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I went to my first journalism awards ceremony last week. My friend Reema Amin who is also in the Journalism MA program, was nominated for a Peter Lisagor Award for three of her stories in AustinTalks.The ceremony is hosted by the largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Chicago Headline Club.

There were several finalists and winners associated with Columbia. Ellyn Fortino, a Journalism MA graduate from last December, won for best neighborhood/community news for an online publication for her work in AustinTalks. She beat the staff of DNAinfo Chicago, which also boasts a Journalism MA grad–Chloe Riley.

One of our Digital Journalism instructors, Martha Irvine, won an award for best use of digital technology for the Associated Press.

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Rob Wildeboer from WBEZ was a finalist. He is a graduate of the Journalism MA program and taught our Seminar class last fall.

Anyway, the list goes on and on, but you get the idea. The Journalism MA program is something I am proud to be associated with.

It was also exciting to be in the presence of so many great Chicago journalists. And eat free food.