Chatham Students, Alumni Honored at Golden Quill Awards
Several Chatham University students and alumni were honored this week at the 2026 Golden Quill Awards presented by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania.
The winners were announced during a ceremony on May 18 at Rivers Casino Event Center on Pittsburgh's North Shore.
Winners from the Communiqué, Chatham’s student-run news outlet, included:
Rudy Bilger '28 for his portfolio of columns titled "Holding power to account" in the Student Excellence in Written Journalism — Columns/Blogs category.
Bella White '27 for a portfolio of print newspapers they designed and edited as editor-in-chief in the Student Excellence in Visual Achievement – Page Layout/Design category
Kyle Ferreira '25 and Jada Jenkins '26 were finalists for photography (news and feature) and column/blog writing, respectively. Additionally, White was a finalist in the Student Excellence in Written Journalism – Culture and Entertainment category.
Chatham alumni were also earned recognition for their professional work.
Abigail Hakas '24, a former Communiqué opinion editor who now serves as managing editor of the Latrobe Bulletin, won in two categories for written journalism. She was a finalist in multiple categories as well.
Former Communiqué editor-in-chief Alice Crow '23, Pittsburgh lead reporter for Technical.ly, was recognized as part of an Excellence in Collaboration award presented to the staffs of Technical.ly and Public Source for their work together. Crow was also a finalist for writing in science/environment journalism.
Jamie Wiggan ’18 was a finalist for awards in written journalism and visual achievement for his work with Public Source.
"This is the third consecutive year that Chatham University Communiqué students have earned Golden Quill Awards. While awards are not what drive these dedicated student journalists, these accolades are a testament to their tenacity and commitment to serving the Chatham community through journalism," said Sara Bauknecht, assistant professor of communication and Communiqué adviser.
“It's also inspiring to witness how alumni are shaping the region's media landscape and embodying Chatham University's mission by leading lives of purpose and meaning through their professional work as reporters, editors, and multimedia storytellers."
The Golden Quills are presented each spring by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania for achievements in professional and student journalism. Contest entries exceeded 1,100 from across western Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio and West Virginia.
The awards were judged by the Chicago Headline Club, the Florida Press Club, and the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists.