Awards

POLITICO, American University, and the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education hold an intensive training program “designed to advance newsroom diversity” every year, for which they fund an all-expenses-paid, 10-day conference for around 20 students in Washington, D.C. I was selected as part of the 2022 class.

The William Woo Print and Online Journalism Grant is a scholarship affiliated with the Asian American Journalists Association that supports AAPIs pursuing journalism careers in print or digital news who have secured a summer internship. I was chosen as the 2022 recipient.

ProPublica and The Pudding award 25 students scholarships to attend journalism conferences every year. I was one of the students selected and will attend the 2022 Asian American Journalists Association conference.

The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism via regional Mark of Excellence awards. Region 3 consists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. I was a finalist in the “General News Reporting” category for “‘I’m tired’: Emory community addresses anti-Asian hate.” The school paper that I oversaw as Executive Editor during this time, The Emory Wheel, also won the Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper.

The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism via regional Mark of Excellence awards. Region 3 consists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. I was the winner of “Breaking News Reporting” for “Mac Donald ignites controversy with ‘diversity in education’ and “General News Reporting” for “Resident advisors overwhelmed by newfound obligations, university’s insufficient response.” The school paper that I oversaw as News Editor during this time, The Emory Wheel, also won Best All-Around Student Newspaper.

The National Scholastic Press Association announced its 2019 national award winners in a variety of categories at the November convention in Washington, D.C. In October, I was selected as one of 10 finalists for Writer of the Year. In November, NSPA named me as the national first-place Writer of the Year within the Portfolio of the Year category.

My piece “In the minority,” co-written with Jessica Moonjely, received fifth place in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Social Justice Reporting category.

Each year, the Iowa High School Press Association chooses one student each for the Writer, Designer, Hawkeye Photographer, and Videographer of the Year awards. I was selected as the 2019 Writer of the Year based on five submitted pieces.

  • 2019 IHSPA Spring Contests
    • First place In-Depth News
    • First place Feature Story
    • First place Multimedia News Story
    • Third place In-Depth News

These awards are presented by the Iowa High School Press Association recognizing high school journalism in numerous categories. See the full list of West Side Story awards here.

  • 2019 International Quill and Scroll award winner
    • In-Depth Reporting: Individual honorable mention
    • In-Depth Reporting: Team honorable mention
    • Editorial Writing honorable mention
  • 2019 Iowa Journalist of the Year Runner-Up

This website originally served as my entry for the JEA Journalist of the Year state contest. I received second place out of seven submitted portfolios.

  • 2018 Al Neuharth and Free Spirit Conference – Iowa Representative

Each year, 51 students from around the nation (one student from every state + the District of Columbia) are selected to attend an all-expenses-paid conference in Washington, D.C. and receive a $1,000 scholarship. I represented the state of Iowa.

  • 2018 IHSPA Emerging Journalist
  • 2018 NSPA Honor Roll

Students are honored for maintaining a minimum of a 3.5 cumulative GPA on a four-point scale and serving on their newspaper staff for at least two years.

  • 2018 Quill and Scroll International Honors Society

Students are recommended by their journalism supervisors for their superior work in journalism.

  • 2018 IHSPA Spring Contests
    • First Place In-Depth News
    • Honorable Mention Feature Story
    • Honorable Mention Multimedia Story – News

These awards are presented by the Iowa High School Press Association recognizing high school journalism in numerous categories.

  • 2018-19: Six time “Best of SNO” recipient

Articles from school newspaper using “SNO” based sites are selected and published on the “Best of SNO” website for being excellent pieces of writing.

  • 2017 IHSPA Conference On-The-Spot Photo Contest – 1st place
  • 2016 NSPA Conference Commentary write-off contest – Honorable mention