County college students take statewide honors

Written by Alex Davis Sunday, May 06, 2012 01:00 am

CAPE MAY COUNTY – Three students from Cape May County are among the best college journalists in the state, and they have awards to prove it.

Atlantic Cape Community College students Devon Schmolk of Dennis Township, Corinthea Harris of Ocean City and Tyler Carman of Lower Township recently received awards from the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association for their work on the Atlantic Cape Review, the college’s student-run newspaper.

Schmolk won first place for the article, “Breast cancer weakens bodies but strengthens souls in Cape May County,” Harris earned second place the story, “Pizza lures crowd but SGA doesn’t hold them” and Carman received second place for his story, “Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism?”

Devon Schmolk Although Devon Schmolk received first place, news writing didn’t come easy for her, she said.

“The biggest thing was keeping myself out of the issue,” said the 20-year-old of Dennis Township.

But the “hard work paid off,” Schmolk said, in receiving the award from the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association award.

She said she enjoys feature writing the most, and with her first-place story “could really touch more people.”

Schmolk received her first-place award at a seminar and awards luncheon April 21 in Middlesex County.

“We had fun. We exchanged a few emails with another community college student at our table,” she said. “There actually wasn't a lot of mingling at the event, which is the only thing I wish could of happened.”

Schmolk said she became involved in the Atlantic Cape Review during the fall semester.

Also at Atlantic Cape, she received the best feature writing award this year. She has also had her name appear on the president’s list at the campus, which is for honor roll students.

She plans to transfer to the College of Charleston in South Carolina for the fall term. Schmolk will major in communications with an emphasis on public relations.

Schmolk hasn’t made up her mind about a career, but she said perhaps she’d be a TV correspondent or a magazine writer.

Corinthea Harris Two years ago a professor encouraged  of Ocean City, now 20, to try news writing. She enjoyed it, she said.

But then she found public relations.

“And I like journalism, always have, and always wanted to be a broadcast journalist but I fell in love with my first PR class,” Harris said. She hopes for a career in public relations.

Harris has written a variety of stories from news stories to feature articles for the Atlantic Cape Review.

“I mean, I didn’t expect it [the award], but I was hoping for it,” she said.

She also attended the seminar and awards luncheon April 21, and Harris said it was a pleasure to meet other college journalists.

The New Jersey Collegiate Press Association award isn’t her first honor. Since last year, Harris has won several awards at Atlantic Cape, including communication major of the year, student pioneer, and best mass media paper.

She has also appeared on the president’s list every semester since being a student at Atlantic Cape. Harris is involved in Phi Theta Kappa, which is the English honor society for students.

Harris said she plans to transfer to Rowan University in the fall and major in public relations with a minor in journalism and advertising.

She aspires to work as a public relations director for a corporation.

This summer she will be an intern with Toys ‘R’ Us Inc.

“I'll be doing business PR with them. So I'm extremely excited for that and what my future in PR holds,” she said.

Tyler Carman of North Cape May, Lower Township, called it “a big honor” to have received the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association award. He has been a contributing writer to the Atlantic Cape Review.

The 20-year-old said he wants to work in print or radio journalism.

He wants to “be a voice of reason.”

Besides placing in a statewide journalism competition, Carman has also received awards last year for best creative writing, and also Rewrites, Atlantic Cape’s literary magazine.

He is currently the vice president of Rewrites. Carman also was named to the president’s list during the fall semester.

Carman said he plans to transfer to Rowan University in the spring, where he would major in journalism.

Editions of the Atlantic Cape Review can be viewed at www.atlantic.edu/studentServ/newspaper.htm.

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