Two students receive Golden Leaf awards
CHADRON – Shelby Westinghouse of Hot Springs, South Dakota, and Mekenna Fisher of Hershey, Nebraska, received awards of distinction at the Golden Leaf Awards contest in late March sponsored by the Northern Plains Collegiate Media Association, according to CSC Associate Professor Julian Berrian.
Berrian said both students have exhibited exceptional dedication to academic excellence in general and to the craft of media production in particular.
Westinghouse, a Communication Arts major, earned first place in the Best Column category for her opinion piece on dry-campus regulations she wrote in adjunct instructor Heather Crofutt’s news reporting course in 2025.
“Previously, I had not written anything opinion based, so it was a challenge to avoid bias and write in a tone that was objective to both sides of the argument. Hearing that I won the award was an unexpected accomplishment. It feels rewarding to be recognized for my efforts and will motivate me to continue pushing myself out of my comfort zone,” Westinghouse said.
Westinghouse has since joined The Eagle Club and serves as secretary. She is completing her third semester as a student worker in College Relations and plans to return in the fall.
Fisher, a rangeland management major with minors in legal studies and media production placed third in the Best Audio Public Service Announcement category for her broadcast-radio public service announcement about challenges faced by family-owned farms.
“It was a great honor to get this award. I feel like I've learned a lot about media production in my time at Chadron, and I'm glad I was able to apply it to creating a PSA addressing an issue that's very close to home for me,” Fisher said.
Category: Communication, Student Awards & Achievements