KHS’ Sarah Terpning impresses at Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS)
ASTON – On Tuesday, April 28, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented 12 awards to local high school students in the region who are pursuing careers in media and journalism.
Kennett High School senior Sarah Terpning received The Award of Excellence for her news report featuring her classmate and local firefighter, Jack Melton.
Now in its 13th year, the awards are intended to recognize outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievements by high school students. More than 140 students from more than a dozen high schools throughout the Greater Philadelphia region attended the event held at Neumann University in Aston, PA.
Awards were presented to the students by local media professionals. They were given to those with achievements in television in 10 categories. Kennett High School submitted five entries in various categories. All entries were submitted online and judged by both college educators and media professionals from the Mid-Atlantic region.
Sarah Terpning’s piece entitled “Answering the Call” told the story of classmate Jack Melton, a volunteer firefighter with Kennett Fire Company #1, Station 24, who serves on Engine 24. She recorded and edited shots of Jack in class at the high school and in his volunteer work at the firehouse. Sarah’s story recognized Jack for his service to the community and his dedication to the job. (Jack, the nephew of recently retired Kennett Fire Chief Steve “Monk” Melton, has trained extensively in fire and rescue operations.)
“We are delighted to recognize the work of these individuals who represent the future of broadcast journalism,” said Tara Faccenda, Executive Director of NATAS Mid-Atlantic. “It’s amazing to see the growth of the student awards program in our region as well. This year we received 126 entries from 25 different high schools – more than double the number of entries from last year. The level of competition is a true testament to the tremendous talent that these students display.”
Over the past six years the video production students in Kennett teacher Frank Vanderslice’s class have garnered two Emmy Awards and twenty-two Awards of Excellence.
