Two Huskers place in top 20 in Hearst feature writing competition

Two students in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications have been recognized in the Hearst Journalism Awards feature writing competition.

Naomi Delkamiller, a junior advertising and public relations and journalism major from Omaha, placed 12th. Her winning entry, “The secret behind Memorial Stadium’s recent drone shows lives in Norfolk,” was published on the Nebraska News Service on Oct. 2.

Ellie Kuckelman, a May 2023 graduate from Overland Park, Kansas, who majored in journalism, placed 17th. Her winning entry, “A Sudanese mother living in Lincoln struggles to bring her family home,” was published in the Lincoln Journal Star on June 10.

The Hearst competition annually recognizes the best college journalism, including feature writing, investigative journalism, photojournalism, multimedia, television and audio. Entries are evaluated based on their reporting, crafting, creativity and economy of expression. This year’s competition drew entries from universities nationwide, with 20 finalists selected from hundreds of submissions.

“We take immense pride in celebrating Naomi and Ellie,” said Shari Veil, dean of the journalism college at Nebraska. “Their outstanding performance underscores our commitment to nurturing journalistic talent at UNL.”

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960 to support, encourage and recognize journalism students across the United States. The program awards more than $700,000 in scholarships and grants annually, and its competitions in writing, photojournalism and broadcasting are widely considered among the most prestigious in the country.