May 11, 2026
The Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA) has named the winners in the 2026 Portfolio of the Year contests.
The Portfolio of the Year contests happen each spring and are open to students that have participated in student journalism with one of our member publications. Portfolios are judged by experienced advisers and industry professionals from across the United States. The contests are designed to recognize the top performing Colorado student journalist in each of the award categories. Each winning student receives a $250 honorarium. The member publication program also receives a $250 honorarium. Portfolio contests include Photographer, Reporter, Designer, Broadcast Journalist, Social Media Content Creator, and Middle School Journalist.
The Photographer of the Year is Peyton Winsor. Winsor is a senior at Liberty High School in Colorado Springs. He works on the Excalibur Yearbook staff. The judges noted the inclusion of both strong action and reaction moments in his portfolio and Winsor’s ability to capture strong expressions and give a sense of the emotions from his subjects.
The Reporter of the Year is Gina Ridgeway. Ridgeway is a senior at Heritage High School in Littleton. She works on the Pioneer news program. Ridgeway’s portfolio included work across multiple story types, including news, sports, and features. Her stories have a strong connection to the school community and also show attention to local and global events that impact Heritage students. Her work is relevant and timely. She demonstrates knowledge of her topic while also allowing for her interview subjects to tell the stories.
The Designer of the Year is Gavin Federocko. Federocko is a sophomore at Brighton High School in Brighton. He works on the Reflections Yearbook. Federocko’s portfolio is strong, unified, and bold. He demonstrates a solid understanding of typography and modular design. His work allows the content to shine with the design working to elevate the subject without distracting the reader. His design choices show a fine balance of consistency without being repetitious.
The Broadcast Journalist of the Year is Charlie Wood. Wood is a senior at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora. He works on the RJTV News and the Raider Sports Network. Wood’s portfolio of work includes live sports broadcasting, studio/desk work, feature stories, and documentary film. He has done work in sports broadcasting for Regis Jesuit and also for CHSAA during state playoffs. He has a strong vocal presence as a sports broadcaster and a relaxed presence on camera. His feature series trying sports shows risk taking and connection to his audience.
The Social Media Content Creator of the Year is a new category for CSMA. This year’s winner is Sammy Granado. Granado is a senior at Brighton High School in Brighton. Granado’s portfolio of work includes content for the program’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. His posts featured a variety of sales, behind the scenes, and community connection materials. The content included many members of the staff and showed an understanding of social media trends.
The Middle School Journalist of the Year is Linh Do. Do is an eighth grade student at Cresthill Middle School in Highlands Ranch. Do works on the staff of CANN broadcasting. Her portfolio includes several different types of media stories and demonstrates growth over her two years in the program. Her essay on the importance of journalism in middle school highlights the impact it has had on her personally and also the impact that the program has on the school community.
