HIGH POINT, N.C., March 31, 2015 – Zack Astran, a junior at High Point University, is the recipient of a regional Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He was presented with the award on March 28 at an SPJ regional conference hosted by the University of Maryland and will continue on to the national competition.
Astran, a communication major from Baltimore, won the sports writing award for his article titled “A Walk with Randy Rogers,” which tells the story of a Special Olympics athlete, his parents and the role his participation in sports has played in their lives.
“This story turned out to be so much more than a story on an athlete. It proved to be a lesson on life, perseverance and the pursuit of a happy and healthy life,” says Astran. “The Rogers family opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking and opened me up to ways sports can help people communicate and relate to one another. Working on this story really made an impact on my life and furthered my interest and love for the writing process.”
Astran originally wrote the article for a sports reporting class at HPU, and it was later published by HPU’s Campus Chronicle and the News and Record.
“This award means so much to me,” Astran says. “I put a lot of work into making it a story that people could relate to and understand. It’s a true honor to be selected by SPJ, and I hope that when people read this story they are inspired to create a better life for themselves and the people surrounding them.”
At HPU, Astran is sports editor and writer for the Campus Chronicle, and he works for the student-run broadcast for HPU athletic events. He also interns as an investigative reporter for Triad City Beat, and he is a freelance writer for the News & Record and an NHL columnist for the Sports Quotient.
Annually, the SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards recognize the best in print, radio, television and online collegiate journalism. Entries are first judged on the regional level. First place regional winners advance to the national competition, which will be held in May.