Michelle Bartleman Loscher won first place in the Hearst Journalism Awards for her editorial column on faith. This is one of six writing competitions held each academic year.

Loscher is a senior who will graduate in May with a bachelor of science in Aviation Technology and a bachelor of arts in Journalism and Public Communications with an emphasis in graphic design. She is the opinion editor at the Northern Light and manages Northern Light’s online edition.

The first-place winner receives a $2,000 award, with a matching grant for the department. Michelle also qualifies to participate in the National Writing Competition San Francisco in May.

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation Prizes are awarded in writing, photography, television and radio news to undergraduates at accredited schools of journalism.

School-year competitions are judged by panels of media professionals. More than 80 students from 51 journalism schools nationwide competed in the Editorial/Columns of Opinion Writing Competition category.

Read the column here.