St. Cloud, Minn. – Students and an alumnus from KVSC 88.1FM brought home eight Associated Press awards and one Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence award at the Midwest Journalism Conference in Bloomington, Minn. March 30-31. 

Former KVSC News Director Chris Duffy, who now works as an account executive for Goff Public Relations in St. Paul, found his experience at KVSC to be important to his development, both personally and professionally.  He said, “The documentary I produced about Somali refugees in St. Cloud was a life-changing experience because I was able to immerse myself in a foreign culture that’s right in our backyard.  It’s a testament to the opportunity KVSC provides to each student, not only to build his or her skills in radio, but to grow as a person.”  Duffy’s story, “The Journey: From the Third World to Middle America” won both first place from the Associated Press and the SPJ Region 6 Mark of Excellence Award.

The Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters Contest takes place annually with awards given to broadcasts from the previous year. The Midwest Journalism Conference plays host to the Minnesota AP Awards and is one of the largest regional journalism conferences in the country, attracting hundreds of journalists from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.