![Julia Farris squatting on track with camera in hand.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1746644335/catawbaschoolsnet/qdoaeqyalwhaujiah0he/Farris_1.jpg","width":2200}])
NEWTON, May 1, 2025 — Julia Farris, a junior at Fred T. Foard High School, has been selected as North Carolina’s 2025 Free Spirit Scholar by the Freedom Forum. This prestigious honor is awarded annually to one rising senior from each state and Washington, D.C., who demonstrates a passion for journalism and a commitment to the First Amendment.
As the state’s representative, Julia will join fellow scholars from across the country at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference this summer in Washington, D.C. The experience includes a five-day, all-expenses-paid trip with behind-the-scenes access to leading newsrooms, interactive sessions with prominent journalists, and a $1,000 college scholarship.
In addition to this award, Ms. Farris has also been accepted to the School of New York Times, a two-week summer intensive journalism camp. Ms. Farris hopes to major in journalism in college.
The Catawba County Schools community is proud to celebrate Julia’s achievement and excited to see the impact she will make in the world of journalism.