Columbia, Missouri (Nov. 2, 2020) – Tristen Rouse, a former editor-in-chief of Marshfield High School’s Jay Chatter newspaper, earned a Bronze award in the Sports Feature category of the College Photographer of the Year international competition. He is a senior studying photojournalism at the Missouri School of Journalism at Mizzou.

His winning photograph features Logyn Hearn, a wide receiver on the Jefferson City (Mo.) Jays football team. In the photograph, she awaits the start of the national anthem before the team’s home opener against St. Louis University High School on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.

Rouse credits his high school journalism teachers for helping him understand the critical role of journalism in a democracy. His first teacher, Kelly O’Brien Hugenot, focused on reporting and editing. In his senior year, Melanie Clark encouraged Rouse to add camera skills to his repertoire in spite of his resistance to do so.

“I considered myself such a hardcore writer that when Mrs. Clark insisted I learn how to use a camera I said, ‘I’m never going to use this,’” Rouse said. “Oh, how the tables turn. In high school, I was a three-sport athlete (even if I wasn’t particularly talented), and I’d like to think that’s helped give me an insight and appreciation for the subtler side of sports photojournalism.”

As a student at the Missouri School of Journalism, Rouse has worked as a staff photographer and now is the assistant director of photography at the Columbia Missourian, a digital-first community newspaper that is supervised by professional editors and staffed by Missouri journalism students.

Rouse also has had the opportunity to work in South Africa, and through Journalism Global Programs office, to study at the Danish School of Media and Journalism’s prestigious international photography program.

CPOY judges viewed nearly 10,000 images and multimedia projects submitted by over 550 students from 129 colleges and institutions in 29 countries. Award-winning photojournalists from National Geographic, Washington Post, TIME magazine, among other leading publications, served as judges.

Information about the Missouri School of Journalism is available online at journalism.missouri.edu.