CUSD Insider earns top honors in OC journalism contest

By CUSD Insider Staff

Led by photographer Paul Rodriguez’s stunning images and Greg Mellen’s stories, CUSD Insider rose to the top of the class once again in the annual Orange County Press Club Awards.

On June 13, CUSD Insider captured two first place awards and six awards overall at the 2024 Excellence in Journalism Contest, in another year of strong recognition of the work that appeared in the Capistrano Unified School District online publication.

Covering District celebrations, educational offerings, important news issues, and inspiring people, CUSD Insider strives in words and pictures to keep readers informed on what makes CUSD unique and special.

Rodriguez dominated the Best Feature Photography category, sweeping three of four possible awards. In the winning graduation photo below, Rodriguez “beautifully captures joy,” in the words of judges, at the Tesoro High graduation — not to mention an impressive Prisiadki dance move.

*Graduates take a selfie after receiving their diplomas during the Tesoro High School graduation ceremony in Las Flores on Thursday, June 1, 2023.*
*Photo by Paul Rodriguez/for CUSD Insider*

Rodriguez also won second place in “Grad Selfie,” also from the 2023 Tesoro High graduation ceremonies.

And he grabbed Honorable Mention for “Hugging Athletes,” just one image from an outstanding photo catalog that accompanies Jimmy Knodel’s story on the District Middle School Basketball Tournament.

Mellen won first place in the Best Feature category for a second straight year, for ”In her despair, school counselor is lifted up by her students. The story tells of award-winning Union High School Counselor Shannon Halbert and how the student body helped her as she was grieving the tragic and unexpected death of her daughter. Judges wrote, “Stands out among other stories in this category because of the emotional content. Nicely done.”

Mellen also took second place for tackling the issue of the lack of playgrounds for children with disabilities and special needs and how one school took it on in “Efforts underway at Clarence Lobo Elementary to create playground for all.”

Wyland, an artist well-known for his depictions of ocean scenes and wildlife, spontaneously draws a sea turtle on a blank wall inside the Wyland Foundation’s mobile Clean Water Learning Lab during an appearance at Marblehead Elementary School in San Clemente in 2023.
*Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer*

In the Best Arts/Culture Story or Review category, Mellen earned third place for “Science lab and visit by artist make for an epic day at Marblehead.” The story is about how an impromptu visit by the renowned artist Robert Wyland, not to mention his creating an on-the-spot outdoor mural, turned an appearance by the painter’s traveling science exhibit into something truly memorable.

The 2024 journalism contest brings the total number of Orange County Press Club awards to 14 in the past three years for CUSD’s innovative online publication. The Orange County Press Club annual contest recognizes outstanding Orange County journalism from stories and photos published in the previous calendar year.