McLean High School senior Marina Qu has been named the 2021 Virginia Journalist of the Year by the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers.

Qu serves as editor-in-chief of The Highlander newsmagazine and The Tartan literary magazine; she has been on both publications’ staff for three years.

In her Journalist of the Year portfolio, Qu wrote, “Our role as student-journalists did not diminish in spite of the global emergency that was unfolding—our responsibilities were heightened. We overcame challenges that we didn’t know we would ever face. And we did it against all odds.”

Qu will compete for the Journalism Education Association’s national Journalist of the Year award, to be announced in April.