For the second time, El Dorado High School’s yearbook, “The Legend,” has received national recognition for excellence in student journalism from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA).
El Dorado is one of 19 high school yearbooks in the nation to earn the CSPA’s Gold Crown Award and the only school in El Paso to achieve this prestigious honor. The Crown Awards are the highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student print or digital medium for overall excellence.
The school received its first Gold Crown Award in 2024 for its 2023-2024 yearbook and earned the honor again in 2026 for its 2024-2025 yearbook.
"Earning a second CSPA Gold Crown for “The Legend” 2025 was an unexpected surprise, because I knew the yearbook was incredible, but I also knew it was a very 'Eldo' book, in that we're constantly pushing the boundaries of what people think a traditional yearbook looks like,” said Vanessa Martinez, El Dorado High School Commercial Photography & Journalism teacher and the yearbook advisor.
She credited the yearbook's success, which was titled “Not to Brag,” to the hard work and dedication of the school's journalists, who strive for excellence in photography, writing and design.
“Our journalism students are truly the best at original, creative, rigorous, and journalistically responsible thinking. The way that group of editors came up with "Not To Brag," and then brought it to life with superior feature writing, action photography and dynamic design, as a united staff, is just incredible, and I couldn't be prouder. To get a Gold Crown, you have to be nearly perfect, and this book really was,” Martinez added.
The award was presented during CSPA’s spring conference at Columbia University in New York City in March.
Additionally, El Dorado won the 2–5A UIL Journalism District Championship for the third consecutive year in April, showcasing its dedication and excellence in journalism.
For more information, visit CSPA’s official announcement: https://precollege.sps.columbia.edu/news/2026-gold-and-silver-crown-award-winners