Student media at the University of Arkansas received recognition for their work during the 2016 Society of Professional Journalism Region 12 Student Society of Professional annual conference.

The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism with Mark of Excellence awards. The conference for Region 12 took place in Knoxville, Tennessee.

"The awards from the Society of Professional Journalists are a testament to the incredible outside-the-classroom learning that is taking place in Student Media at the University of Arkansas," Robyn Starling-Ledbetter, director of student media, said. "The students working on these publications possess a level of dedication to journalism that is incredible to witness every day. It is very special to see their hard work rewarded."

Students Julia Trupp and Ashton Eley both won top awards for their work in UARK's student magazine, Hill. Trupp won for Best Non-Fiction Magazine article for her story, "Silencing the Monsters Within." Eley, who served as Hill editor-in-chief this academic year, won for Best Student Magazine.

"When they announced my name as the winner at the conference, I immediately started crying happy tears," Trupp said. "I was super honored already to be a finalist for the award, so winning the category and having my article submitted to the national competition was a complete shock."

Trupp's award winning feature details student's struggle with mental health issues. Trupp conveys the serious and growing issue of mental health for college students, while also detailing the services offered at the University of Arkansas where students can get help.

"The reason I'm doing journalism is to tell people's stories with color, and most importantly, to enlighten the reader with truth and knowledge," Trupp said. "I'm really proud that this story had those elements and more."

"Silencing the Monsters Within" is found in the Hill magazine, which is published annually. The student magazine won over several other well-established student magazines in the region.

"I am thrilled that the Hill magazine was named Best Student Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists this year. It has been difficult getting our name out there as the newest student media platform, and it is always great for the students who worked so hard for months to receive recognition," Eley said.

Eley doesn't take all of the credit for the win. She said it was a complete team effort with Ginny Monk, copy editor; Emma Schock, photo editor; Raleigh Anderson, illustrator; and dedicated writers and photographers all putting in countless hours and dedication to the final product.

"However, while the recognition means a lot, I think I can speak for my staff when I say it is not about any awards. What truly makes me happy is walking by the magazine stand in Kimpel or the stack in the Union and seeing that all the magazines are nearly gone," Eley said. "People are reading the wonderful, true stories that we worked endlessly to research, write, edit, photograph and design, and that's what counts."

The Mark of Excellence Award entries are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. Judges were directed to choose entries they felt were among the best in student journalism.

Other student media members received finalist recognition in many categories for their work on the Hill, The Arkansas Traveler and UATV:

• Ashton Ely for In-Depth reporting for "UofA slow-moving as State Implements Unplanned Pregnancy Prevention Act"
• Andrea Johnson for Feature Writing for "Student Organization, Local Non-Profit Prepare for Refugees' Arrival"
• Isabel Dobrin for Non-Fiction Magazine Article for "Jaded Conquest of Cannabis"
• UATV Student Staff for Best All-Around television network for UATV
• Ginny Monk and Isabel Dobrin for Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper for the Arkansas Traveler
• Connor Lane for Sports Writing for "Soccer Senior Leaves Mark on Program"
• Ginny Monk for Breaking News Reporting for "UA Student Dies"
• Ginny Monk, Alex Gladden and Shelby Evans for Breaking News Reporting for "U.S. Investigators Scrutinize Title IX Cases"

To student media advisers, the recognition is just evidence of the student reporter's hard work. Bret Schulte, associate professor of journalism, advises both The Arkansas Traveler and the Hill and has seen student reporters deftly translate what they've learned inside of the classroom to success in their out-of-the-classroom pursuits.

"No one in the journalism department is surprised by the success of The Traveler. Our students are smart and motivated and, if I must say so myself, well trained," Schulte said. "The Traveler has a tremendous editorial staff that is dedicated to great reporting and great storytelling on issues that affect the University of Arkansas."

The Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 comprises Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of March 31 at the Region 12 Conference. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other regional Mark of Excellence winners from the 12 regions. National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Anaheim, California.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, including both graduate and undergraduate — large schools have at least 10,000 students and small schools have 9,999 or fewer students.