Penserio Editorial Award, Breaking News

Tarek and three coworkers were awarded the Best Breaking News Story of the Year for their collaborative coverage of a pro-Palestine protest inside the UO office of the President.

Penserio Editorial Award, Enterprise/Investigative Category

Tarek secured second place in the Enterprise/Investigative category for unveiling a shocking revelation about a Eugene mayoral candidate. His diligent reporting exposed the candidate’s past involvement in a hate crime attack and murder from the 1980s. Tarek’s investigation further revealed that the candidate had previously run for office without disclosing this conviction, shedding crucial light on the situation.

“This story was well executed and is an example of the important role journalists play in scrutinizing candidates running for public office,” wrote Sami Edge, higher education reporter for The Oregonian, and Jack Pitcher reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

Penserio Editorial Award, Multimedia

Tarek won Best Multimedia Project for his UO Salary Guide, which provides UO students and Oregon taxpayers with salary transparency

“Great way to show transparency of taxpayer and student fees! This is owning your local U of O community,” said Kristina Rudinskas, Senior Director of Product Management at Yahoo Games.

“Spirit of the Emerald” Award

Tarek was honored with the “Spirit of the Emerald” award for his dedication to providing continuous day and night coverage of the Pro-Palestine encampment on the University of Oregon campus for 25 consecutive days.

Tarek’s high school column turned Boston Globe special edition

In September 2023, Tarek’s high school senior column, addressing the impact of growing up surrounded by gun violence, was published in the Boston Globe’s “Teens Speak” edition. Although this was Tarek’s only opinion article to date, it exemplifies his aspiration to leverage journalism for positive change in the world.

Read Tarek’s original senior column here and the Boston Globe “Teens Speak” edition here