2026 St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards

AM200: BEST FEATURE ARTICLE

• First Place A Journey of Hope Jeffrey Link, Senior Writer, Loyola Univerity Chicago
• Second Place The Magic Touch Jeffrey Link, Senior Writer, Loyola Univeristy Chicago
• Third Place To an Athlete Dying Young Jason Kelly, Editor, Notre Dame University

AM201: BEST PROFILE

• First Place The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth John Nagy, Managing Editor, Notre Dame University
• Second Place What Makes Life Worth Living? Q&A with David Jobes Mariana Barillas, Senior Writer, The Catholic University of America
• Third Place Scoop Dreams Jeffrey Link, Senior Writer, Loyola University

AM202: BEST MISSION.DRIVEN STORY

• First Place Flag Bearers Michelle Cuneo, Associate Editor, Notre Dame University
• Second Place Where Their Loyalties Lie Margaret Fosmoe, Associate Editor, Notre Dame University

AM203: BEST CAMPUS CULTURE STORY

• First Place Having Coffee with … Norman Vesprini John Nagy, Managing Editor, Notre Dame University
• Second Place A Step Back In Time Margaret Fosmoe, Associate Editor, Notre Dame University

AM400: BEST STORY AND VISUAL PACKAGE

• First Place Guiding Light Jeffrey Link, Senior Writer; Lukas Keapproth, Senior Staff Photographer, Loyola University Chicago
• Second Place From Battlefield to Blueprint: Veteran Constructs Career in Architecture Mariana Barillas, Senior Writer, The Catholic University of America
• Third Place A University with a Higher Calling Kristin Reavey, Art Director and Design Lead, The Catholic University of America

AM500: BEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE

• First Place Portraits Magazine Saint Anselm College
  Kate Grip Denon, Editorial Director of Major and Special Publications; Paul Pronovost, Vice President for Strategic Marketing, Communications and Public Relations; Annee Giard, Senior Director of Integrated Creative and Web Services
• Second Place Loyola Magazine Loyola University Chicago
  Adrienne Gunn, Senior Director of Content Strategy; Alexandra West, Assistant Director of Content Strategy; Jeffrey Link, Senior Writer; Lukas Keapproth, Senior Staff Photographer; Elizabeth Shea, Associate Editor; Julia Winker, Contributor; Melissa Sterne, Project Manager
• Third Place The Aquinas Way “Centennial Issue” Aquinas Institute of Theology
  Fr. Mark Wedig, OP, Publisher and President, Aquinas Institute; Fr. Michael Mascari, OP, Publisher and Vice President, Aquinas Institute and Academic Dean; Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, OP, Publisher and Director of Legacy and Major Giving; Donna Thro, Publisher and Executive Director, Business Affairs; Dr. Brian Matz, Publisher and Associate Dean for Academic and Administrative Assessment; Grant Hartley, Editor-in-Chief; Erin Hammond, Editorial Board and Director of Development; Bridget Kostello, Editorial Board and Coordinator, Marketing and Communications; Samantha Messier, Editorial Board; Gayle Bordlemay, Designer; Sid Hastings and Barlow Productions, Photographers

AM502: BEST COVER DESIGN

• First Place Mass Exodus Mike Ellis, Illustrator; Kerry Prugh, Art Director, Notre Dame University
• Second Place Summer 2025 Cardinal Magazine Cover Kristin Reavey, Art Director and Lead Designer; Dave Hazen, Executive Director of Content and Writing, The Catholic University of America

S200: BEST NEWS STORY

• First Place Faith, Justice and Hope: Trinity’s Symposium Bridges Two Popes and a Century of Change Anette Perez, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Trump Administration Terminates DePaul Student’s Legal Status Sam Freeman and Lauren Sheperd, DePaul University
• Third Place Professors Rethink Teaching as AI Reshapes the Classroom Samantha Zavala, DEI Editor, University of Portland
• Honorable Mention Trinity Students Bring Gender Justice to United Nations Saron Gebereegziabhier, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention From CHIRP Lab to a Book Deal: How Three Alumni and One Professor Co-Authored ‘Liturgy in the Shadow of Trauma’ Kaylee Monahan, Opinion Editor, University of Portland

