Former Taylor Press editor wins teaching award
HUTTO — A former editor and publisher of the Taylor Press now teaching media skills at Hutto High School recently won a top regional education award.
Jason Hennington, a Taylor native, is the Career and Technical Association of Texas Area IV “New Teacher of the Year,” officials announced this week.
He is a career and technical education teacher at the campus.
“I was surprised because I didn’t expect it,” Hennington said. “I’m blessed to have students who are engaged and want to learn.”
The state winners will be announced at the CTAT Winter Conference Feb. 8-10 in San Antonio.
CTAT is a nonprofit advocating for career and technical education, or CTE, programs by providing support and professional development for school districts across 12 geographical areas.
To be eligible for the award, educators must have five years or less in the classroom.
CTE programs blend vocational skills with academic studies through training focused on careers.
Hennington found out about the honor following a busy weekend. He hosted the annual Taylor Press 3-on-3 basketball tournament July 11-12 before driving to Fort Worth the morning of July 13 for his CTAT interview.
After that, Hennington carried on with life as usual. Then, he received a phone call.
“Around 9:30 p.m., they called me and told me I won. I was surprised and happy,” Hennington said. “The first thing I said was, ‘Thank God.’ I was blessed to be nominated and to win. I was speechless at first, but I was really happy and excited.”
Hennington said his teaching philosophy involves not only instructing his students about the basics of photography or graphic design, but also about decorum when representing the high school media department.
“I’m also teaching them stuff they can take outside of the classroom,” Hennington said. “I teach them how to use a camera, but I also teach them how to carry themselves when you’re working with clients.”
After 11 years of employment at the Press, Hennington began his teaching career in the fall of 2024. Each year, he adds new skills to the curriculum.
“I try to keep adding new things. The first year I taught photography and I taught them basics,” he said. “Last year, I added a couple of other things such as on-scene photography. This year, I hope to incorporate something else. I try to keep evolving what I’m doing. I like to add to my curriculum to get them better and better.”
CTAT awards are also available for the Administrator of the Year, Counseling and Career Development Professional of the Year, Experienced Teacher of the Year (five years or more), Postsecondary Professional of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, and Community Service.
Just winning the Area IV award is an honor, but he’s also looking forward to what happens on the state level, the journal-ist turned-teacher said.
“I’m really happy to be nominated,” Hennington said. “Whether or not I win state, I’m blessed to be nominated. If I win, great. If I don’t win, that’s great, too.”
