Students Recognized With Communication Awards

At the Society of Adventist Communicators conference

A group of Andrews University students and faculty attended the 2025 Society of Adventist Communicators Conference. (Photo by Jeff Boyd)

Several Andrews University students and alumni were recognized at the Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC) awards banquet on Saturday evening, Oct. 18. The ceremony was part of the 36th annual SAC conference, which took place from Oct. 16–18 at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. The gathering focused on the “professional development, continuing education, recognition, networking, and nurturing of Christians with careers in communication.”

Each year, projects created by professionals and students are submitted to panels of judges and evaluated in 15 categories. The resulting awards cover a variety of communication-related fields, including design, graphic arts, photography, spoken word, video and writing.

Student Awards

The award “Best Journalistic Photo” went to Nathaniel Reid, senior digital communication/digital media major, for a photo taken of the presidential leadership transition at the 62nd General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventists. Guidelines for the award state that the winning entry “must be well-defined, framed clearly, and depict a story.” Category judges noted Reid’s work “depicts historical significance and clear storytelling,” communicating “both occasion and emotion, making it a powerful piece of photojournalism.”

“I’m someone who genuinely tries to put in the work to improve my craft, so when it feels like that work is making a difference, it definitely motivates me to continue pushing my ability to tell stories through the means of photography and videography,” Reid notes. He shares that the award affirmed his personal decision to switch his area of study to digital communication and photography. “I’ve had no regrets since, and winning this award was just a reminder that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Reid also received an honorable mention in the category “Best Web Video.” His project, “How This Student Built a 70mph Air Cannon,” was created for Andrews University’s School of Engineering. The judges shared that it was “effective at communicating with the end user the point of the video” and made “the engineering aspect of the project fun.”

“In even the smallest of successes, I thank those who have pushed me and supported me,” Reid affirms, noting that family members, professors and friends at Andrews helped him develop his craft and become more confident in his skills. “I plan on continuing to grow in my ability to tell meaningful stories via photography, videography, graphic design and social media. … I can’t help but be excited knowing I'm doing what I care about alongside the people I care about.”

Andrew Francis, senior communication/public relations major, won the award “Best News Writing” for an article appearing in Spectrum Magazine. The category highlighted “effective reporting” that is “judged according to the quality of the writing, clarity, design, construction, and originality.” Judges noted that Francis’ work was “well written, clear, and easy to follow,” affirming that he “presented both sides of the issue … leaving readers with important and thoughtful open-ended questions to consider.”

Francis says, “This is the first time I have received an award for any of my journalistic or communications work, and it has truly been a blessing that I can work on such a wide range of projects at my age and be able to stand out for quality production.” He expresses his appreciation for the many professional opportunities Andrews and Spectrum have provided him, including writing, editing, radio and reporting experience, which have “increased my knowledge of the Adventist church and opened even more opportunities for me to do quality journalistic work.”

Francis received additional recognition in the “Best Audio Podcast” category, along with Lia Glass, junior digital communication/digital media major; Melissa Moore, senior English literature major; Ysa Dennis, junior digital communication/digital media major; and Claudius Emilaire (BS ’25) for their podcast Reel Talk. Francis shares that the content, created for a class, features discussions on movies and television shows as well as opinions and analyses of the entertainment industry. “What made the episodes special to me was the chemistry and comedic timing that we all had,” he expresses. “We’ve only played the episodes in class, but we hope to make them publicly available on platforms like Spotify in the future.”

According to the award guidelines, podcast content “must be creative or thought-provoking” and is judged on excellence in “audio quality; editing; appropriate use of music, sound effects, and transitions; and balanced sound levels,” along with delivery style, level of research and release schedule.

Alumni Awards

Mikey Ayala (MDiv ’25) was recognized in the category “Best Short Form Writing” for his article “Extra to My Ordinary” in the Lake Union Herald. Judges wrote that his submission “engages the reader” and “invited the audience to take action.” The feature was evaluated on “quality of writing and reporting, reader appeal, effective development of the idea, writing style, relevance, and impact, as well as organizational flow, clarity, construction, and originality.”

Vernon Herholdt (MIDA ’19), Lynnette Struntz (MA ’05) and Jodi Dossenko of the Dakota Conference of Seventh-day Adventists won “Best Campaign” for their project “Dakota Adventist Academy Today.” Judges positively evaluated its “messaging, strategy, management of resources, and creative discretion,” affirming the campaign’s use of print, social media and emails.

Other Andrews alumni also received honorable mention recognition, including Jeff Scoggins (MAPM ’15) in the news writing category and Amelia Stefanescu (BA ’25) in the short form writing category.

Tamara Watson, assistant professor of communication, shares, “It is rewarding to watch our Andrews University students be recognized for their hard work with these SAC awards. We have so many talented students. It is also a double blessing to be able to attend events like this, where students can network for possible internships and future employment.” She adds, “I personally love attending SAC; it's like a homecoming with so many amazingly talented friends who serve their church.”

To learn more about the Department of Visual Art, Communication & Design at Andrews University, visit the department website here.