Casey Nichols, yearbook adviser at Rocklin High School in Rocklin, CA, was recently named the National Yearbook Adviser of the Year by the Journalism Education Association at a surprise presentation during a faculty meeting at his school.

H. L. Hall, JEA past president, and Linda Puntney, JEA executive director, praised Nichols for his work at Rocklin High School and for his work nationally with yearbook staffs. They also presented him with a plaque to recognize Nichols for his "outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions to scholastic yearbook journalism."

Nichols, a Jostens customer, has advised yearbooks for 23 years, 11 at the junior high level, 11 at the high school level and for one year at Burris Lab School in Muncie, IN while a graduate student at Ball State University.

In 1994, Nichols accepted the challenge of creating a high school journalism program at Rocklin High. The school was only one year old and only had freshmen and sophomores at the time. There were seven students on the yearbook staff. From one journalism and one yearbook class the first year, Rocklin now has seven classes directly related to publications. Nichols teaches Publications I, II and III as well as photojournalism.

Nichols has more than 100 students involved in yearbook production. The Publications classes are part of the largest elective department on campus: Communication Studies. More than 450 students take photography and 180 take Graphic Communications. Casey serves as department chair of the program, which directly and indirectly supports teaching journalism with seven full-time teachers, 42 sections and more than 1,200 students involved.

"The energy and size of the yearbook program is built around a simple motto. We create a yearbook 'for students, about students and by students,' " Nichols said.

In his 11 years at Rocklin, the Tonitrus has earned CSPA Crown and NSPA Pacemaker recognition. Nichols shares his enthusiasm for yearbooks with students and teachers around the country. He teaches summer workshops and contributes to Jostens Adviser & Staff magazine.