Dragon Media distinguished itself from the rest of the state’s competition at this year’s Interscholastic League Press Conference. So much so that they earned nine awards from the convention, including four individual awards.
Every year, Carroll ISD submits its yearbook and one episode of its broadcast to compete against schools all around the state. For the past four years, the Dragon yearbook won the highest level of critique, the Award of Distinguished Merit. Not only did it win again this year, but the Dragon’s broadcast KDGN also won for the first time since 2016.
But that wasn’t all the students won. Dragon yearbook also won the Silver Star Award, which represents the top 10% of student publications in Texas. Journalism teacher Natalie Brown says this is the second year in a row where Dragon yearbook won a Silver Star Award.
“Scholastic journalism in Texas is highly competitive,” Natalie says. “If you look at the annual list of Columbia Scholastic Press and National Scholastic Press Association winners in newspapers, yearbooks and broadcasts, you’ll see that Texas makes up about 30% of the list of winners nationwide. That’s why I tell my kids that winning a state-level award is almost more difficult.”
Three Dragons also received four individual achievement awards from the conference. Executive editors Josh McSwain and Nicole James won first place for theme selection and development for the yearbook’s 2019 theme “What Do We Know?” while Josh also won first place for infographic design and second place for index spread. Senior Leif Messinger also won second place broadcast graphics for the second year for animating the graphics used during KDGN’s broadcast.
The Dragons also won two Tops In Texas awards for theme selection and development and infographic design. Natalie says Tops In Texas represent the very best in design and publication in the winner's UIL classification.
“Receiving Tops In Texas is a huge honor,” Natalie says. “This is the first time since I have been leading the program that we’ve received such an honor. To receive two in one year was incredible.”
Natalie says the accolades are nice, but the biggest reward is seeing what her students produce. She says she and media production teacher Jennifer Randall work to create a space where students can feel that their voice is heard, and she feels that’s paid off several times over.
“I am proud of my Dragon Media kids every day because they work hard and challenge themselves to do more than the day before,” Natalie says. “They never cease to amaze us with what they can do. Spending time with them and seeing what they can create is my reward. The certificates and trophies are just icing on the cake.”
To view KDGN broadcasts and work produced under Dragon Media, visit DragonMedia.org.