Naomi McGee, a Savannah State University (SSU) mass communications alumna, is among the top 10 winners in the 60th annual Hearst Journalism Awards Program Feature Writing Competition. This is the first time an SSU student has placed in the national contest. There were 156 feature-writing entries in the national competition, which is open to 104 undergraduate programs in the United States.

The Hearst Foundation announced McGee placed 10th in the feature-writing category. Her piece, “The Time I Became a Financial Dominatrix,” was published in the student news outlet The Tiger’s Roar on Jan. 31, 2019.

“I just feel like it’s a sign that I should keep going and it’s a step in the right direction,” McGee said. “It’s inspiring because it shows that I have the skills I need to get where I want to be.”

Since graduating from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications in May 2019, McGee has been writing for the Atlanta-area Aman Magazine, where she completed her internship.

While at Savannah State, McGee participated in The Tiger’s Roar, HerCampus, and Model United Nations. She completed a study abroad in Panama as part of a foreign correspondent course in the summer of 2018.

McGee aims to become a travel journalist. She has been accepted into graduate school at Clark-Atlanta University, where she will continue her education in journalism.

“I’m so proud of Naomi,” Jessica Sparks, assistant professor of journalism and faculty advisor to Tiger’s Roar, said. “I’m glad she was able to hone her innovative writing structure, adventurous personality and unique voice, while studying at Savannah State University.”

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960 to support collegiate journalism education. The competition is open to undergraduate students enrolled at ACEJMC-accredited universities in the United States. All work submitted to the competition must have been published.