Four MDC Publications Win The Coveted National Pacemaker Award
Miami Dade College student publications—AXIS, Urbana, Miambiance and The Reporter—won prestigious National Pacemaker awards at the Fall National College Media Convention.
The recognition, which is the highest distinction given to collegiate publications, was awarded by the Associated Collegiate Press in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 28.
Judging was based on work published during the 2021-22 academic year.
“Winning this prestigious award is a dream come true,” said Ammy Sanchez, who served as the paper’s editor-in-chief during the 2021-22 academic year. “It made the effort my team and I put into feel seen and appreciated.”
The Reporter, which competed in the two-year student newspaper category, was awarded the prize for the second year in a row. It has won four Pacemakers since its founding in 2010.
The paper also received several individual honors: Sanchez placed fourth in the Reporter of the Year category and she and Victor Gonzalez-Vaca received an honorable mention in Sports Feature for a story on Andy Rodriguez, a pitcher who defected from the Cuban National Team and played at MDC last season.
AXIS, Urbana and Miambiance won the award in the two-year literary arts magazine category.
This year’s award was Urbana’s first magazine Pacemaker since its founding in 2007. The literary magazine at Padrón Campus also received honorable mention in the Podcast, Blog and Social Media Promotion categories.
Last year, the publication won an Innovation Pacemaker.
“It’s like the cherry on top,” said Emily Sendin, who served as Urbana’s advisor during the last school year. “It’s obviously very special because they’re recognizing our content and design of the entire magazine.”
AXIS, who has been a Pacemaker finalist for the past five years, won its fourth Pacemaker. The North Campus literary magazine, previously received the prize in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
“I was just astounded and thrilled for them and for all the students that were in the magazine,” said Carmen Bucher, one of AXIS’ advisers. “[The magazine] is the voice of North Campus.”
Miambiance, the Kendall Campus literary magazine, won its third Pacemaker. The publication previously won the award in 2009 and 2018.
“I’m very proud,” said Megan Carrion, Miambiance’s current editor-in-chief. “It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears and dedication.”
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