Sterling College journalism garnered state-wide recognition recently by securing victories in the 2025 Kansas Collegiate Media Contest.
Tod Mastin, a junior from Oberlin, and recent graduate Shaylee Gibbs, of Amarillo, Texas, came away as individual winners.
The two worked for the Sterling College Observer, which is in its sixth year as the campus student media outlet.
“I’m extremely proud of Tod and Shaylee,” said Todd Vogts, professor of Communication and Media at Sterling College. “Their hard work and dedication to the craft of journalism should serve as an inspiration for other Sterling College students.”
Mastin dominated the Sports Photography category with four awards out of a possible five in the 4-Year Private Newspaper division:
- First Place for “Lady Warriors Finish 1-1 at Home Invitational”
- Second Place for “Sterling Warriors Fall to Friends Falcons”
- Third Place for “Warriors Vs Bears”
- Honorable Mention for “Sterling vs McPherson – Rushing”
“Tod came to Sterling College with incredible camera skills, so it is nice to see his abilities recognized at the state’s highest level for collegiate journalists—especially since he nearly swept the entire sports photography competition for four-year private institutions,” he said.
Gibbs earned four awards across multiple writing categories:
- First Place – Event Coverage Writing (2-Year Newspaper, 4-Year Private Newspaper, Magazine/Yearbook division) for “SC Thespians Solve the Mystery of ‘Baskerville’”
- First Place – Feature Writing (4-Year Private Newspapers division) for “Joshua Morris: Senior Thespian”
- Honorable Mention – Breaking/General News Writing (4-Year Private Newspapers division) for “SC Volunteers Extend Hand to Ukraine Refugees”
- Honorable Mention – Profile Writing (4-Year Private Newspapers division) for “Thespian Success: Wilson Cast into Legally Blonde”
“Shaylee is a rockstar. She can cover almost anything. That’s why she received four awards in four different writing categories. She’s amazing,” Vogts said.
Gibbs currently works in marketing at Friends University, and she has a history of success in KCM.
In 2024, she earned six individual awards by securing an Honorable Mention in Event Coverage Writing, 3rd place in Event Coverage Writing, Honorable Mention in Feature Writing, 2nd place in Headline Writing, Honorable Mention in Review Writing, and Honorable Mention in Sports Feature Writing.
Previously, in 2023, Gibbs took 2nd place in Column Writing, Event Coverage Writing, and Headline Writing. The year prior, she won an honorable mention in Column Writing, so this year’s victories showcase her growth as a reporter and writer.
The awards were announced during the KCM Spring Conference on April 13-14.
Students placing in the contest received certificates touting their success, but Vogts said the judging feedback the students get is even more important.
“There are usually a lot of great suggestions in those comments,” he said. “In some cases, they reiterate things I’ve been saying, which is great because sometimes students need to hear it from someone else for it to sink in. In other instances, the judges say things we hadn’t considered, and that allows us to really grow. I love the competition aspect of contests, and winning is great. However, learning and improving from it is the most important aspect.”
The Sterling College Observer publishes weekly online during the fall and spring semesters. It is a student-led and student-produced media outlet that strives to be a timely resource of information about the Sterling College community.
It reports on news, issues, activities, academics, and athletics. It also offers a forum for discussion, reviews, and commentary. It serves as an effective learning experience for students, who have the final authority over what is published.
To read the Observer, please visit https://sterlingobserver.wordpress.com/, and subscribe to the Observer’s bi-weekly email newsletter called The SCOOP, which can be found at https://scobserverscoop.substack.com/.
Also, the Observer operates a 24-hour online radio station called SCOR. People can tune in at https://live365.com/station/SCOR-a82562.
KCM is the state-wide organization serving student media outlets at Kansas colleges and universities by providing support, learning opportunities and contests — all aimed at strengthening student media and supporting the important, democratic function of news reporting and information dissemination.
Vogts served as the organization’s Second Vice President and Contest Coordinator from 2021 to 2025. Interested parties can read the complete 2025 KCM Contest Report here: https://toddvogts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-KCM-Contest-Report-—-Vogts-All-Contests.pdf
