Communiqué
WOUB 2025 Leadership Award Winners Selected
< < Back toATHENS, OH – Two WOUB students have been recognized for their leadership with financial awards to support their college education.
Ella Hughes, a rising junior journalism news and information major, was the recipient of this year’s Tom and Jan Hodson Leadership and Excellence Award. The award is for upperclassmen who display exemplary leadership ability and excellence In journalism.
“I was honestly shocked and super excited when I found out I received this award. I am so grateful that I was chosen. It means so much to me for my work to be recognized,” said Hughes. “The award is so incredibly helpful in my pursuit of a degree here because it takes some of the stress off of my shoulders.”
“The award is important because it honors and benefits students who are actively advancing their professional skill sets through experiential learning,” said Hodson. “WOUB provides them with that opportunity to become successful young professionals.”
Hughes is originally from Oregon, Ohio near Toledo. She officially chose Ohio University after attending the High School Journalism Workshop in 2023. Hughes started working at WOUB in the fall of 2024 on the high school football program, Gridiron Glory. She went on to also work on WOUB’s Hardwood Heroes and The Bobcat Sports Showcase.
“I remember attending my first ever meeting for the highlight call and I was terrified; but I knew that this was something that could only help me and it turned out to be something I loved doing.”
Parker Kopronica, a rising senior journalism news and information major, was the recipient of this year’s Dr. Carolyn Bailey Lewis Leadership Award at WOUB Public Media. The award was created in honor of Lewis by Dr. David Descutner and Dr. Lysa Burnier and is for a student who exhibits exceptional leadership skills while taking the initiative to learn various aspects of the media industry.
“I am extremely grateful,” said Kopronica. “With this additional help, I will be able to continue with my level of involvement in the program at WOUB.”
This award acknowledges a student who exemplifies excellence in leadership at WOUB Public Media and who honors the legacy of Dr. Carolyn Bailey Lewis’s impact on students according to Descutner and Burnier.
Kopronica is from Lorain, Ohio, and was recently selected as the supervising producer for Gridiron Glory Season 26. This is Kopronica’s second year in the role.
“I’m truly honored to have the opportunity to continue working with Gridiron Glory and covering football in southeast Ohio,” said Kopronica. “In addition to my two seasons producing Hardwood Heroes, planning and participating in Gridiron Glory Season 25 taught me countless invaluable lessons. From learning how to work on the fly to implementing a new graphics system, I feel prepared to continue pushing our content and production forward.”
“WOUB has honestly made me into a completely different person. At the beginning of the year, I was pretty shy and timid but being involved at WOUB has helped me build my confidence,” said Hughes. “I also met some of my favorite people here, and I couldn’t imagine my college life without them.”