The Cluster’s News and Sports Editors earn university journalism awards

Members of The Cluster staff won departmental and university awards at Mercer University’s annual Honors Convocation Friday, including two journalism honors. News Editor Nadia Pressley was named the Outstanding Senior in Journalism, and Sports Editor Micah Johnston was named the Outstanding Junior in Journalism.

Pressley, who double-majors in journalism and global development studies, previously worked for The Cluster as a staff writer, Arts & Entertainment Editor and Lifestyle & Opinion Editor. She has interned with The Telegraph, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Mercer University Marketing Communications, United Way of Greater Atlanta and R3. Pressley is also involved with the National Association of Black Journalists, Leadership Mercer and Mercer Admissions.

“I really appreciate receiving this award. The CCJ (Center for Collaborative Journalism) has been a big part of my life since I came to Mercer for camp in high school, so this award kind of represents my growth as a writer, a journalist,” Pressley said. “I’m very grateful.”

Johnston, a journalism and media studies double-major, worked for The Cluster as a staff writer before becoming its Sports Editor. He has interned with Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Telegraph, and he is a member of the Percussion Ensemble and Wind Ensemble on campus.

‘I'm really honored to be named the Outstanding Junior for the journalism program,” Johnston said. “I remember falling in love with journalism when I was put into a class as a freshman, so it's really amazing to see how much I have grown as a student and journalist. I wouldn't be the person I am right now without the CCJ staff and all of (the) awesome students there.”

Other members of The Cluster’s staff took home awards as well.

Arts & Culture Editor Ivy Marie Clarke was named the Outstanding Creative Writing Student in Poetry and won a Writing Center Preceptor Scholar Award.

Mandi DeLong, Campus Life Correspondent, won the Mary Wilder Scholarship Award in Literary Studies and a Writing Center Preceptor Scholar Award.

Sarah Moore, a staff writer, was named the Outstanding Senior Student in Literary Studies. They also won the Cervantes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Spanish and the Outstanding Great Books Senior Award.

Emily Rose Thorne, Editor in Chief, won a Writing Center Preceptor Scholar Award.