As part of its mission to support college journalism programs, the ASBPE Foundation partners with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) for the annual B2B student writing competition. For 2018, the competition’s first-place winner was Danielle Cohen, who will receive a $100 check from the ASBPE Foundation for her story titled “The Changing Face of Fashion.”
The article by Cohen, a senior at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, explored a topic not often covered in the B2B magazine industry: transgender models on the runway, and was intended for a publication called The Cut. For the piece, Cohen interviewed a transgender model, who revealed the challenges of working in the fashion industry. Cohen also researched the history of the transgender modeling industry for the article.
“I am truly so honored to win this award, and I’m incredibly proud of the recognition this can hopefully bring to trans representation in the modeling industry,” Cohen says. “I know that one story won’t change much, but sheer exposure is a step in the right direction.”
When given the opportunity to write about any topic of her choosing, she says she has always leaned toward the fashion world or LGBTQ+ rights.
“They’re two subjects that deeply fascinate me with their complexity and depth,” Cohen says. “This article was my first time incorporating the two passions together, and while I am so proud of the results of my efforts, it’s shown me just how much work there is left to be done. I feel so grateful to have been recognized for my article and thank all the judges and people involved in the process. ”
Cohen, who is majoring in journalism and minoring in theatre studies, is pursuing a certificate in integrated marketing communications and plans to graduate in spring 2019.
“I’ve always loved to write and edit—I was the friend who edited everyone’s essays in high school,” Cohen says. “I went into journalism not completely sure what I wanted to do with it, and while I’m still exploring, I think I’d like to work at a fashion/beauty publication.”
The AEJMC/ASBPE Foundation also honored three other students in the competition, all of them also from Northwestern’s Medill School. The second place winner, Virginia Nowakowski, wrote a story titled “Teaching for Real,” for a publication called Education Week Teacher. This story brought the topic of student teaching to life through interviews with student teachers and an instructor. While still enrolled in a university, students have the opportunity to partner with teachers to run a classroom in a local school district to practice their skills and improve their techniques.
Charlotte Hu earned third place for her article, “Duck, Duck, Organic Goose!” The story, which was written for a target publication named Specialty Food magazine, covers the topic of meat consumption in America and the health, welfare and treatment of the animals. Finally, Elena Golub won a honorable mention for her story, “Overstuffed” for the target publication, College Parent. This story focused on a new campus dining plan at Northwestern University and the cost of skipping meals and eating off campus rather than in the dining halls.
Amy Fischbach, president of the ASBPE Foundation, says she is proud to recognize the student writing award winners. She worked with past ASBPE Foundation president, Roy Harris, to select the honorees for 2018.
“The ASBPE Foundation is honored to work with AEJMC to celebrate excellence in student journalism,” Fischbach says. “We hope that in the future, these students will enjoy a rewarding career in the B2B journalism industry.”