Haar wins Perry Photojournalism Challenge with ‘Echoes of a Matriarch’

Hailey Haar | junior broadcasting major

From Hailey Haar's essay "Echoes of a Matriarch": Paul Haar is hit by a wave of grief while sitting in his mother’s lift chair at his Lincoln home on March 4. Her belongings spilled into his garage when he began the process of combining two households' worth of possessions into one.

Hailey Haar, a junior broadcasting major from Lincoln, won the top prize in the 2022 Philip Perry Photojournalism Challenge for her essay “Echoes of a Matriarch.” Haar will receive a $7,000 scholarship to complete her studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her essay examined the impact of the death of a matriarch on a Nebraska family.

Second place was awarded to Aeriel Frey, a junior broadcasting major from Vermillion, South Dakota, for her essay “Life After Loss.” Frey will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

Third place went to Lauren Penington, a sophomore journalism major from Parker, Colorado, for her essay “Life After Invasion.” Penington will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Naomi Delkamiller, a freshman advertising and public relations major from Lincoln, and Jordan Moore, a sophomore journalism major from Lincoln, received honorable mentions.

The annual competition is a test of determination and drive. This year, 18 students had 24 hours to shoot and compose a photo essay of up to 12 images around the theme “Life After.” The competition kicked off at 5 p.m. March 4. The student were free to interpret the theme as they saw fit, producing an essay at any location of their choosing. Submissions were due at 5 p.m. March 5.

The essays were judged by five photojournalism professionals in two rounds. In the initial round, participants were narrowed to five finalists who were invited to present their essays to the judges and the general public. Following the presentations, the judges conferred to select the winners.

This year’s judges were Robert Cohen, a staff photojournalist with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Calla Kessler, a freelance photographer in New York City; Allen Schaben, a staff photographer with the Los Angeles Times; Anna Reed, a photojournalist with the Omaha World-Herald; and Steve Smith, professor of visual communication at the University of Connecticut.

The Perry Photojournalism Challenge is supported by donations from Philip Perry, CEO of Perry Reid Properties.