, teenager driving, homosexuality and drinking—with candor. These papers also tackled community issues that impacted their lives—the California exit exam debate, educational cutbacks, the pledge of allegiance controversy and even the recall of Gray Davis.

When all was said and done, it left my peers and me collectively saying, "Wow!" It also had me thinking that there was still hope for the world of journalism, but only if we can find a way to preserve its integrity. What came through in these publications was that absolute sense of free speech and an honest desire to talk about the issues. These teens had something to say and they did, in an articulate and captivating manner. My hope is that their drive to tell it like it is doesn't fade and isn't tarnished by an industry noted for its low compensation and long hours, but that some of these students take it to the next level and continue to value the importance of the written word and the impact writing has on others.

The students who created these publications came from all walks of life. Some of these papers were produced by students attending public schools, others from private schools—all were excellent, sometimes even chilling. It's important for those schools that teach journalism to find an approach that continues to foster that passion for expression and to keep the fire alive, so a whole new generation of writers is excited and eager to move into the profession and stay there as us older folks put our laptops away.

I was grateful to have had this brief glimpse into the teenager newspaper world, to have had the time to review their work and see their sense of pride in the way they wrote, designed and drew editorial cartoons in the paper. And after reading these school papers, I began to believe that there just might be a future generation of journalists and reporters rising from the ashes of a world that is dominated by the Internet, instant messaging, video games and MTV.

At the end of the day, with an hour drive ahead, I was actually recharged and excited, as I imagined that the profession, which I think has an incredible influence on humanity, has a whole new crop of fresh voices that just might consider this a worthy and admirable career.

As for the four newspapers we selected and sent on to the next round of judging, they might have been the top four, but after reading all the entries, I thought every single one of those papers was a winner and wished I could have given each one of them a blue ribbon.

Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@svcn.com.