Students taking Journalism classes in the School of Communication and Information at the College of Social Sciences and writing/creating for Ka Leo OHawaiʻi, the UH Mānoa campus newspaper, have swept their categories at the 2025 Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism competition. The recognition ceremony was held on July 29, 2026, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi.
“From in-depth coverage of the federal research funding environment to striking photos of shark diving expeditions, UH Mānoa journalism students continue to document the life and communities of Honolulu,” said Journalism Program Director John Temple. “Journalism at UH Mānoa has never been more vital.”
Winners and their categories are:
Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media
First Place
“Movies And TV Shows Left Hawai’i. The Workers Followed”
Alani Calderon
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“How UH Is Trying To Hold Onto Hawai‘i’s High School Grads”
Kiani Vidaurri
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“A Season of Scarcity”
Maria Ysabelle Ganal
UH Mānoa
Student Breaking News in Any Media
First Place
“UH Mānoa Community Protests Trump Administration’s Higher Education Policies”
Laurel Galvin
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“UH Grappling with Fallout Over Federal Funding Freezes”
Alani Calderon, Emma Davidson
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“Resilience in the Face of Rising Costs”
Dwight Byrum
Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
Student Feature Journalism in Any Media
First Place
“UH Native Hawaiian Programs Brace for a New Wave of Uncertainty”
Malia Manuel
Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
Second Place
“Why We Need Hawaiʻi Artists At Burning Man/How Hawai‘i’s Pride Revives The Mahu Spirit”
Jenny (Jeta) Tang
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“Tavares Revives Hawai‘i’s ‘Seasons of Love’ at UHM”
Kiani Vidaurri
UH Mānoa
Student Sports Journalism in Any Media
First Place
“‘No Place Like Home’ for Local Softball Star”
Yuzu Martin
Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
Second Place
“Lawmakers Push to Support High School Surfing”
Kiani Vidaurri
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“Hawai‘i Men’s Basketball: Gytis, Ganot, and Getting Started”
Julia McFarland
UH Mānoa
Student Journalism Featuring Video
First Place
“Ma Hope Makou o Lili‘uokalani: Remembering 132 Years of the Illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom”
Jordan Kala‘waia Nunies
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“Campus Center: Lunar New Year Celebration”
Jordan Kala‘waia Nunies
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“50 Years After the Fall of Saigon, Vietnamese Americans in Hawai’i Reflect On Their Journey”
Michelle Nguyen
UH Mānoa
Student Journalism Featuring Photography
First Place
“We Tried It: Shark Diving with One Ocean Diving”
Gabriela Cervantes
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“Zucker, Pink Sweat$ headline 20th Aloha Bash”
Alec Johnson, Adrie Nossaman
Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
Third Place
“Celebrating the 41st Annual Honolulu City Lights: A Photo Essay”
Lilly Marco
Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi
Student Journalism Featuring Audio
First Place
“Immigration crackdowns hit close to home for this University of Hawai‘i law graduate”
Emma Caires
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“The price of hunger: Navigating the cost burden of free meals for Hawai‘i students”
Emma Caires
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“Rooted in the Land: The Importance of Farm Life”
Emili Phomsouvanh
UH Mānoa
Student Editorial/Opinion Writing
First Place
“State Funding for High School Surfing Sends the Right Message”
Tia Lewis
UH Mānoa
Second Place
“Lack of Restrooms Can Make Bus Rides Torturous”
Alyssa Salcedo
UH Mānoa
Third Place
“Why Black History Month Matters to Me”
Lili Hurd
UH Mānoa
