A loud gasp from her mother sealed it — Keiara Carr had received the 2008 Sterling Sentinel Award in journalism.

The 18-year-old Snider senior said she was shocked as the description of her accomplishments — National Honor Society, Academic Decathlon team member and ultimately her involvement with the school newspaper — was read in front of a packed house Wednesday night at the Embassy Theatre. And that reaction was shared by her family, who were on their feet almost before her name was read.

“Everyone looked at me, and I was like (gasp) that's my name,” Carr said after receiving the $3,000 scholarship and plaque as the 24th winner of the award.

Carr was selected from 17 nominees from area high schools to be named this year's journalism recipient.

“She's always loved writing. She's just been determined to be a journalist,” her mother, Glenda Curry, said just minutes before congratulating her daughter with a big hug.

“I'm very proud of her tonight,” added her father, Steven Carr. “She worked very hard to get this award.”

The journalism award was one of 14 scholarships handed out to students from Allen, DeKalb and Whitley county high schools. There were 244 nominees selected this year, and a $1,500 scholarship was given to each of the other 13 recipients in the categories of arts, athletics, business, drama, English/literature, foreign language, industrial/vocational, mathematics, music/instrumental, music/voice, science, social studies and speech. More than 5,000 students have been recognized by the Sterling Sentinel Awards since they began in 1985.

Carr's interest in journalism began when she was a sophomore at Snider. She said a teacher saw something special in her writing, which turned into a passion for print media.

“I just dived in,” she said. “It's just changed my entire life. I love it so much.”

As the only black student on her school newspaper staff, the Snider Scroll, Carr says she hopes to carry that passion to other minorities and get them interested in the field — something the judges took note of.

“She has a passion for journalism, for writing,” said judge Rebecca Karcher, Fort Wayne's director of public information. “She is looking to her future and how she may impact journalism by bringing more minorities to the business.”

Carr plans to attend Indiana University and says she hopes to pursue an internship in New York City at a newspaper or magazine. She has aspirations to be a reporter for a newspaper or magazine and ultimately an editor.

“You hold her a place at The News-Sentinel,” Curry said.