Nicholson School faculty, students and alumni were big winners and brought home a dozen honors April 12 at the annual Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists’ Florida News Awards at the Rosen Centre in Orlando.
Katie Coronado, associate instructor of journalism in the Film & Mass Media program, was the inaugural winner of FABJ’s College Teacher of the Year Award, which recognizes college and university teachers/mentors/advisers in Florida for their impact on students and broadcast journalism.
“I humbly dedicate this recognition to the students and graduates who relentlessly pursue fair, accurate and balanced journalism,’’ Coronado said. “Being named the inaugural Teacher of the Year by FABJ is a true honor. I remain committed to teaching non-biased reporting and helping shape the next generation of courageous, truth-driven journalists.”
Other big winners included Luis Xavier De Peña, a senior broadcast journalism major and digital content associate producer for WESH2News, Orlando’s NBC affiliate. He was one of two recipients of a $1,000 FABJ Scholarship.
In an exceptional accomplishment, Kayla Kissel, a senior broadcast journalism major and executive producer of the Nicholson School’s “The Charge On Air’’ TV newscast, was top winner in the professional ranks for Best Use of Sound for a feature story she produced last year as an intern at WUSF-FM in Tampa.
In the FABJ College Awards, which were judged from a record number of 150 entries from 14 Florida colleges and university broadcasting programs, Nicholson School students brought home five honors and dominated the audio categories.
“The Charge Latino,’’ produced by Marisol Merced, John Hanzal and Diego Sanchez, won Best College Radio Newscast.
“The Unheard Society Podcast Season 2: Humor Behind the Fence,’’ produced by Marco Williams, Emily Ching and Ella Shockley, won Best College Radio Feature in the Cultural/Historical category. The podcast is a partnership between the Nicholson School and UCF’s Florida Prison Education Project.
“The Sounds of Central Florida,’’ a partnership between the Nicholson School and Central Florida Public Media, brought home two honors for College Radio environmental and light feature reporting. Raine Keenan, Casey Phillips and Grace Guedouar were honored for excellence for their reporting on “Recycling Experts Warn of ‘Wishcycling’ as Rate of Contamination Rises,” and Alyssa Hendry and Ashley Reep were honored for their spotlight feature of a local farm run by autistic students: “Special Hearts Farm Sows Place and Purpose for its Workers.”
In the television category, alumna Isabella Benjumea, now a professional multimedia journalist for WJHG-TV in Panama City, won the Feature Hard News category with “UCF Knightly News: TikTok Ban Controversy.’’
Nicholson School journalism alumni were also big winners.
Kayla Lewis, Class of 2023, and a reporter at WCJB-TV in Gainesville, won two FABJ Awards for excellence in general assignment reporting and hard news reporting.
Amy Diaz, Class of 2024, and a reporter/anchor at WMBB-TV in Panama City, won for excellence in health reporting.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo, Class of 2022, and a reporter for Central Florida Public Media and Report for America, joined her colleague Molly Duerig in sharing the top honor for political reporting for radio.
Joe Mario Pedersen, Class of 2013, and a reporter for Central Florida Public Media, was honored for health reporting.
Talia Blake, Class of 2017, and morning host at Central Florida Public Media, serves on the executive board of The Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists, whose mission is to support and inspire creative and impactful storytelling with the purpose of showing the critical importance journalism has in the state of Florida. FABJ carries out its mission by producing opportunities to showcase and honor excellence in broadcast journalism, as well as programming to provide professional development for journalists of all skill levels and experience levels.
This year, more than 55 radio and television stations submitted more than 600 entries in the contest, which featured content produced in the year 2024.
Katie Coronado, Nicholson School associate instructor of journalism in the Film & Mass Media program, receives the inaugural FABJ College Teacher of the Year Award (Photo credit: Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists)
“The Charge Latino’’ producers Marisol Ruby Merced and John Hanzal win FABJ’s Best College Radio Newscast award. (Photo credit: Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists)
Broadcast journalism students Ella Shockley, left, and Emily Ching celebrate winning FABJ’s Best College Radio Feature award in in the Cultural/Historical category for “The Unheard Society’’ podcast with Nicholson School Senior Instructor Rick Brunson. Shockley and Ching produced the episode as an assignment and project in Brunson’s class. (Photo credit: Talia Blake)
Reported by Rick Brunson
Published to Nicholson News on May 1, 2025.
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