Students won five 2024 national writing awards, including the top honor in three categories, in a contest sponsored by the Catholic Media Association (CMA).

Four NeuPress journalists won first place for the best investigative series, a collection of articles about dining service issues on campus. Tracy Nguyen, Megan Foody, Kadiyah Malik, and Christopher Kramer contributed to the series, which tackled reduced hours at the Knights Cafe, long lines during the common hour, Christmas layoffs, and the administration’s response to a food service petition.

Alex Castells wrote and recorded Game Day Grace, a 12-minute NeuPress feature that dives into the practices and customs that athletes engage in to maintain focus and incorporate religious or spiritual beliefs into their routines. It won CMA’s best podcast award.

The Canticle, Neumann’s literary and visual arts journal, took the top spot for the best new student publication with a thought-provoking collection of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and visual arts. Dozens of students contributed creative work. The Canticle editor is Maya Jacyszyn, associate director of the Writing Center. 

Danica Pedone captured second place in sports journalism for First down or first aid? Her NeuPress article used the cardiac arrest suffered by Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin to explore the level of medical staff support available for student-athletes at Neumann.

Third place for the best in-depth profile went to Erin Donovan for her feature on Melissa Paone, entitled Finding purpose by keeping the faith.

Janis Chakars, faculty advisor to NeuPress, notes that the current incarnation of student journalism and creative writing at Neumann University is quite young. The online version of NeuPress started in spring 2022, and The Canticle returned just last year.

"The students have achieved so much in such a short amount of time, and the work just keeps getting better,” he said. “I am really proud of them."

CMA’s St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards recognize excellence in journalism and communications by students and alumni of Catholic colleges and universities. The prizes honor media that embody goodwill, compassion, and uplifting spirit.

The winners were selected from entries in various categories, including design, writing, photography, broadcast, and digital media. Submissions were judged by professional journalists and communicators from CMA's membership, who provided constructive feedback to the participants.

Judges work for St. Anthony Messenger Magazine, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington,

the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Marquette University, Catholic New York, and other organizations.

Winners are listed in the annual awards issue of The Catholic Journalist and were acknowledged at the Catholic Media Conference in June.

The full list of winners is on the CMA website: 2024 St. Juan Diego Collegiate Award Winners List - Catholic Media Association.