2018 Winners
Video Award Recipient
Lillian Donahue, Phoenix: “Trade drives rise of middle class in Central Mexico”
20-year-old Lillian Donahue is a student at the Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU. Her video takes a closer look at the rise of the middle class in Mexico.
Audio Award Recipient
Jessie Nguyen, Seattle, Wa.: “I’m so trans, like the transest you can get”
Jessie Nguyen is a 17-year-old student from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. Her audio piece for KUOW's RadioActive Youth Media Intro to Journalism Workshop focuses on her friend Graham and what he went through to become who he is today.
Multimedia Production Recipient
Ronny Reyes, Stony Brook, NY: “Bringing it to Them: Nutrition for Long Island’s Food Deserts”
Ronny Reyes explores the work of hunger-relief organizations that deliver direct aid to Long Island's growing food deserts for his senior project at SUNY Stony Brook.
2017 Winners
Video Award Recipient
Adriana De Alba, Phoenix: "The Gift of Farming"
Adriana is a senior at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She will intern at a news station in New York this summer and will return to the Cronkite School this fall to earn a master's degree.
Audio Award Recipient
Surya Hendry, Everett, Wa.:""How a Sixgill Shark Got This Introverted Teen to Talk"
Surya is a junior at Inglemoor High School in Everett, WA. She produced this piece for KUOW Seattle's Radioactive Youth Media program.
Multimedia Production Recipient
Ryan Santistevan, Phoenix:"Investigating Hope"
Ryan is a junior at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has worked as a reporter for ASU's student publication, The State Press, and is an intern at the Arizona Republic.
2016 Winners
Video Award Recipient
Katie Antonsson, Los Angeles:"Camping on Cement"
Katie was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015 with a degree in English and art history. While living in Pennsylvania, she managed Rock on Philly, a website dedicated to the Philadelphia music scene. Katie currently attends USC Annenberg, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in specialized journalism and the arts. She also serves as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's embedded journalist and loves to write about art, music, and culture, particularly where they intersect with academia and critical thought.
Audio Award Recipient
Angela Nguyen, Seattle:""Overcoming Hurdles to be First in His Family to Go to College"
Angela is a sophomore at the University of Washington. During the summer of 2014 Angela participated in KUOW’s Radioactive Youth Media program producing feature stories and podcasts. Angela was one of three undergraduate students selected to participate in the Next Generation Radio project,a digital-first, multimedia journalism and professional development project for students focused on journalism and broadcast media. At this time Angela attends the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University where she is majoring in Journalism & Media Production, as well as Digital Technology & Culture.
Online Print Recipient
Aili David, Mira Costa, Ca.:"Kawa Chan Gives Back to Tsunami-Stricken Community Through Passion for Cooking"
Aili is a senior at Mira Costa High School. She is an avid blogger and manages the social media accounts for her high school broadcast journalism program. Aili has a passion for filming, editing and writing for news. She plans to pursue a career in journalism and looks forward to utilizing her skills to tell the untold stories of people around the world through different means of communication.
Carl Matthusen SPOT 127 Youth Leadership Scholarship Award
Efrain Hernandez, Phoenix
Efrain Hernandez, a senior at Phoenix's Bioscience High School, was awarded the second annual Carl Matthusen Youth Leadership Award, which is given to a SPOT 127 student who has demonstrated exemplary leadership skills. Efrain is an exceptional young man who has produced a number of multimedia pieces during his time in SPOT 127, including multimedia packages for the Avnet Tech Games Challenge and several photo and video pieces for a peer-to-peer human trafficking awareness campaign funded by the Hickey Family Foundation. Efrain's creativity, dedication and hard work are an inspiration.
