The Association for Women in Sports Media is proud to announce Wisconsin as its Student Chapter of the Year.
"Wisconsin has continually made strides as one of AWSM's most steady and engaging chapters over the past few years,” AWSM VP of Student Chapters Maggie Vanoni said. “This year, however, they set themselves apart by creating hands-on workshops for their members on a variety of sports media topics, such as sports social media and marketing, broadcasting and public relations. Through these workshops, their members got real-life experiences and advice from local professionals.
“Wisconsin's event creativity allowed the chapter to boast a strong, consistent attendance throughout the school year thanks to a new point-system model. Because of the chapter's guidance, a lot of their members, especially underclassmen, found on-campus internships and job opportunities. AWSM is proud to honor Wisconsin as the 2026 AWSM Chapter of the Year!"
Michigan State, Penn State and Quinnipiac earned honorable mention.
“Wisconsin stuck out not just because of the number of events it held, but the variety,” AWSM student chapter coordinator Maria McIlwain said. “They hosted speakers from all reaches of sports media and social events, but they also held professional development sessions and workshops, including one in which they worked on practical skills such as resumé writing, interviewing, and LinkedIn/personal branding. They also held events in which members could take away examples for their portfolios.Additionally, Wisconsin maintained a strong and engaging social media presence and had consistent attendance at meetings.
“Helping develop members' professional toolkits is really exciting to see as it shows a commitment to what AWSM is all about: supporting the growth and advancement of women in sports media.”
Throughout the school year, Wisconsin brought in guest speakers that included Jenny Taft, Heather Dinich and Kelsey Tehan. They also held multiple panels with organizations like the Green BayPackers.
Wisconsin saw the results of its hard work in the number of students consistently showing up to its events and the way younger students became involved in sports media on campus.
"Winning AWSM Chapter of the Year is an incredible honor and a reflection of the passion, dedication and support of every member of our chapter,” Wisconsin president Rachel Cohen said.” We are proud of the growth our chapter has achieved and grateful to AWSM for providing opportunities that help our members learn, connect and succeed. We are excited to continue building a community that empowers women pursuing careers in sports media!"
AWSM will celebrate Wisconsin’s win during its 2026convention, which will be held in Los Angeles from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11.
