OSU’s Slaughter returning to Hearst National Writing Championships
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University senior Ashton Slaughter has earned a spot in the 65th annual Hearst National Writing Championships, which will be held on June 6 in San Francisco.
This will be Slaughter’s second year in a row attending the awards. Last summer, he earned a $1,500 scholarship for his writing.
Founded in 1960, the program is dedicated to supporting, encouraging and advancing journalism education at colleges and universities. It recognizes outstanding student journalists with scholarships for exceptional work at the collegiate level and provides matching grants to their institutions.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to return to the Hearst Awards,” Slaughter said. “This will be a great way to finish off my career here at OSU. To have another chance at attending is very exciting.”
The program offers up to $700,000 in awards through a series of competitions, including five monthly writing contests, two photojournalism contests, one audio contest, two television contests, and four multimedia contests, all leading to championship finals in each category.
“Last summer at the Hearst Awards in San Francisco, Ashton and I talked about the possibility of him getting back. It’s not easy to do, and it’s a testament to hard work and talent that he’s headed there again,” said Brett Dawson, advisor for The O’Colly. “Between his work at the Tulsa World and his roles as sports editor last fall and editor-in-chief this spring at The O’Colly, he’s spent this year getting the sort of practical experience that will supplement his OSU education and set him up for success in his journalism career.”
Slaughter recently earned a first-place award in one of the monthly competitions in the sports writing category for his article in the Tulsa World “A Tulsa high school football player almost died on the field. It gave him a mission to help others.”
“It’s a sports story that’s about more than sports. It focuses on the humanity and stuff that happens beyond the field,” Slaughter said.
Slaughter wrote the story last summer during his Tulsa World internship. The article tells the powerful story of Collin Cottom, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during his first varsity start. Thanks to quick medical intervention, including the use of an AED and an oxygen tank brought down by a parent, his life was saved.
Cottom’s experience led him and his family to advocate for greater awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes. They successfully lobbied for Oklahoma Senate Bill 1921, which mandates public schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan.
The story also highlights a connection between Cottom and Kingston Whitmore, a Victory Christian honorary team captain born with a rare genetic condition. Whitmore’s mother provided the oxygen tank that helped save Cottom, and though Whitmore later passed away, his family believes his purpose in life was to help Cottom survive.
“Meeting Collin’s family and getting to hear him tell his story was an incredible experience,” Slaughter said. “This was an important story to tell, and I am honored they trusted me to tell it.”