The Dos Pueblos High School broadcast journalism program DPNews achieved historic national success this past weekend at the Student Television Network (STN) National Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida, competing against the top student broadcast programs in the country.
The convention brought together more than 3,600 student competitors from over 200 schools participating in 40+ national contests. Despite facing the largest field of competition in the event’s history, the DPNews team returned home with more national awards than the program has ever won before.
National Excellence Awards
The STN Excellence Awards recognize the best regularly produced student television programs in the nation. All eligible programs across the country compete in categories including Daily Show, Weekly Show, Social Media Show, Monthly News Magazine, and Monthly Sports Show.
DPNews earned national recognition across multiple categories:
● Bronze Medalist — Daily Show (DPNews)
● Bronze Medalist — Social Media Show (The Flash)
● Gold Medalist — Monthly Sports Show (The Charger Playbook)
● Gold Medalist — Monthly News Magazine (Beyond DP) 2:32:09 in Excellence Show https://www.studenttelevision.com/live-shows
The recognition for Beyond DP was especially significant. The show was the first program announced in the category, signifying it is the top monthly news magazine show in the United States. This is the first time in the program’s 20-year history that they earned this honor.
Key student leaders behind these programs include:
● DPNews Executive Producers: Michael Nuno, Ethan Gardiner, Everett Womack, Erik San Juan Villegas
● Beyond DP Producers: Townes Widger and Camila Ronchietto
● Charger Playbook Producers: Evan Pinsker and Grant Nelson
● The Flash Producers: Tyler McCutchen and Micah Barnhart
National Convention Competition Results
In addition to the Excellence Awards, thirty-eight students competed in fast-paced production contests held during the Tampa Bay convention. These events require teams to produce professional broadcast journalism pieces under strict deadlines.
1st Place — Crazy 8’s Short Documentary https://youtu.be/2hzDNxG1EmE An intense 8-hour competition where teams must create a documentary based on a theme announced that morning.
Team Members: Evan Pinsker, Selah Blackwell, Abby Selzler, Grant Nelson, Caden Walsh, Tyler McCutchen, and Stefan Harris.
1st Place — Vertical “Man on the Street” https://youtu.be/PEI-MRkioZo Students interviewed people across Tampa Bay and produced a vertical video showcasing their responses. DPNews successfully defended its national title from last year, a rare achievement given that more than 60 schools competed in the category.
Team Members: Jackson Myers, Trestan Garcia, Verner Guzman, and Lucas AbuGhazaleh.
2nd Place — Arts & Culture Tyler McCutchen and Micah Barnhart earned national runner-up honors for their story on a third-generation Tampa barbershop, highlighting the culture and community surrounding the local business.
Honorable Mention — Convention Promo One of the most technically demanding contests, requiring advanced filming, editing, and storytelling to promote the convention itself.
Team Members: Erik San Juan Villegas, Everett Womack, Ashton Belding, Caden Walsh, and Lucas Trexler.
Across all contests, awards are limited to first through third place and two honorable mentions per category, making national recognition extremely competitive.
A Public School Powerhouse
With its performance in Tampa Bay, DPNews has firmly established itself as one of the most successful high school broadcast journalism programs in the country. Unlike many of the top programs at STN, Dos Pueblos is a comprehensive public high school, where students balance their media work with athletics, academics, performing arts, robotics, and numerous other campus programs.
The recognition in Tampa Bay highlights the powerful storytelling, engaging reporting, and creative video production that DPNews students produce throughout the year. From in-depth magazine features to sports coverage and community storytelling, students develop professional-level skills while learning how to tell meaningful stories that connect with audiences.
These opportunities are made possible through the guidance and support of advisers Doug Caines and John Dent, who work closely with students as they develop ideas, report stories, film, edit, and produce shows that are entirely student-driven.
“I am so proud that our students have been recognized for their hard work and their talents,” said Dent. “What excites me most is seeing their growth and knowing they are leaving this program with real skills, confidence, and experiences that will serve them well wherever their future takes them.”
Caines emphasized that the program’s focus goes far beyond winning awards.
“I remind the students regularly that the process is the most important part,” Caines said. “The outcomes will come, but the learning, collaboration, and effort that happen along the way are what truly shape them into the storytellers and leaders they are becoming.”
Support the DPNews ProgramWhile the team’s accomplishments in Tampa Bay were extraordinary, students are still working to fund the experience.
Community members and local businesses can support the program by becoming DPNews sponsors, with opportunities for recognition during live-streamed broadcasts, on production equipment, and across DPNews media platforms.
Supporters can contribute to the team’s fundraiser at: dphs.link/stn2026