2015 Winners
Video Award Recipient
Luke Rafferty; Syracuse, N.Y.: "Elementary principal fighting to fund his public school"
Luke Rafferty is a junior at Syracuse University in New York. Originally from Philadelphia, Luke has been shooting photos since he could walk. Luke began producing videos in high school and has continued to develop and perfect his craft while attending college. His award-winning video tells the story of an elementary school principal fighting for funding for his inner-city school. (View his story, "Elementary principal fighting to fund his public school")
Audio Award Recipient
Ann Kane, Seattle: "Japaneze Brazilian school counselor"
Ann Kane is a recent graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle. Ann got her start at RadioActive, KUOW's youth media training program. Her focus is on using journalism to tell stories related to migration and globalization. Her award-winning audio story focuses on the complexity of Steven Ono, Japanese by decent, but born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and his migration to the U.S. and the use of music as a fourth language. (Listen to her story, "Japaneze Brazilian school counselor")
Online Print Award Recipient
Shelby Mann, Columbia, Mo.:"Five sex offenders living illegally next to Columbia schools"
Shelby Mann is a Walter Williams Scholar studying convergence journalism and political science with a minor in information technology at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She was the lead for a three-person investigative report about registered sex offenders living close to schools in Columbia. She was born in Phoenix and moved from Arizona at the age of eight. (Read their story, "Five sex offenders living illegally next to Columbia schools")
Carl Matthusen SPOT 127 Youth Leadership Scholarship Award
BrieAnna Frank, Phoenix
The inaugural Carl Matthusen SPOT 127 Youth Leadership Scholarship Award — established this year in honor of Carl Matthusen, General Manager Emeritus, who guided KJZZ/KBAQ for 34 years and greenlighted the pilot youth media program in 2008 — was presented to SPOT 127 student Brieanna Frank. BrieAnna started at SPOT 127 as a high school sophomore in 2012. She is the Salutatorian of her Maryvale High School graduating class and has been accepted into Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
2014 Winners
Online Print Award Recipient
Megan Jenkins; Humble, Texas: “Danger Behind the Wheel”
I’m 18 years old and currently a senior at Atascocita High School. Writing has always been a passion of mine, since the moment I could pick up a pencil. During my high school career, I joined yearbook and stayed on staff for two years before switching over to another sector of our journalism department: newspaper. I’ve loved my time at The Talon, which is the name of Atascocita High School’s newspaper, and will be sad to be leaving my wonderful journalism adviser and encouraging peers that made all of this possible. I plan on attending University of Texas at Dallas and studying communications with a minor in English. (Read her story, "Danger Behind the Wheel.")
Video Award Recipient
Greg Speroni; Painted Post, N.Y.: “Broken Tip”
As cliché as it sounds, I consider myself an average kid from a small town trying to make it big. I’m currently a junior in high school and am far beyond ready to take my next step into the world and head off to college. Since I could walk, I’ve been playing one sport or another, but as I got older, I singled myself into only playing baseball. Baseball has not only been a sport to me, but it’s one of my greatest passions and has brought me so many great memories. Along the road when I was still in elementary school, I discovered another passion of mine. The moment I came across YouTube and stole my mom’s old camera, I knew I found something I loved. Since that time I haven’t stopped making videos and working to better myself as a filmmaker. Filmmaking has not only given me new opportunities in life, but it has helped me meet new people, adventure all the fun things out there, and discover what I want to do for a living. It is definitely something that I plan to continue throughout high school and college, as I am excited to see what the future has prepared for me. (Watch his video, "Broken Tip")
Audio Award Recipient
Madeline Ewbank; Seattle, Wash.: “Lifelong Smoker Goes Into Extra Innings In His Fight Against ‘Mr. C’”
Madeline Ewbank is a senior at Ballard High School in Seattle, WA. While avoiding her homework, Maddie enjoys testing pad thai recipes, practicing amateur pinhole photography and walking around on mountains. She is a blogger for Seattle Public Library, a co-founder and playwright of the independent teen theater company “Lights On! Productions”and a fiercely competitive indoor soccer player. She is also an intern at her local National Public Radio affiliate, KUOW 94.9, where she produces content for RadioActive Youth Media and the RadioActive podcast. Her work in radio journalism has received accolades from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Edward R. Murrow Awards and the Public Radio Exchange Youth Editorial Board. She will be attending Northwestern University in the fall as a Radio/TV/Film major with a possible minor in Journalism. She would like to thank her family and the academy for their incredible support in this endeavor. (Listen to her story, "Lifelong Smoker Goes Into Extra Innings In His Fight Against 'Mr. C")
2013 Winner
Inaugural Recipient
Alexandra Olgin; Princeton, NJ.
Alex Olgin won the inaugural Korva Coleman Excellence Award in 2013 as a senior at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Olgin later went on to work for KJZZ. She is currently a healthcare reporter at WFAE 90.7FM.