GVPT Senior Places Fourth in Prestigious Journalism Awards Program

Senior Government and Politics major Julia Nikhinson placed fourth in the 2021-2022 Hearst Journalism Awards Program’s Photojournalism Features and News Competition, winning $1,000 and beating out many of the other 101 entries from 56 U.S. universities.

This recognition adds to the numerous others listed on Nikhinson’s portfolio website, including a 2021 CNN Year in Pictures award and two from the National Newspaper Association, the 2021 Best Feature Photo and Best Pandemic Photo. Nikhinson also shot the widely distributed UMD spring 2021 commencement ceremony photo that received more than 5,500 likes and 840 retweets on Twitter. 

“I always looked up to the people that won,” said Nikhinson of past winners of the “Pulitzers of college journalism.” “It's hard to describe how much it means because I can't even imagine being in that same spot as the people that I looked up to for years. That's just kind of crazy to think about.”

Between a full course load and pursuing freelance photojournalism assignments, Nikhinson also works as a photo editor at The Diamondback, the University of Maryland student newspaper where she first discovered photojournalism.

“I joined The Diamondback a few weeks into my freshman year,” recalled Nikhinson. “No one had really told me about photojournalism, so it was very new to me. But that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

It’s also what Nikhinson plans to keep doing. Upon graduating in May, Nikhinson looks forward to pursuing her freelance photojournalism career full-time, staying based in Maryland and Washington, D.C., but remaining flexible and letting her assignments take her anywhere. 

“My background and prior interest in politics has helped further and inform my photojournalism,” said Nikhinson about her BSOS studies and photographing in areas like Capitol Hill. “Because it’s important to know what’s happening, especially when you’re in the Washington, D.C. media market, that’s been really helpful.”

Published on Tue, Feb 22, 2022 - 2:27PM