The Founder’s Award was created to honor Jeff Hawkinson, who was TV-10’s first news director and was instrumental in the program’s creation in 1974. Hawkinson went on to a very successful career in television journalism and corporate communication. Despite failing health, he and his wife Cathi maintained an active interest in TV-10 and its students, until his death in 2010. The award is presented each year to an outstanding graduating senior. Our thanks to Cathi for donating the perpetual plaque that now hangs in the TV-10 newsroom.
The 2021 winner is Andie Bernhardt, who was able to work at a Peoria TV station throughout the pandemic, and position herself to jump several markets for her first fulltime job. She is a Multimedia Journalist at WOWK-TV in Charleston, West Virginia. At TV-10, she was a producer and anchor for the newscasts for two semesters, after reporting and shooting stories. She also reported on Sports and was part of the award-winning SportsZone crew. She was also a successful member of the ISU Diving Team.
Past winners include:
2020: Gabrielle Cooke – Digital Journalist at WCIA-TV in Champaign; now accepted into the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University for Fall 2021.
2019: Andy Olson – Multimedia Journalist at WCIA-TV in Champaign
2018: Stephanie Rodriguez – Morning Anchor at WQOW-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; previously Multimedia Journalist at WEEK/Heart of Illinois ABC in Peoria
2017: Mike Miletich – PAR graduate, Capitol Bureau Reporter for Quincy Media stations
2016: Jeff Burnett – PAR graduate, Senior Producer at WHAS-TV in Louisville, KY; previously News Producer at WEEK-TV in Peoria
2015: Kristi O’Connor – Multimedia Journalist at WBTV-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina; previously MMJ and Anchor/Producer at WCYB-TV in Bristol, Virginia
2014: Alexandra Wilson – Communications Manager at Catch Des Moines; previously at WHO-TV in Des Moines, KTVO-TV in Kirksville, Missouri and WEEK-TV in Peoria
2013: Joe Brand – Sports Anchor for WGN Radio, Broadcaster for the Kane County Cougars Baseball Team
2013: Ali (Harris) Murray – High school English teacher in Phoenix, Arizona
2012: Kate (Pabich) Levin – Director of Strategic Outreach for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin; previously at WMTV-TV in Madison and WHBF-TV in the Quad Cities
2011: Lauren (Potter) Stream – Producer at WRTV-TV in Indianapolis; previously Producer/Reporter at WICD-TV in Champaign
2010: Lindsey Boetsch – Evening anchor at KKTV-TV in Colorado Springs; previously at KMGH-TV in Denver, FirstCoast News in Jacksonville, Florida and KHQA-TV in Quincy
2009: Chip Brewster – Digital Content Host at WGN-TV in Chicago; previously at FOX 13 in Tampa, Florida, KPRC-TV in Houston, WITI-TV in Milwaukee and WIFR-TV in Rockford.
2009: Jacob Long – Former Communications Director for St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson; previously a Reporter at KSDK-TV, St. Louis, Boston 25 News, FirstCoast News in Jacksonville, Florida and WMBD-TV, Peoria.
2008: Christy (Stelzer) McFarland – Communications at Country Financial in Bloomington; previously at WMBD-TV, Peoria
2007: Cami (Mountain) Weinkauf – now a full-time Mom; previously Morning Anchor/Reporter at WAOW-TV, Wausau, Wisconsin
2006: Kelly Larson – Communications Manager at Plainfield School District; previously at Joliet Junior College, WJFW-TV, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and WICS-TV, Springfield
2005: Meghan (Fisher) Lundeen – now in communications for Caterpillar’s Global Information Systems in East Peoria; previously at WHOI-TV, Peoria.
She went on to be a reporter at WTWO-TV, Terre Haute.