- Department:
- High School Journalism Institute
- Campus:
- IU Bloomington
- Hometown:
- Indianapolis, IN
Mike Klopfenstein teaches Journalism and English at Southport High School in Indianapolis. He’s the adviser of The Journal, Southport’s award-winning newsmagazine. Prior to his work at Southport, he taught at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne and at Bluffton High School. He coached high school baseball for 24 years.
Klopfenstein received his B.A. from Indiana University in 1992 and his master’s degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2009. He’s a past vice president of the Indiana High School Press Association’s board of directors. He was named the IHSPA’s Sengenberger Adviser of the Year in 2018 and Southport High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2014.
The Journal has been named an IHSPA Hoosier Star winner several times under Klopfenstein’s guidance. His students have won numerous awards at the state and national level. Three of his students have been named IHSPA Journalist of the Year.