The Santa Clara Wins Two Society of Professional Journalism Awards

Photos by Isa Montes. Left to right: MJ Kaspura ’26 and Vani Aggarwal ’25 have been on staff for three years and were each recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for their work in collegiate journalism.

The Santa Clara earned two first-place awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2024 Mark of Excellence Awards for Region 11, which recognizes collegiate journalism across Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and the Mariana Islands. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other winners from the 12 SPJ regions. 

MJ Kaspura ’26, The Santa Clara’s managing editor, won in the Breaking News Reporting (Small) category for her article, “Student Kephas Pope killed in car accident,” which offered timely coverage of a student death.

Vani Aggarwal ’25, The Santa Clara’s opinion editor, won in the Editorial/Opinion Writing category for her opinion articles “Yellow, Really?,” “South Asians Are More Than an Accent” and “What’s That Sound?” The award recognizes her for outstanding writing for The Santa Clara’s opinion section.

The Mark of Excellence Awards are judged by professional journalists and honor work that meets the highest standards in student media. “SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals,” according to their website.

For the full list of winners, visit SPJ Region 11’s website.