Former Clarion editor Kim Ellingson received a first-place award for "two-year college reporter of the year" from the Associated Collegiate Press during the group’s recent national convention in Austin, Texas.

Ellingson is the first Madison Area Technical College student to win first-place in the reporter of the year competition. Three previous Clarion staff members were finalists for the award: Nathan Comp finished third in 2003, Annie Dean was third in 2004, and Meagan Parrish was second in 2005.

The contest was co-sponsored and judged by The Associated Press, which presented Ellingson with $500 for winning the contest.

In addition, The Clarion received a fifth-place award for best of show in the two-year college tabloid newspaper contest. The newspaper entered its Sept. 9 issue from this year. This was the eighth-consecutive year The Clarion has been recognized as one of the top student newspapers in the nation.

More than 2,200 journalism students and advisors attended this year’s convention, representing more than 400 student newspapers from across the nation.

Do you want to be a news reporter? You can the skills needed to work as an entry-level journalist through Madison College's journalism certificate. Call 800-322-6282 (Ext. 6246) for more information.