The Collegian brought home 42 awards, including 18 first-place finishes, at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention, marking one of the most successful showings in the publication’s history.
Beyond the state competition, The Collegian also earned national recognition with an online Pacemaker from the Associated College Press, one of the highest honors in college journalism.
“That’s actually an even bigger accomplishment,” said Chris Whitley, director of student publications. “The Pacemaker is considered the Pulitzer Prize of college media.”
Among the top honors at TIPA were first place for overall excellence in newspaper, Best of Show for website and multiple individual awards recognizing reporting, photography, design and multimedia work.
The TR Campus literary magazine Roots and Reflections also earned 10 awards at TIPA, including second place for overall excellence and multiple first-place honors in illustration, photo illustration and critical review.
“It says that we’ve got amazing students producing work that you could find at any college, two-year or four-year, anywhere in the country,” Whitley said. “I’m incredibly proud of that.”
Whitley said the number of awards was unprecedented.
“I don’t ever remember winning that many awards,” he said. “This is really an astounding achievement.”
Editor-in-chief Ash Petrie earned first place for Reporter of the Year and received multiple additional awards, including a scholarship.
“A lot of hard work and communication went into it,” Petrie said. “In order to create something award-winning, you have to work together and do it well.”
Petrie said the recognition reflects not just individual success but the effort of the entire staff.
“It’s very rewarding to see the hard work of the staff get recognized,” she said. “It’s something they can put on their resume and use for future opportunities.”
Behind the awards, students balanced coursework, jobs and personal responsibilities while producing content for the publication.
“There’s a lot of late nights, a lot of stress, a lot of rewriting and editing,” Petrie said. “It’s a team effort. It’s a lot more than just a newspaper.”
The Collegian’s success also included individual honors across departments. Diego Santos was named Photojournalist of the Year, recognizing his work capturing moments across campus and the community.
“When they called my name, I was speechless,” Santos said. “It was really emotional. I’ve never won anything like that before.”
Santos said award-winning photography requires patience and attention to detail, often taking hundreds of photos to capture the right moment.
“I try to get the right angle and the right emotion,” he said. “It’s about finding that one shot that stands out.”
For Whitley, the awards represent more than recognition. They reflect the effort students put into telling meaningful stories.
“They’re doing this while taking classes, working jobs and handling life,” he said. “The fact that they produce this level of work is truly amazing.”
