They announced the tenth place winner first. And then the ninth. The 13 members of Grandview Publications who went to the Journalism Convention in Minnesota held their breath as the announcer went down the line. However, Chelsea Wilhelm (11) was the student holding her breath the most, as it was her work that was in the running for the competition, Best in Show for a Broadcast News Video. 

“I was just listening to the numbers go up, and they didn’t call my name for third, and I was like, there’s no way I got first or second,” Wilhelm said. “And then they didn’t call my name for second, and I was just mentally preparing for disappointment.”

However, Chelsea Wilhelm’s video ended up taking first prize nationally for the category.

“They called my name and I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, what the heck?’” Wilhelm said. “I was super excited.”

“It’s such a huge win for Chelsea and for our program,” Scott Roberts, GVTV advisor, said. 

The broadcast video that won Wilhelm the award was created in September, regarding the walkout organized by Team Enough students to protest gun violence. The 2.5 minute long news feature displayed passionate interviews by protestors, and B-roll showing cars honking at the students down Arapahoe Road. 

“I got word about the protest on social media, and I thought ‘Hey, this could be a good breaking news story,’” Wilhelm said. “So I went down, I got a lot of footage, I got some interviews, and then I just spent like the whole weekend editing.”

While creating this story, Wilhelm had a couple of goals in mind. For one thing, she wanted to remain entirely unbiased and neutral in order to make the video an objective presentation of facts. This was one of the factors Wilhelm believes contributed to her first place award, among others. 

“It was a news event, it was really well researched, it was really relevant, and it was really, really thorough,” Wilhelm said. “I think it covered all of the information that it needed to cover without bias, like a news story you would see on TV.”

Scott Roberts, GVTV advisor, made the decision to submit this video to the competition. 

“Talking to other people on staff, we knew that it was one of the best pieces that GVTV has done in a couple of years, and clearly the best thing that we did this year,” Roberts said. 

Currently, Wilhelm serves as the Features Editor for the GVTV program, and has ambitions for GVTV for the future. 

“I think seeing our GVTV news staff place in competition really showed us that we can do stuff, we can win awards,” Wilhelm said. “For the future of GVTV, I really want to work with social media to reach a wider audience and get more recognition for all of the hard work that we do here in our studio.” 

“Chelsea’s been a huge part of GVTV the last two years, and next year is her senior year,” Roberts said. “I expect nothing but the same.”

For Wilhelm, this award showed her what she is truly capable of. As GVTV celebrates this win for their program, they look to the future with ambition. 

“I want to focus on making GVTV the best place that it can be,” Wilhelm said.