S201: BEST FEATURE STORY

• First Place Divine Code: the Intersection of Technology and Theology Marissa Wilson and Natalie Pitluck, Writers and Editors; Natalie King and Rachel Lieberman, Editors, Loyola University Chicago
• Second Place Unlock a Lost Art: A College Student’s Guide to Budgeting Kalena O’Connell, Living Editor; Lexi Buckner, Graphic Design, University of Portland
• Third Place Superman Isn’t Just a Hero: He’s a Reminder Cole Betham, Neumann University
• Honorable Mention Trinity to Hold April 9 Event to Educate University Community About Vaccines Anette Perez, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention ‘The Piano Man’ Serenades the UCs Riley Rains, Arts & Culture Editor, University of San Diego

S203: BEST OPINION OR EDITORIAL WRITING

• First Place Compassion Before Enforcement: A First-Gen Reflection on ICE Jazmine Perez, Contributor, University of Portland
• Second Place Turn Away Your Tired, Your Poor Victoria Rivera, Staff Writer and Copy Editor, Barry University
• Third Place How the Dodgers Bought Baseball David Cook, Opinion Editor, University of San Diego
• Honorable Mention Gun Violence Spares No One, But Does Our Attention? Kalena O’Connell, Living Editor, University of Portland
• Honorable Mention When Will We Wake Up: A Response to Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Abigail Adams, Fordham University

S204: BEST PROFILE

• First Place Journalist Jim Acosta Challenges Trinity Students to Be Brave Truth-Tellers Genesis Bu-Chinchilla, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Trinity Senior Makes Climate Change Awareness Her Crusade for a Sustainable Planet Nermin Redi, Trinity Washington University
• Third Place Homesickness is Not Uncommon for College Students Genesis Bu-Chinchilla, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention Coach Trish Brown’s Legacy and Stonehill’s Leap to Division 1 Jordan Harrington, Stonehill College

S300: BEST AUDIO OR RADIO – SINGLE EPISODE

• First Place Art, Power, and the African Diaspora Tanzania Kennedy and Saron Gebereegziabhier, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Freedom to Teach: Reading Assata Shakur Saron Gebereegziabhier and Anette Perez, Trinity Washington University
• Third Place Nourishing Kindness in Uncertain Times Genesis Bu-Chinchilla and Anette Perez, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention The Path of Returning Adult College Students Ashley Williams and Saron Gebereegziabhier, Trinity Washington University

S303: BEST MULTIMEDIA OR DIGITAL STORYTELLING

• First Place Student Parent at Trinity Studies Screen Time’s Impact on Children Saron Gebereegziabhier and Genesis Bu-Chinchilla, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Back to Class, Forward in Life: A Mother’s College Journey of Resilience and Self-Discovery Ashley Williams and Saron Gebereegziabhier, Trinity Washington University
• Third Place Trinity’s Early College Academy students call for greater youth civic engagement Saron Gebereegziabhier and Genesis Bu-Chinchilla, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention Trinity Students Learn to Coexist With Wildlife on Campus Genesis Bu-Chinchilla and Saron Gebereegziabhier, Trinity Washington University

S401: BEST NEWS PHOTO

• First Place Author Clint Smith Sydney Ware, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Waka Flacka Flam Spring Concert Will Bradley, Stonehill College
• Third Place Homesickness Nneka Browner, Trinity Washington University

S500: BEST WEBSITE

• First Place Trinity Times Website Staff of Trinity Times, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place Sacred Scrolling Natalie King, Rachel Lieberman, Natalie Pitluck and Marissa Wilson, Loyola University
• Third Place 14 East Staff of 14 East, DePaul University

S501: BEST STUDENT NEWS ORGANIZATION

• First Place Trinity Times Staff of Trinity Times, Trinity Washington University
• Second Place The Quadrangle 2025 Staff of The Quadrangle, Manhattan University
• Third Place 14 East Staff of 14 East, DePaul University

S502: STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

• First Place Brady McCracken, Reporter The Beacon, University of Portland
• Second Place Maddi Achtyl, Editor in Chief The Summitt, Stonehill College
• Third Place Saron Gebereegziabhier, Student Journalist Trinity Times, Trinity Washington University
• Honorable Mention Janis Chakars, Editor in Chief NeuPress, Neumann University