Cal State San Bernardino Alumna Wins
By |Jessica Rohn|
Gabrielle Mays was awarded the 2012 Broadcasting Award of Excellence for news reporting by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters in March.
Communication Studies Department Chair Michael Salvador noted, “It is particularly
impressive that Gabrielle just graduated from CSUSB last year."
To win this award in her first year speaks to Gabrielle’s talent and the quality of her professional preparation here at CSUSB.
Mays works for WLUC-TV 6, in Houghton, Michigan.
The station’s website highlights her college work: “While attending CSUSB, she gained most of her experience as the producer for the campus news station Local Matters.”
Each year broadcasters in Michigan put together a compilation of their best stories to be considered for the Broadcasting Award of Excellence in various categories.
Entries consist of 3-5 events highlighting the applicant and are judged based on writing, story approach, on-air presence and delivery.
Mays entered the news reporter category with three feature stories she produced in the Houghton/Hancock region.
“What makes this award so special is that all of the stories I entered were about the people in this area,” said Mays.
Her entries consisted of a story about a young girl with brittle bone disease who wanted an outdoor wheelchair to aid her in getting through the snow, a group called the Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly who assisted senior citizens in their everyday lives, and a fire that broke out in a senior living complex.
“People in the community trusted me enough to tell their story and to win an award based on how amazing, kind, and generous the Houghton/Hancock community truly is makes me smile,” continued Mays.
The award now sits in the front office of the news station she works at in Houghton among the other awards won. “I came into this job not being the best on camera personality but I learned that if you want to be a reporter, you have to get good at telling the stories of the people that watch you every single night,” said Mays.
Michigan Association of Broadcasters Award
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Gabrielle Mays