Peru, Nebraska – The Peru State Times, the college’s student newspaper, earned three Golden Leaf Awards from the Northern Plains Collegiate Media Association (NPCMA). The spring conference, which was to be held in March at Chadron State College, was canceled but continued forward with the Golden Leaf Awards student media competition. The Golden Leaf Awards are presented each spring, recognizing student media excellence in print, radio, television, and web.

The Times competed against other NPCMA members schools, including Wayne State College, Chadron State College, Doane University, Hastings College and the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The judges for the newspaper competition are working journalists and editors from around the country.

The faculty advisor for the Peru State Times and Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Kristi Nies, said, “I am so happy for Marivelle, Ashton and Alyssa! They are three extremely talented young people and are very deserving of these awards.”

“I am always proud of the entire Peru State Times staff and the tremendous amount of work each staff member does for each issue.”

Alyssa Grell (Omaha, Neb.) won first place in the Best Column category for “Why Are People Offended?” Grell writes, “There are so many incredible student journalists throughout the state and especially in Peru, so it is an immense joy to have my work put in the same category as theirs.”

The Times’ current Student Editor-in-Chief, Marivelle Magaña (Dorchester, NE), won second place in the Best Column category for “What It Is Like Living In Trump’s America.” Magaña writes, “I never imagined that an article so very personal to me would be worthy of a Golden Leaf Award. I am very appreciative that the Times allows students the chance to share their own stories and experiences with a wide variety of people.”

Ashton Peiman (Lincoln, NE) won third place in the Best General News Story category for his article on the Distinguished Speaker Series’ visit from Megan Phelps-Roper. Peiman was the 2019-2020 Student Editor-in-Chief of the Peru State Times. Peiman adds, “I am happy that I can show a Golden Leaf Award as a top achievement for my three years of working at the Times.”

Grell and Peiman are 2019 Peru State graduates. Grell is finishing her first year of teaching high school English in the Elkhorn, Nebraska, school district. Peiman is a graduate student in English at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Magaña is set to graduate from Peru State College in May.

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Marivelle Magaña contributed to this release.