University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa journalism students made a clean sweep at the 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards, hosted by the Hawaiʻi Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) on July 30. In a stunning show of talent and dedication, Mānoa students took home all 24 student awards, underscoring the university’s growing reputation as a leader in journalism education.
The awards ceremony was more than just a celebration of reporting—it was a night that highlighted the hard work, collaboration, and storytelling power of young journalists committed to truth and community impact.
“Just being at this dinner tonight and getting to receive this award with a lot of my colleagues is really inspiring,” said Emma Davidson, a journalism student, “and it will push me harder to write more articles.”
Among the standout honorees were:
- Lili Hurd (journalism major), who earned two first-place awards for Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media and Student Journalism Featuring Video.
- Emma Davidson (journalism major), awarded for Student Breaking News in Any Media.
- Flynn Hamlin (2024 journalism graduate), winner of Student Feature Journalism in Any Media.
- Justin Gardner (2024 journalism graduate), who took home the top prize in Student Sports Journalism in Any Media.
- Kiersten Morgan (exploratory major), who placed first in Student Journalism Featuring Photography.
- Alyssa Francesca Salcedo (2025 journalism graduate), awarded for Student Journalism Featuring Audio.
- Emma Caires (2025 journalism graduate), winner in Student Editorial/Opinion Writing.
- Alani Calderon SPJ 2025 Summer intern.
For many, the event served as a culmination of years of growth through their involvement in the Society of Professional Journalists – UH Mānoa Student Chapter.
Alani Calderon, who was chosen as this year’s SPJ summer intern for KHON, believes that the organization supports its students in the best ways while offering amazing resources that will forever be useful.
“I believe that they really challenged me in the best ways, and it made me feel really good about myself and my work—what I can provide for them and what I can contribute,” she said.
Emma Caires, who was a member of SPJ in the spring before graduating, said that students who join have access to many opportunities for free or at reduced cost.
“SPJ is such a good way to do that because it’s there for you,” said Caires. “Your fees are covered by the school—you just need to show up and put yourself, along with your name, out there. The rest falls into place after that.”
Youjeong Kim, faculty advisor for the UH Mānoa student chapter of SPJ, believes that students who join SPJ can learn a variety of skills from leadership to networking.
“It’s a great opportunity to practice journalistic ethics and writing,” Kim said. “It’s also a great way to meet local and professional journalists.”
For more information, visit them on Instagram at @spj.uhmanoa or contact [email protected].
