Jessica Young is returning for her sixth summer with the Washington Journalism and Media Conference. Young teaches yearbook, journalism, photography and graphic design at Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Anthropology from San Diego State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from University of California, San Diego. She serves as the Vice President and Communications Chair for her school district’s teachers union.

Young is the President of the San Diego Journalism Education Association and serves on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees for the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society. She is an active member of the scholastic journalism community and teaches at workshops and conventions around the country. She was recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Journalism Education Association in 2012. Her students’ publications are frequently featured in the Best of Show, Best of the High School Press and the Walsworth Idea File and Gallery of Excellence. In addition to teaching, Young works as a writer for Locale Magazine in San Diego, writing for both the quarterly print publication and the magazine’s website.

She also enjoys running, baking and traveling. She has conquered the Original Marathon Greece, The Inca Trail in Peru, and most recently, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. Young also owns a small baking business called Bake Me Happy. Her baked goods of choice are cupcakes and her students are her favorite taste testers.