NV Media Students Earn Top Honors at MMEA Video Festival

Reported by on 4/29/22

The 29th Annual High School Video Festival, sponsored by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Midwest Media Educators Association (MMEA), was held virtually on Friday, April 29, 2022. Students from the Media Communication I, Broadcast Journalism & Production II, & Broadcast Journalism & Production III classes at Neuqua Valley High School participated along with high school media students from 42 high schools across the Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin/Northwest Indiana area.

Neuqua Valley earned 2 top honors.

3rd Place – News Program: “Wildcat Weekly” by Gianna Ptaszek, Ashley Robinson, Hannah Kestenberg, Charlie Rook
4th Place – Natural Audio News Package: “The Unappreciated Sport of Throwing” by Matthew DeWees
Finalist – Commercial: “Dunkin’” by Hira Akram
Finalist – Demonstration: “How to Make a Salted Caramel Mocha” by Kendall O’Keefe and Chloe O’Keefe
Finalist – Demonstration: “How to Crochet” by Reesa Espera, Melissa Rambissoon, Katrina Marzuki
Finalist – Dramatic Narrative: “The Treasure of Regnum” by Melissa Rambissoon, Michael Lee, Katrina Marzuki, Ashley Robinson
Finalist – Public Service Announcement: “Suicide Prevention” by Kaylea Reyment
Finalist – Public Service Announcement: “choose kindness” by Kendall O’Keefe

* The Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently announced that 1 Neuqua Valley entry has been awarded a Student Television Award for Excellence in the following category:
- Michael Lee for “OtterBox” in the Commercial category
2 other videos were NATAS nominees (finalists):
- “Wildcat Weekly” in the Magazine category (Gianna Ptaszek, Ashley Robinson, Hannah Kestenberg, Charlie Rook)
- Mac Steen for “A Look Inside Stoner Farms” in the Non-Fiction Short Form category

The TV Academy created the Student Award of Excellence to honor outstanding television journalism by high school students in 2003. This is the 18th Student Awards of Excellence that Neuqua Valley has been awarded.

*Senior Ashley Robinson was presented with the $2,500 Silver Scholarship by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

For more information on the Student Television Award for Excellence, visit: http://chicagoemmyonline.org/students/

To watch the entire 29th Annual MMEA High School Video Festival, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBpUObpusx0&t=3075s