Eagle’s Rachel Prows takes 3rd place for photo illustration

Rachel Prows won third place for photo illustrations in the national Gold Circle Awards 2015 from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
Choosing several of her finest photo illustrations during her last week at Tayorsville High School, Prows submitted a portfolio to the 2015 Scholastic Gold Circle Awards.
Not expecting to be chosen for an award with the 11,110 entries produced by students at colleges, universities and secondary schools throughout the United States, Prows let the competition fall to the back of her mind and left her high school newspaper, The Warrior Ledger, to continue her education at Utah State University Eastern on its newspaper staff.
A visit to her high school newspaper staff fall semester brought the submission back to the front of her mind as her old advisor, Stephanie Floch, handed her an envelope. Inside the envelope was a creme-colored award that read “The Columbia Scholastic Press Association presents this third place in photo illustration portfolio of work for news publications to Rachel Prows.”
A smile made it’s way onto her face as she read the details of the award. Never imagining she would win an award with work she did on her own, Prows jumped for joy in the newsroom her best friend Leiani Brown brought her in their sophomore year of high school.
“You can’t have a story written about you unless you do something that is headline worthy,” Brown repeatedly told Prows when she would ask for a story to be written about her. Unsuccessful at her attempts, Prows decided the only way she would be able to get her name in the newspaper would be to join.
Prows took lots of photography classes and loved to write, so Prows thought she could do this. She might not have stories written about her, but seeing her name next to pictures and stories that she wrote was enough for her.
Beginning her newspaper experience her junior year of high school, Prows started writing articles, taking pictures and designing pages. Not knowing how time consuming being a part of a newspaper staff was, Prows had to sacrifice things such as sports teams and even some friends. Up until her senior year, Prows was planning on being a music major, so the long hours in the news lab were a real hinderance on her practice time.
Senior year came along and Prows developed a deep love for the newsroom she spent so much time in. Returning to the staff as the head photography editor, Prows had a lot more responsibilities and had to make a lot more sacrifices.
Midway through the year, she discovered that she no longer wanted to major in music. Dropping her AP music theory course and adding more journalism classes, Prows fully committed to the newspaper and refocused her goals according to what she loves.
“When I design a page, write an article or take a picture, I know that having this as a career will make me happy.” Prows says, “Knowing I have chosen a career that I am good at and won’t have me hating what I do makes the time sacrificed to be in the news lab that I could be spending time with friends or sleeping, a lot more enjoyable.”
With a major in communications, Prows hopes to go onward with her life writing, designing and taking pictures for newspapers and other publications. Currently designing the back page of The Eagle at USU Eastern, Prows loves the work she does and the outlet for her creativity and imagination designing provides.
“I definitely cannot take all of the credit for this award. I have had lots of help along the way from teachers, advisors and friends. I am very grateful for the support from my parents, and Leiani Brown, having gotten me interested in newspaper and helping me so much along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
“I am glad I was able to win this national award as a part of The Warrior Ledger and will always cherish the time I spent on that staff with Stephanie Floch as my adviser,” Prows said. Finally having done something that was worthy of a story written about her, Prows feels honored to have received this award.