Southern Adventist University was well represented at the Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC) conference last month in Denver, Colorado. In addition to the students and professors who attended the event, several Southern students received awards for their work.

Former public relations major Jessica Anzai, ’16, won SAC’s Student Award. According to Stephen Ruf, professor in the School of Journalism and Communication, Anzai exemplifies what it means to be a communicator and was well deserving of the award.

“While we have a number of graduates who excel at one thing or another, Jessica not only excelled academically, but immersed herself in learning opportunities both on and off campus,” Ruf said. “She was active in student media, the Public Relations Student Society of America, and worked as a freelance writer and photographer.”

Since graduating in May, Anzai is working in the Southeastern California Conference as a communication specialist.

At the same conference, the Southern Accent, the university’s weekly newspaper, was awarded Best Student Newspaper.

“Last year’s Southern Accent staff worked very hard and several initiatives stand out,” Ruf said. “I remember the issue on Embracing Diversity, which tackled a sensitive subject at a time when race relations on campus were a hot issue. I think the editors realized they could use the Accent to encourage conversation and really try to get marginal voices published and affect change.”

Rosana Hughes, senior journalism major and 2015-2016 Accent editor-in-chief, believes that the award is a direct reflection of the work that she and her staff did.

“It’s really humbling, but I am so honored,” Hughes said. “My team and I worked very hard, and I was blessed to have such a dedicated group of people who truly cared about the content we published.”

In addition, multiple Southern students were recognized for their photography and marketing work. Both students and faculty appreciated the SAC conference.

“I had a good experience,” said Linda Crumley, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication. “I was proud of our students who attended.  We met a lot of different people, I renewed connections with people I’ve seen in the past, and I enjoyed the networking and information.”

Students, like Rachel Brouhard, senior graphic design major, also had an interesting and engaging time in Denver.

“The speakers discussed topics that apply to anyone in the communication field,” Brouhard said. “A lot of what I’ve learned through my communication courses here at Southern they actually discussed during the conference in real life situations.”