Three students from Abilene Christian University's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication recently returned from the Society of Professional Journalists Region 8 Conference in Fort Worth with Mark of Excellence awards.
"The Mark of Excellence awards are among the most prestigious awards given to journalism students," said Dr. Cheryl Bacon, chair of the JMC Department. "This recognition speaks clearly of the caliber of students we have in the JMC program."
Michael Freeman, a senior from Houston, won third place in Breaking News writing. In Feature Writing, senior Kelline Linton from Spring, Texas, won first, while Colter Hettich, a junior from Abilene, took third.
As the first place winner, Linton will go on to compete in the SPJ national Mark of Excellence competition, where her entry will be judged against other winners from 11 geographic regions of SPJ. This is the third year in a row the ACU's journalism and mass communication program has had one or more students qualify for the national Mark of Excellence competition.
"I was particularly pleased to have ACU students receive two of the only three awards given in the Feature Writing category, one of which will be one of only 12 considered for national honors," said Bacon.
The Mark of Excellence awards program honors the outstanding work of student journalists. ACU students compete in SPJ Region 8, which includes professional journalists and university journalists from Texas and Oklahoma.
If you are a member of the media who would like more information about this release, please contact ACU's Public Relations Office or call (325) 674-2696.
