Six students from the Reynolds School of Journalism placed in the 2024-2025 Hearst Journalism Awards Program national competition. The Hearst Awards, which are often referred to as the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism, are awarded annually in fourteen different categories.
Students Aiden Maher and Alysha Cancino placed among the top 20 in the Innovative Multimedia competition, with Maher being awarded a certificate for tenth place. Bela Delos-Reyes placed in the top 20 for Multimedia Narrative Video Storytelling. In the audio category, Kat Fulwider won an award for Audio News and Features, her second Hearst award. In writing, Jace Ouchida and James Perez placed among the top in the Feature Writing Competition and Explanatory Reporting Competition, respectively.
Maher, Cancino, and Delos-Reyes were each awarded for a story they produced as part of the Reynolds School’s Motion Graphics (JOUR 405) class. These three stories were also published by the Reynolds School’s , led by Jennifer Kent, which gives students the opportunity to practice science communication using diverse methods.
Aiden Maher placed tenth in the Innovative Multimedia competition for his animated explainer, “” Maher’s story uses a multimedia approach to visualize the water cycle and advocates for water conservation efforts.
Cancino’s story, “,” piece discusses the phenomenon known as sleep paralysis and shares how to avoid it.
Earning a win in the Multimedia Narrative Video Storytelling competition, Delos-Reyes’s piece, “” explored and visualized the scientific explanation for alcohol-induced hangovers.
“The Reynolds School has taught more than I ever could have imagined in my past 3 1/2 years of college,” said Delos-Reyes. “Achieving the recognition gave me the confidence and motivation to pursue my passion in design and visual communications in the sports industry. I am currently the Sales & Marketing Assistant at TPC Summerlin, a PGA TOUR owned and operated golf course, and I have applied every ounce of knowledge and advice I have learned from Reynolds School of Journalism.”
Jace Ouchida was recognized for his story, “,” which explored the controversial history of the unusual sport.
“I feel honored to have won a Hearst Award for my story on the use of donkeys in basketball and their unjust treatment for entertainment. I remember visiting Hearst Castle in middle school and have been fascinated with the Hearst media empire and history ever since,” said Ouchida. “I would like to thank Paul Mitchell for steering me in the right direction within my interest in sports journalism and Nico Colombant for guiding me towards submitting my story.”
Kat Fulwider was recognized for two stories produced through Public Radio in the Audio News/Features competition. In the first, “,” Fulwider traveled to Northstar California Resort in Lake Tahoe to report on the resort’s avalanche rescue dog team. Her second story, “,” covered another Tahoe resort from a different angle, discussing the proposed development for the Village at Palisades Tahoe and the negative environmental impact the project could have.
James Perez’s piece, “” placed seventeenth in the Explanatory Reporting competition. The story examined recent price increases for the nostalgic brand, as well as what implications the rising costs would have on LEGO fans.
